Ask an Expert: Child Life Specialist
What is your profession?
“MSChild Life, Cert. Child Life Specialist, Cert. Thanatologist, GCCA-C, Grief Counselor Cert. with an additional specialization for children and adolescents
Cert. Child Life Specialist: Developmentally based medical diagnosis/ procedural teaching, trauma, palliative, hospice, end of life and grief psychosocial, coping and expressive support and interventions
Cert . Thanatologist: Teaching children, adolescents about end of life and death
Grief Counselor- Cert. with additional Cert for Child and Adolescent Grief support for 2-24 year olds: expressive and coping interventions at developmentally appropriate levels using therapeutic play.”
What is a lesser-known/unusual aspect of your job that the public/average person wouldn't expect?
“Child Life Specialists are well known to families who have children with significant medical diagnosis. Even those families are often unaware of Cert. Child Life Specialists practicing in the community with a nonhospital facility or organization or in private practice.”
What has been one of the biggest challenges for you, working in your role?
“Getting insurance reimbursements for families. I was the first in private practice for a family to get insurance coverage per their plan. Additionally, awareness of Child Life services beyond the hospital, though that is improving.”
What has been your biggest win in this role?
“1) Bill AB1187; Getting California State legislature to add ‘Cert. Child Life Specialist’ as an approved provider of grief and trauma support to child victims of violent crimes. 2)Getting insurance reimbursements for my families 3) Being in private practice for 10 years, and growing.”
What is something society/the government/the public should know, or seek to change, regarding your field of work?
“At this time [2023] MS/MA Cert. Child Life Specialists are not licensed, despite taking courses with master level psychology, marriage and family, clinical social workers who are licensed. We undergo requirements parallel to these licensed professions, but are not seen as equivalent providers. In fact, Cert. Child Life Specialists have expertise in child development, early childhood, adolescence and the effects adverse experiences where these professions do not.”
Something you wish you knew before starting on this career path?
“My career path started at a time when Child Life was formalizing a certification and educational requirements. I stepped away for personal reasons with the intent of returning which I did as an older adult. The history both personal and professional, my MSCL and experiences at Loma Linda University, gave me a unique direction to take Child Life services.”
Something you’d tell your younger self?
“Go with your vision. Your passion will infect others.”
Why do you do what you do?
“Kids!! They are my passion. People under-estimate what they are aware of, understand and feel. Children lack the vocabulary but they do understand. I provide the opportunity for expression, questions, possible outcomes by ‘playing’ out a life event.”
One piece of key insider information?
“If you want to know what is going on with your child, get down on the floor and play with them. You will learn a lot.”
Interview with Colleen M Cherry MSCL CCLS CT GCC-A
Facebook: PlayWell Child Life Services or Colleen M Cherry MSCL
Website: playwellchildlife.com
“I provide on-site support in Orange County California. There are other Child Life Specialists, throughout the country who provide non-hospital support. Look up child life specialists in your community.”
Are you an expert or a professional with something interesting to share? Then we’d love to hear from you!
At ‘The Room - Psy’, we are reaching out to especially interesting health, psychology/social science, and wellbeing related professionals (or professionals with something else relevant/exciting they do or can offer), who are open to answering some unconventional and thought-provoking questions regarding what it’s really like working in your field; providing insight, advice, information, and perhaps a unique story. The interview will be offered remotely via email and can be published either anonymously or with credit to you (including job title, name, and with something you might wish to promote/contact details). The choice would be yours depending on your preference/comfort. The goal is to learn about what it’s truly like working as a professional in your field, to inspire students, stimulate debate or thought concerning issues or wins in your field.
If you’d like to put yourself forward for this, please email us at theroompsy@outlook.com with a brief highlight of your current/previous job that you would like the interview to focus on.