What Do Child Life Specialists Do?
Child life professionals provide essential psychosocial support to children, families, and their broader support systems during times of stress, trauma, or significant life transitions. These experiences—such as illness, hospitalization, loss, or family changes—can impact a child’s typical growth and development. Child life specialists are trained to reduce the risk of long-term negative effects by offering developmentally appropriate support and interventions.
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Children of all ages may experience emotions such as fear, confusion, shame, or isolation, which can interfere with healthy development and, in some cases, lead to regression or lasting emotional challenges. With timely support, these outcomes can often be mitigated or prevented.
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Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS) are experts in child development, play-based interventions, and medical terminology. While they do not diagnose medical or psychological conditions, they collaborate closely with families and will recommend referrals to other healthcare professionals when appropriate.
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A Child Life Specialist Will:
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Establish a safe, supportive, and therapeutic relationship built on compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding of psychosocial and developmental needs.
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Promote normalcy, resilience, and effective coping strategies tailored to each child and family’s unique situation.
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Support self-expression and communication by fostering understanding and empathy within the child’s social circle, including siblings and peers.
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Offer clear, developmentally appropriate explanations about the nature, sequence, and reasons behind significant life events.
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Provide therapeutic play opportunities that encourage mastery, developmental growth, and processing of life experiences.
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Engage children in activities that help identify, express, and manage a range of emotions in a healthy and constructive manner.
Areas of Support
Grief & Loss
Children can experience grief not only from the death of a loved one or pet but also from the loss of normalcy due to life changes such as divorce, family separation, or foster care placement. Play Warriors provides therapeutic, expressive activities that create a safe environment for children to explore and process their emotions. Legacy-building experiences—such as creating memory boxes, writing stories or songs, jewelry making, and other hands-on projects—help children honor their loss while supporting healthy coping and emotional expression.
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Medical Diagnosis
A medical diagnosis—whether affecting the child or a loved one—can be overwhelming and confusing. Play Warriors offers developmentally appropriate education and medical play to help children better understand diagnoses, procedures, and treatments. Additional services include support for at-home port access, preparation for medical visits, and coaching for parents/caregivers on comfort positioning and relaxation techniques to reduce distress during medical care.
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Stress & Trauma
Exposure to trauma—such as witnessing violence, experiencing substance use/overdose events, or enduring other distressing situations—can negatively impact a child's emotional well-being, behavior, and academic success. Play Warriors uses therapeutic play to provide children with a sense of control, safety, and connection. Through guided, play-based interventions, children learn to identify their feelings and develop lifelong coping strategies in a supportive, trauma-informed space.
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Life Transitions & Behavioral Health
Children may face a wide range of challenges that impact their development and emotional health. Play Warriors offers tailored support for:
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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ADHD
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Sensory Processing Differences
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Separation Anxiety
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Parental Incarceration
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Parental Substance Use Disorder
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Welcoming a New Sibling
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Dental or Doctor Visit Anxiety
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Phobias