Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, hosts this final episode of The Child Life Wild Life Podcast with Alexx Friesen to celebrate the profound impact child life specialists make in pediatric healthcare through a collection of heartfelt stories sent in by specialists across the field. What unfolds is a tapestry of remarkable moments that showcase exactly why child life work matters.

From the specialist who calmed a screaming child in the ER—causing their blood pressure to visibly drop on the monitor—to another who taught American Sign Language to a nonverbal hospitalized child, these stories reveal the transformative power of child life interventions. The conversation takes listeners through emotional territory as specialists share experiences like supporting teenage mothers during childbirth, helping children understand permanent physical changes, and even facilitating a powerful goodbye when a hundred high schoolers came to honor their friend in the PICU.

The magic of these stories lies in their authenticity. Some showcase dramatic interventions, while others highlight seemingly small interactions that created lasting impacts. What becomes clear through each anecdote is how child life specialists serve as nervous system regulators, creative problem-solvers, and compassionate guides through difficult medical experiences.

For students and new professionals, this episode offers powerful motivation to persist through the challenging journey into the field. For seasoned specialists feeling burnout, these stories serve as powerful reminders of why they chose this profession. The episode beautifully captures how even in healthcare's most challenging moments, child life specialists create space for understanding, coping, and sometimes even joy.

Ready to be inspired? Listen as Jessica and Alexx laugh, gasp, and occasionally fight back tears while celebrating the remarkable work happening in pediatric healthcare settings every day.

You can follow Alexx on Instagram at @childlifealexx.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and CCLS, Ellen Palmer, about her journey as a dyslexic and ADHD-diagnosed child life specialist, sharing how these differences have become her "superpowers" in the emergency department.

What if your neurodivergence wasn't just something to overcome, but actually your greatest professional asset? 

Ellen's story begins with her early diagnosis of dyslexia and later discovery of ADHD as an adult professional. With refreshing honesty, she walks us through the challenges of navigating education with learning differences – from qualifying for accommodations to masking during school days – before tackling the particularly rigid child life certification process.

What makes this episode truly special is Ellen's perspective on how neurodivergence enhances her child life practice. Her ability to process multiple conversations simultaneously, remember specific details about her colleagues' preferences, and rapidly assess complex situations has made her exceptionally effective in fast-paced healthcare environments. When supported by understanding teammates who provide simple accommodations like fidgets during meetings, these natural tendencies become professional strengths rather than obstacles.

Beyond personal experience, Ellen offers a powerful critique of accessibility in our profession, noting the startling fact that there are more FBI agents in the US than Certified Child Life Specialists worldwide. She advocates for tangible changes like normalizing note usage and simplifying application processes to create a more diverse and sustainable profession.

Whether you identify as neurodivergent or are simply interested in creating more inclusive healthcare spaces, Ellen's insight that "the way I advocate for myself is how I advocate for my patients" provides a compelling framework for compassionate care. Tune in to discover how embracing different ways of thinking might be exactly what our profession needs.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and new CCLS, Anisha Reza, about her journey as a second-generation immigrant and career-changer who brings a unique lens to our field. Having previously pursued medical school before finding her true calling in child life, Anisha offers invaluable insights on the challenges students face—particularly those from diverse backgrounds.

When was the last time you truly listened to a student's perspective on the child life profession? 

The statistics are striking: our profession remains approximately 93-95% white female, creating tangible impacts for students of color navigating spaces where they're "the only one." Anisha candidly discusses how this reality influenced her educational journey while highlighting the critical importance of diversifying our field. "There have been intangible times where I've walked in a room and the kid and family just appears comfortable just because I'm not white," she explains, demonstrating why representation matters for the families we serve.

From the frustration of receiving feedback too late ("Why is this the first time I'm hearing this when I'm already done with the rotation?") to the shocking competitiveness of securing internships, Anisha addresses the systemic challenges that make entering our profession unnecessarily difficult. Students and educators alike will appreciate the concrete suggestions shared throughout the episode, including pre-rotation surveys, adapted teaching approaches based on learning styles, and creating safe spaces for processing difficult clinical experiences.

Whether you're a student navigating this challenging path, a supervisor seeking to better support your students, or a program director wondering how to increase accessibility and diversity, this conversation offers actionable insights to strengthen our profession. 

The message is clear: by approaching students with the same strength-based framework we use with patients and validating their diverse experiences, we can build a more resilient, inclusive, and effective child life profession.

You can follow Anisha on Instagram at @childlifewithanisha or check out her blog: https://www.childlifewithanisha.org/

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and CCLS, Kelley Gavel, about her journey through the challenges and profound rewards of supporting children and families in critical care settings. With dual master's degrees in Developmental Psychology and Clinical Counseling, Kelley brings a uniquely holistic perspective to her work in a bustling 36-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

The conversation delves into the unexpected ways child life extends beyond hospital walls—like coordinating with schools to help classmates process a friend's absence or arranging virtual reading sessions between hospitalized children and their classes. Kelley shares touching stories of bridging these worlds, providing not just medical understanding but genuine community connection during crisis.

Perhaps most revealing are Kelley's insights into bereavement support, where memorial lights that cast rainbows become powerful symbols of continued connection for grieving families. Kelley shares a touching story highlighting how these simple objects transform into profound sources of comfort.

What might surprise listeners most is learning that the most essential PICU skill isn't medical knowledge but rather the ability to sit in silence with suffering families. "Sitting quietly somewhere with a sobbing adult or kid and being quiet," Kelley emphasizes, challenging the natural instinct to fill uncomfortable moments with words. This quiet presence, paired with carefully crafted empathetic statements that avoid the problematic "I'm sorry," forms the cornerstone of truly effective support.

For aspiring specialists, Kelley offers practical wisdom: practice open-ended questions, remain receptive to unexpected passions, and recognize that sometimes the wildest part of PICU work is witnessing children defy impossible odds. Those Christmas cards on her refrigerator—from families once prepared for funeral arrangements—stand as powerful reminders of why this challenging work matters so deeply.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and CCLS, Caitlin Wolf, about her work in pediatric hematology/oncology, and how she prioritizes siblings through thoughtful interventions and family-centered care practices. With passion and creativity, she shares practical strategies for maintaining crucial connections between patients and siblings during lengthy hospital stays or repeated admissions.

From digital picture frames that allow photo sharing between hospital and home, to decorated name letters that give siblings ownership over a piece of the hospital environment, Caitlin demonstrates how even simple interventions can profoundly impact family cohesion. Her approach to recordable storybooks creates meaningful bonds that persist through treatment - and potentially beyond if a patient faces end-of-life circumstances.

Perhaps most striking is Caitlin's nuanced understanding of the ethical challenges surrounding diagnosis disclosure. While advocating for transparency and developmentally appropriate honesty, she respects the ultimate authority of parents to make decisions for their children. "Our job is to meet them where they are and walk with them through it," she explains, highlighting how child life specialists must balance professional guidance with family autonomy.

For both seasoned professionals and students entering the field, Caitlin's insights illuminate the importance of developing your own authentic practice style rather than mimicking others. Her journey reminds us that in child life, the wildest experiences often become our greatest teachers. Whether you're supporting families through pediatric cancer treatment or any healthcare journey, these strategies for sibling inclusion will enhance your practice and honor the whole family system.

You can follow Caitlin on Instagram at @caitlinwolf_.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and CCLS, Morgan Livingstone, about her understanding that effective support doesn't require special equipment—it requires presence, creativity, and genuine connection through play, regardless of what language you may speak.

Morgan's 28-year journey as a Certified Child Life Specialist has taken her from oncology units in Canada to remote Indigenous communities, and across continents to Kenya, Colombia, Botswana, and beyond. Her pioneering work establishing a private practice offering home-based child life services challenged traditional hospital-only models and created pathways for specialists to meet families where they are—physically, emotionally, and linguistically.

The universal language of play stands at the heart of Morgan's approach to bridging cultural divides. She shares practical strategies for connecting with children across language barriers: learning simple phrases like "open your mouth" or "hold still," using children's songs with familiar melodies, modeling play behaviors without words, and leveraging modern tools like Google Translate. These techniques create immediate bonds, as "the family's face lights up because they can see that you're trying."

Morgan emphasizes cultural humility over cultural competence, maintaining that every family has their own unique culture within their home. This perspective encourages child life specialists to approach each interaction with curiosity rather than assumption. She offers wisdom on creating inclusive environments—from selecting dolls with appropriate skin tones to establishing quiet tent spaces where children can retreat from overwhelming medical settings.

Book recommendations include: 

• "Culture, Religion, and Childbearing in a Multiracial Society: A Handbook for Health Professionals" by Judith Schott and Alix Henley
• "Caring for the World: A Guidebook to Global Health Opportunities" by Paul K. Drain, Stephen A. Huffman, Sara E. Pirtie, and Kevin Chan
• "Dead Aid: Why Aid is not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa" by Dambisa Moyo
• "The Uses of Haiti" by Paul Farmer

Whether you're a student, new professional, or seasoned specialist, Morgan's stories from pediatric healthcare's frontlines will inspire you to embrace bravery, patience, and play as universal healers. Listen now to discover how small gestures of cultural respect can transform a child's healthcare experience and why, sometimes, the wildest professional moments involve chameleons on your head during team meetings.

You can follow Morgan on Instagram at @childlifemorgan.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and CCLS, Katie Lavallee, about the powerful synergy between recreational therapy and child life. As a dual-certified professional with a decade of recreational therapy experience and seven years as a child life specialist, Katie offers unique insights into how these complementary fields enhance patient care.

Katie's journey began at age 12 when a compassionate child life specialist transformed her emergency department experience. Though initially pursuing recreational therapy, she never abandoned her child life dreams, eventually completing her internship years later. Her varied professional background spans community-based programs for individuals with disabilities, adaptive sports instruction, emergency medicine, and intensive care units.

At the heart of both professions lies a commitment to meaningful play. While child life specialists use play for normalization and therapeutic intervention, recreational therapists employ activities patients genuinely enjoy to motivate them toward their treatment goals. As Katie eloquently puts it, "Physical therapists give patients the strength to get out of bed, occupational therapists teach patients how to get out of bed, and recreational therapists give patients the meaning to get out of bed."

Unlike child life specialists who primarily serve pediatric populations in medical settings, recreational therapists work across the lifespan in diverse environments – from hospitals and rehabilitation centers to prisons, nursing homes, VA facilities, and community programs. Both fields share common challenges: the struggle for professional recognition, competitive pay, and the emotional toll of supporting people through difficult circumstances.

What makes Katie's dual certification particularly valuable is her expertise in activity analysis and adaptation. Whether organizing water fights with giant syringes in hospital gardens or adapting activities for patients with new limitations, she ensures therapeutic play remains accessible to all. For students and professionals considering either path, Katie offers heartfelt encouragement: despite the challenges, the profound impact you'll have on patients' lives makes every struggle worthwhile.

You can follow Katie on Instagram at @katielavallee.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friends and CCLSs, Caelin Hallgren and Ramonna Datuin, about their newly found work/life balance as they have recently stepped away from the child life profession.

The moment of reckoning came differently for each – for Ramonna, it was realizing her entire identity had become wrapped up in her clinical role, while Caelin found herself wishing for anything (even a car accident) just to avoid another workday. Their stories reflect a growing reality in the helping professions: burnout doesn't discriminate, and sometimes the most dedicated professionals need to make difficult choices.

Now working as case managers – Ramonna with a nonprofit connecting chronically ill children with college sports teams, and Caelin helping individuals with intellectual disabilities transition from school to adult services – they've discovered something surprising. Not only are their child life skills highly transferable, but their new environments actively value work/life boundaries. 

The financial reality is equally eye-opening. Both now make significantly more money ($5,000-$12,000 more annually) with scheduled raises, better benefits, and dramatically improved quality of life. Working remotely or in hybrid arrangements has given them time to reconnect with partners, pursue fitness goals, and rediscover themselves beyond their professional identities.

For child life specialists feeling stuck or questioning their path, this conversation offers practical guidance on resume crafting, interviewing outside healthcare, and navigating the emotional complexity of leaving a helping profession. The underlying message resonates regardless of your career stage: your clinical skills have value beyond hospital walls, and prioritizing your wellbeing isn't selfish – it's sustainable.

You can follow Ramonna and Caelin on Instagram as @ramonnastephhh and @coping_with_caelin.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and CCLS, Veronica Burns, about her pivotal career shift to become a thriving postpartum doula and infant mental health specialist. 

Veronica's journey reflects what many professionals experience—the desire to apply specialized healthcare knowledge in settings that better honor their unique strengths and circumstances. After becoming certified in 2018 and briefly working in child advocacy, health challenges and insufficient workplace accommodations prompted her to explore alternatives. Rather than abandoning her training, Veronica discovered postpartum doula work perfectly complemented her child life foundation.

The parallels between these fields are remarkable. "Being a child life specialist is kind of like a thermometer, you're changing your temperature to fit what's going on in the room," Veronica explains. This adaptability serves her tremendously while supporting families with newborns, particularly those with NICU graduates or traumatic birth experiences. Working overnight shifts, she provides evidence-based education on infant cues, sleep patterns, and sensory needs while empowering parents to trust their instincts.

For professionals of color, Veronica's candid discussion about facing microaggressions and systemic barriers within traditional healthcare structures offers important perspective. Her successful transition demonstrates that professional value isn't limited to one setting—especially when those pathways present inequitable obstacles. Now running her own business and booked eight months in advance, her story highlights how child life education creates transferable value that can thrive in adjacent fields.

Could your child life skills open doors to unexpected opportunities? Listen as Veronica shares how to explore doula training, apply developmental knowledge in new settings, and potentially discover your perfect professional fit beyond traditional paths.

You can follow Veronica on Instagram and TikTok as @veronicathedoula.

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Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, talks with friend and CCLS, Allison Messerly, about taking child life to camp!

What happens when you take a child life specialist out of the hospital and place them in a summer camp setting for kids with cancer? Magic, advocacy, and a whole new world of psychological support.

Allison Messerly shares her journey from hospital-based child life to creating a comprehensive support system at a day camp for children with cancer and their siblings. Throughout this deeply insightful conversation, Allison reveals how she's adapted traditional clinical skills to serve children who are either undergoing active cancer treatment or within five years of completing it as well as their siblings.

The camp serves as crucial respite for families financially devastated by cancer treatment costs. For many young campers, this represents their first experience outside the home after diagnosis — a significant transition requiring specialized support. Allison employs diagnosis education not just with children but extensively with teenage staff who may never have worked with medically complex kids before.

Most fascinating is how seamlessly child life skills transfer to this non-traditional setting. From advocating for children with ports to participate safely in gymnastics to creating therapeutic activities that help process emotions, Allison demonstrates that the core expertise remains valuable across environments. Perhaps most touching is her work creating memory books for families who lose children between camp seasons, capturing precious moments parents might never have witnessed during treatment-focused years.

Beyond her direct work with campers, Allison has pioneered a formal child life practicum program that combines counselor responsibilities with supervised skill development. Her students have achieved remarkable success, all securing their next educational opportunity immediately after completing her program.

Ready to expand your view of where child life skills can make an impact? This episode will inspire you to think beyond hospital walls and consider how your expertise might transform children's experiences in entirely new settings.

You can follow Allison on Instagram at @aurora__allison.

Track: Odessa — LiQWYD & Scandinavianz [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/jNy-Dp3lgcgFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/odessa