Services

Families facing trauma, loss, illness, and complicated life situations can benefit tremendously from the support of a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). 

As a CCLS with over 18 years of Hospital experience, Brittany provides psychosocial and emotional support through therapeutic interventions of play, education, preparation for medical procedures and events, creative art modalities, and teaching healthy coping and advocacy skills. 

Through an initial consultation, Brittany creates a treatment plan that will work for individuals and the whole family to best support them in the comfort of their own home or in her office. She provides services to children and families living in Charlotte, NC, and surrounding areas.

“When we were faced with a cancer diagnosis for our 5 year old daughter, Brittany graciously stepped in as a calming, safe person for us.  

She worked one on one with our daughter to provide age appropriate education in regards to her body and new diagnosis. This prepared her for surgery, a hospital stay, and potential treatment she would need to endure.

Not only did she help my daughter, she provided us as parents with information that gave us confidence to walk the complicated medical world. 

The guidance and encouragement she provided to our entire family was more helpful to our situation than I could ever express. When I think back on that dark time that our family walked, Brittany always comes to mind as a bright light.”

 

Support for Children

  • Self-esteem and emotional education

  • Guidance to help process emotions in a healthy way

  • Communication, trust-building & conflict resolution

  • Coping skills education

  • Anger, anxiety & stress management

  • Creating healthy connections through expressive therapeutic play

Medical Procedures and Preparation

  • Pre or post-hospitalization

  • Procedural / surgical teaching / medical play

  • Sibling preparation & support

  • Allergy education & planning for safety

Support for Parents and Families

  • Discipline & boundaries

  • Sibling dynamics

  • Sleep schedules

  • Transitions (moving, changing schools, divorce)

Grief / Bereavement

  • Legacy building with a child/teen who has received a referral for palliative care or hospice

  • Memory making and keepsake creation with families

  • Bibliotherapy & support following the death of a loved one

  • Therapeutic play & activities to promote healthy coping and processing

Sibling Support

Our goal is to help siblings cope when they have a brother or sister with special healthcare needs through interventions that offer education, self-expression, and promote inclusivity. We identify developmentally appropriate language, books, and other resources to facilitate understanding of their experience and use of positive coping strategies.

Serving Communities

Traditionally, Child Life Specialists are employed in hospitals and clinics but as healthcare continues to increase its value of holistic care we find Child Life in non-traditional settings like schools, dental offices, outpatient surgical centers, hospices, funeral homes, and private practice.

We partner with organizations like Foster Village Charlotte, Kindermourn, and Wonders & Worries on a variety of topics as we support children and families around Charlotte. More about our service in the community can be found on our Community Collaboration page.