Wellstar Child Life Specialists
About Us
- What is a Child Life Specialist?
- The Healing Power of Play
- Education
- Preparation
- Support for Patients and Family
- Grief and Bereavement Support
- Grief Resources
What is a Child Life Specialist?
A Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is a healthcare professional who helps children, teens, and families understand and cope with injury, illness, hospitalization, or death and loss. Their goal is to help reduce anxiety, fear, pain, and misconceptions pertaining to medical experiences. Often through play, child life specialists enable children to explore, learn, and develop effective coping skills for facing challenging events.
What education does a Child Life Specialist need?
To become a Certified Child Life Specialist, a candidate needs extensive education and training. A four-year undergraduate degree is required. Some candidates graduate with a degree in child life while others graduate with a degree in education, psychology, human development, or a related field of study. Some child life specialists decide to further their education and obtain a master’s degree. These two-year programs provide specialized, in-depth education pertaining to the profession.Each candidate must be certified by the Association of Child Life Professionals. In addition to completing a 600-hour internship or fellowship, candidates must pass the Child Life Professionals examination in order to become certified.
The Healing Power of Play
Play is the work of children [Piaget]. It is how they process events and learn about and relate to the world. Play is especially important in the healthcare setting. Child life specialists utilize play to:- Encourage normal development and positive coping throughout healthcare experiences
- Help children understand and feel more comfortable with medical procedures and environments
- Enable children to process and reflect on prior medical experiences
- Provide choices and a sense of control for children
Education
Child life specialists are a helpful resource for caregivers and parents who are interested in learning more about how children develop, respond to challenges, and cope with stress.
Preparation
- Reduce anxiety
- Develop trust in caregivers and staff
- Identify stressors and develop coping methods
- Give choices and a sense of control over what will happen
Child life specialists help children understand not only the sequence of events but also – more specifically – what children will feel, see, hear, taste and smell. During preparation, child life specialists provide information based upon the child’s level of development, often using pictures and medical manipulatives to promote understanding. Talking openly and honestly to children using words they understand can make the healthcare experience easier to manage, and it can also provide opportunities for children to express fears or concerns.
Support for Patients and Family
Throughout preparation, child life specialists also help children and their families develop positive coping skills and establish plans and techniques for facing challenging events. Coping strategies are unique to each child and family but may include strategies such as:For Parents
- Stating honestly how something may feel without minimizing it
- Informing staff of important facts about your child
- Remaining positive, calm, and supportive toward your child
- Providing your presence/full attention and offering specific praise before, during, and after a procedure
- Utilizing comfort positioning so that your child can always see and touch you
- Preparing yourself for the upcoming procedure
For Children
- Distraction: refocusing your child’s attention to an activity they find interest in
- Imagery: asking your child to close their eyes and recall a positive place or memory
- Breathing: encouraging your child to take slow, deep breaths
- Comfort: bringing along your child’s favorite blanket or stuffed animal to hold before, during, or after the procedure
For Children of Adult Patients
Child life specialists are available to help children and teens learn about their loved one’s illness, injury, or treatment. Having a parent, grandparent, or other adult family member in the hospital can be a confusing and challenging change in a child’s life. Child life specialists can work with caregivers to educate their children and teens through kid-friendly language, books, and hands-on teaching materials. At Wellstar, there are designated child life specialists with additional training to support children of adult patients.Grief & Bereavement Support
A child who is old enough to love is old enough to grieve. Though children’s understanding of death and ways of coping are different from adults, it is still important that they receive support. Child life specialists are trained in how children understand and respond to the death of a loved one. They provide guidance on talking to children about a loved one who has died or is nearing the end of their life. Using play, art, and developmentally appropriate language, child life specialists help children and teens learn about the death, express emotions, and create keepsakes in memory of their loved one. Specific services include:- Guidance and resources for caregivers to help support children and teens who are grieving
- Preparation for children and teens who are visiting a loved one who is dying
- Strategies for children and teens to express and manage their emotions in healthy ways
- Legacy building through family artwork or remembrance projects
- Connection with additional grief support resources in their community
Helping Children Deal with Grief
Camp Tranquility and Camp Dogwood are one-day events for children and adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one. These events are sponsored by Wellstar Community Hospice.Camp Tranquility
Camp Tranquility is a one-day community workshop for individuals and families who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Adults and campers six years of age and older participate in sessions designed to aid in healthy grief expression. For more information, contact us at (470) 245-9959 or email [email protected]. At Camp Tranquility, participants build community with others experiencing similar losses while learning:- Age-specific strategies for processing grief
- Self-care and stress reduction
- Parenting through loss
- Talking to children about death and grief
- Activities for family healing over time
Camp Dogwood
Camp Dogwood is a free, one day event for children who are entering First to Seventh Grade from Troup, Coweta, Heard, Meriwether and Harris counties who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Created in 1997 as an outreach of West Georgia Hospice, it now serves up to 60 children each summer with the help of about 80 volunteers. Through art, games and stories, campers will be helped to:- Realize that all people grieve
- Discover healthy ways to deal with grief
- Find positive ways of remembering their loved one
- Learn healthy coping skills while enjoying fun activities
More Resources
- Camp Kesem - programs and services for children who have a parent with a cancer diagnosis or have lost a parent to cancer
- Camp Erin - bereavement program for youth grieving the death of a significant person in their lives
- Kate’s Club - bereavement programs for children, adolescents, and young adults
- Association of Child Life Professionals
For Reading
Services & Resources
- Opportunities for play & growth and development in the healthcare setting
- Healthcare education for children and families
- Procedural and surgical preparation and support
- Strategies for coping with stressful situations
- Advocacy that promotes emotional safety for children, teens and families
- Support of siblings during their brother's or sister’s hospitalization
- Illness education and coping support for children & teens whose loved one is hospitalized
- Grief and bereavement support
- Consultative support for parents/caregivers on child development, responses to and strategies for managing stress and trauma
Our Locations
News
Related Articles
Highlights
Advanced Cancer Care Has a Home at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center
- CyberKnife, a non-invasive robotic system that focuses radiation treatment with precision
- STAT Clinics, where specialists collaborate on one day to evaluate a patient and plan cancer treatment
- Nurse navigators to guide patients to resources at Wellstar and in the community
- Expanded inpatient capacity and distinctive surgical specialties
CyberKnife targets hard-to-treat tumors
Wellstar North Fulton was the second Wellstar location to receive a CyberKnife system. CyberKnife precisely targets cancerous and non-cancerous tumors. This minimizes damage to healthy tissue around tumors. CyberKnife allows radiation oncologists to deliver “very high doses of radiation at a very small target,” said Dr. Mark McLaughlin, a radiation oncologist. This type of precise treatment is called radiosurgery. Patients treated with CyberKnife typically have shorter treatment spans. For example, breast cancer patients undergoing conventional radiation might have four to six weeks of treatment, five days a week. With CyberKnife, patients may complete their treatment in just five days. According to Dr. McLaughlin, another CyberKnife advantage is the machine’s ability to deliver targeted treatment even when a patient moves. “For example, if a patient has breast cancer, she’ll be breathing during treatment. She has to breathe, of course, but with breathing, the tumor volume or target volume is constantly changing. The CyberKnife allows us to track and move the machine (to target the tumor) in real time,” he said.Providers collaborate to diagnose and begin treatment without delay
Wellstar North Fulton also has STAT Clinics, which stands for Specialty Teams and Treatments, for many types of cancer, including breast, head and neck, brain and spine, and lung. Dr. Pearson described STAT Clinics as a “one-stop shop where patients meet all the people who will be part of the cancer team in one day: surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, potentially plastic surgeons and genetics experts, if that’s appropriate.” Patients and their families appreciate not making multiple trips or trying to piece together a treatment plan. They’re also comforted to see the communication among everyone involved in their care, she noted.Cancer nurse navigators map the road to treatment and recovery
A cancer diagnosis can leave patients and their families feeling shocked, scared and unsure of where to turn. Nurse navigators help patients get their bearings by:- Answering questions about treatment and scheduling appointments
- Connecting patients and families to community resources for transportation, nutrition, financial support and more
- Helping with insurance questions
- Providing emotional support during a difficult time
Distinctive specialties and expanded inpatient capacity
Wellstar North Fulton has added beds for post-surgical cancer patients who need an overnight hospital stay. The medical center’s intensive care unit (ICU) is also tailored to care for cancer patients’ needs. “For our more complicated cases, like colorectal or prostate patients, it allows us to make sure we have the space and the resources for them to get the care they need while they’re recovering,” Dr. Pearson said. “Neurosurgery has expanded its footprint too. We not only treat brain tumors, but we also do a lot of vascular and neurovascular procedures,” Dr. McLaughlin said. “We’re doing some very high-tech things.” Added Dr. Pearson: “I’m so proud of how we’ve brought this all to the North Fulton community. Patients don’t have to feel like they have to leave the area to get the expert care they need.” Learn more about Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center.
Highlights
Soul Support 2025: A Year of Healing, Hope & Community Impact
Faith communities and Wellstar Health System came together across Georgia with a shared mission: to strengthen mental health, build meaningful connections and bring healing spaces directly into our communities.
The 2025 Soul Support Impact Reports highlight incredible stories of empowerment, compassion and growth—made possible through collaboration, training and care.
What we achieved together
Across churches and faith centers—big and small—Soul Support helped communities access emotional wellness tools, support groups and life-changing conversations.
United Church in Atlanta
- 78 touchpoints of support
- Biweekly support groups focused on emotional expression
- Safe spaces where participants learned to process even the toughest emotions
- 39 volunteer hours fueling community care
Impact Church in Atlanta
- 1,000+ touchpoints
- 40 mental health events
- Weekly support groups and Healing the Wounds of Trauma sessions
- 20 community members trained in mental health first aid
- 60+ engagement hours
Greater Young Zion Baptist Church in Augusta
- 291 community touchpoints
- Mental health awareness events drawing 150+ participants
- Webinars, grief workshops and suicide prevention training
- 40+ wellness kits distributed
- 50+ event hours given back
The Gathering, International in Griffin
- 756 touchpoints
- Mental health support groups and pastoral counseling
- 80% of participants reported helpful, life applicable insights
- Powerful testimonies emphasizing belonging and finding strength in community
Seekers of His Face International Prayer Center in Augusta
- 685 touchpoints
- 224 mental health care kits distributed
- Weekly support groups and wellness workshops
- Youth and men’s mental health initiatives supporting 75+ individuals
- 60 volunteer hours encouraging healing and growth
Why this work matters
Across every partner site, a message echoed loud and clear: Community heals. Connection transforms. Support saves lives.
Together, churches, clinicians, volunteers and community leaders created supportive environments where people felt seen, safe and understood. These spaces helped reduce stigma, elevate mental health literacy and offer practical tools for emotional wellness.
Thanking our partners
Pastors, administrators, coordinators and volunteers—from Atlanta to Griffin to Augusta—poured in time, compassion and leadership to make Soul Support a lifeline for many. Your dedication is transforming communities one conversation at a time.
Looking forward
As we continue this journey, we celebrate every person who showed up, spoke up or lifted someone up. The impact of Soul Support is more than numbers—it’s the lives changed through hope, faith and connection.Together, we are building mentally healthier, spiritually grounded and beautifully resilient communities.
Highlights
Walk Through a 7-Foot Colon Model and Learn About Screenings at Wellstar Events
Early detection is the best prevention, especially when it comes to colon cancer. If caught early, colorectal cancer has a 91% survival rate.
For someone at average risk, screenings should begin at age 45. Those with a higher risk or a family history of colorectal cancer may need to start screening sooner. Talk to your care team to create a personalized screening plan.
To raise awareness of the importance of colon cancer screenings, Wellstar’s surgery, gastroenterology, cancer care and community health teams will host informational events throughout March. Visitors can walk through a large inflatable colon model, learn about the importance of screening and early detection, and at some events, nurses will be available to help patients schedule a colonoscopy.
- March 6, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center B Entrance
- March 6, 11 AM - 1 PM, Wellstar Kennestone Cancer Center
- March 11, 10 AM - 2 PM, Wellstar Sylvan Grove Medical Center
- March 12, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Spalding Medical Center
- March 16, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Douglas Medical Center Main Lobby
- March 17, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center Main Lobby (upstairs)
- March 18, 10 AM - 2 PM, Wellstar Windy Hill Main Lobby
- March 20, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center Main Lobby
- March 23, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar East Cobb Health Park
- March 24, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Avalon Health Park Lower Level Lobby
- March 25, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Vinings Health Park
- March 26, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Acworth Health Park
- March 27, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Cherokee Health Park
- March 31, 8 AM - 4 PM, Wellstar Cobb Medical Center
Call our colorectal cancer screening hotline at (470) 793-4032.
