Child Life Therapist

The Child Life Therapist is a member of the inpatient rehabilitation team.

The role of the Child Life Therapist is to acknowledge that illness and hospitalisation may cause stress and anxiety for children and their families. We aim to minimise stress and help children cope positively with their healthcare experience, by using appropriate play experiences, educational resources, and procedural support.

The Child Life Therapist uses imaginative and flexible techniques to provide children/young people with information and a sense of the familiar. This helps to relieve anxiety and increase their autonomy and ability to cope with a stay in hospital. It is a family centred approach where the Child Life Therapist is able to build a supportive relationship with the child/young person and their family in order to assist the child/young person in their understanding, self expression and socialisation.

Children/young person in rehabilitation need to be able to have fun and feel motivated to participate in all areas of required therapy. The child/young person has the opportunity to participate in creative and expressive play, relaxation, distraction and pain management experiences, medial play and peer interaction groups.