Child Mental Health and Wellness...
Offering on-line sessions to help YOU help YOUR child!
04/20/2026
🌟 Meet a Member Monday 🌟
đź’–The Hearts Connected Affiliate Network Directory for community based child life specialists is growing!
👋🏽Say hello to Cassandra Weisz, a Certified Child Life Specialist, BCBA, EMT and founder of Embrace Behavior Services based in Redfield, South Dakota.
🏢Practice Details:
Child Life Services in person & virtual
ABA Services in person in South Dakota
đź“ŚExpertise
Parent Coaching
Developmental Support
Grief & Bereavement Support
ABA Therapy
Details on HCAN Directory for Community Based CCLS in Bio!
.counseling
04/17/2026
April showers don’t just bring rain… they can bring big feelings too 🌧️🤍
If your child seems more overwhelmed, emotional, or clingy this time of year, you’re not imagining it. Changes in routine, weather, and energy can all impact how kids cope.
Simple, playful tools can help kids release stress, feel safe, and reset. Check our Amazon storefront for great coping tools. Link in bio!
🫧 Blow bubbles to slow breathing
🎨 Engage in sensory play
🌿 Create space for quiet time
🎧 Listen to music to ease emotions
đź“ť Journal to process your thoughts
🤍 Stay close — connection is the most powerful tool
What's your favorite coping power? ⚡️
04/15/2026
April is Autism Awareness Month, but awareness alone isn’t enough!
As child life specialists, we don’t just hear words—we observe, interpret, and honor every form of communication.
Whether a child is verbal, nonverbal, or somewhere in between, their needs, emotions, and experiences deserve to be understood.
To parents: your advocacy matters more than you know.
To children: your voice, however it shows up, matters.
Comment below to share how you're celebrating this month đź’™
04/13/2026
5 play-based ways child life specialists help kids cope đź’›
Healthcare experiences can feel BIG for kids. Play is how they understand and process it.
Here’s how certified child life specialists (CCLS) can help:
🧸 Medical play
Explore tools + procedures through hands-on play- building understanding, mastery & coping
🎨 Medical art
Emotional expression using real medical equipment in a non-threatening way
🎲 Therapeutic play
Games + activities that help kids process experiences, express feelings and grow confidence
🌬️ Coping skills
Playfully learn to use these skills before, during & after a healthcare experiences & apply them to all aspects of life
đź“– Bibliotherapy
Child-friendly books that explain medical topics, normalize emotions, & emphasize coping strategies
💛Play isn’t “just for fun" - it’s how kids cope.
CCLS support for children and families reaches beyond hospital walls.
👉 Find a CCLS near you through our HCAN Directory.
04/10/2026
What we say to children during difficult moments matters!
When they are grieving, receiving a new diagnosis, or going through difficult medical situations, children need kind and encouraging words to make them feel supported and seen.
You will notice that this series is titled “Things Your Child Needs to Hear You Say” not “Things Easy for Parents to Say.” Often times, the hardest things for a parent to say are what our child actually needs to hear - allowing space for hard emotions, not making false promises, being honest, and remaining a steady and present force even when you know you can’t change their circumstance.
What do you wish your parents had said to you during a difficult situation?
04/08/2026
As Certified Child Life Specialist, we work hard to provide a safe, honest and supportive environment for children, but sometimes we have moments like these.
In these moments, we take the opportunity to advocate for the importance of our role and profession.
Tell us your craziest child life horror story in the comments!
04/06/2026
🌟 Meet a Member Monday 🌟
đź’–The Hearts Connected Affiliate Network Directory for community based child life specialists is growing!
👋🏽Say hello to Brittany Luther, a Certified Child Life Specialist and founder of Brittany Luther, Child Life, Therapeutic Play and Consulting based in Charlotte, NC!
🏢Practice Details:
-Mecklenburg County and Surrounding Areas
-In-Person
-Virtual
đź“ŚExpertise
-Therapeutic Play, Emotional Expression and Creative Art
-Procedural, Surgery Preparation and Medical Play
-Anticipatory Grief support, Legacy creation and Grief / Bereavement Services
-Diagnosis Education and School Re-Entry Support
-Illness or Injury of a Parent (Wonders & Worries Provider)
Details on HCAN Director for Community Based CCLS in Bio!
04/03/2026
The things we don’t always say out loud… but are always thinking 🤍
Sometimes it’s not about doing things faster—it’s about doing them in a way a child can actually handle.
Every tear, every “no,” every moment of hesitation… it all means something. We’re just here to help make it a little less scary.
Save this for a reminder that kids deserve to be understood, not rushed đź’ś
04/02/2026
Where did the time go?
This is who makes Hearts Connected, feel connected!
As a team, we all make it possible for children and families nationwide to have access to child life services and mental health support to help them cope, heal, and grieve - anytime and anywhere! đź’ś
03/30/2026
đź‘€ I Spy: Child Life Edition!
Distraction is one of the many tools child life specialists use to help children cope during medical experiences. From procedures to waiting rooms, simple activities can help shift a child’s focus, reduce anxiety, and give them a sense of control. 💜
This I Spy worksheet is a fun way to practice observation, counting, and focus while incorporating familiar medical and play items children may see in the hospital.
🧸 Try it with your child or patient!
• Count how many of each item you can find
• Write the number in the box
• Color the icons as you spot them
How many did you find? Tell us in the comments! ⬇️
03/27/2026
Separating myth from fact about the child life profession!
Child life specialists help children better understand and cope with medical experiences. One way they do this is through play, which is not just for fun, but backed by research. It helps children understand, cope, and find a sense of control. We wanted to share some other common misconceptions about the profession!
Which myth surprised you the most?
03/26/2026
A child life specialist’s work goes beyond the support they provide in the moment.
The support of a child life specialist can shape how children view healthcare settings. By providing education, play, coping skills, and support, child life specialists create a safe and positive environment for kids going through difficult situations.
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Our Mission
Hearts Connected exists to meet the unique needs of children, teens and families facing difficult situations and stressful life transitions using therapeutic play, coping interventions and supportive resources.
Our Vision
Where is is recognized that children and teens have unique needs and will have the capacity to effectively cope through difficult situations.
To:
- Serve children of all ages.
- Provide services tailored to each child and their best interest with our unique skill set
- Maintain objectivity, integrity and confidentiality
- Seek knowledge and skills for excellence
Hearts Connected, LLC was founded by DD Fritch. She is a pediatric nurse of over 30 years and mom of three. While she is now a healthcare leader and consultant, she was at the bedside for many years where she personally witnessed the impact that Child Life Specialist played on both the child and the child’s loved ones while they were facing situations during their medical care that was hard to understand.
​She, along with Molly have a deep desire to bring the services that typically are only available to patients in pediatric hospitals to families while they are in their community. Connecting Child Life Specialist all over the United States with parents, caregivers, family members and most importantly, the children they love!
Providing services to help children cope, grieve and heal.
