Pediatric Power Play
About Us
Mission
To provide every child with a trustworthy adult who can support them in becoming the person they want to be while accomplishing the dreams they never thought would be possible in their lifetime.
Core Values
Humanistic Approach
Family Centered Practice
Play
Therapeutic Relationships
Communication
Theoretical Foundations of Practice
Research
Vision
Continue to meet the needs of infants, children, youth and families during stressful or traumatic life events and situations. Minimize the negative impact of situational disruptions while maintaining individual growth, development, and family relationships.
Why Child Life is right for you?
We are educated with a variety of theoretical frameworks for different scenarios. These frameworks are utilized for different things, such as strength-based practice, family-centered practice, and family systems framework.
Strong therapeutic connections are the foundation for vulnerable children sharing their stories, fears, worries and goals. This is why we offer a meet and greet to ensure the client, parents, and practitioner feel it is suitable for completing therapeutic work.
Theoretical Foundations
Therapeutic Relationships
Communication between children, youth, parents, and medical professionals needs to be open and honest. Whether it will hurt, be uncomfortable, or be challenging, it is important to find the correct vocabulary that is honest, accurate, and developmentally appropriate. No surprises or tricks. It is also important for the child to have a voice in advocating for their medical journey
Children can communicate all their thoughts, feelings, and understandings about life through play. Any child can communicate through play, and anyone can understand that language.
Play is not a language we speak; however, that will shift as they develop into teenagers when we can incorporate other interests and modalities about connecting their feelings to celebrities, video games, or other art projects.
Communication
Play is our language
Meet Shae
Shae Mellors, MA.
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Certified Child Life Specialist
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Hi,
My name is Shae Mellors, and I recognize that I am working, playing, and living on the unceded traditional territories of the Lekwungen peoples, known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations.
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My passion started when I served many hours with fellow students with different developmental disabilities in my high school. Providing them with social opportunities normalized the high school experience and allowed their disabilities to become secondary. That passion led me to college, advancing to university for my Child and Youth Care degree. Along the way, I experienced summer camps, after-school care, supporting military families, and discovering my interest in helping children in hospitals.
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I am a Certified Child Life Specialist serving the Southern Vancouver Island Area. While studying in Edmonton, AB, at Stollery Children's Hospital, I found my deep passion for supporting pediatric patients and their families through unpredictable challenges within the medical field. I recognized a gap in service within my community for children accessing health care outside of the hospital. Many children and families were unprepared for many of the challenges- needles, medicine, environmental factors, and new diagnoses, to name a few. With a strong background in child development and the skills gained from working within the hospitals, I felt confident in providing children and families with coping tools and psychosocial support to prepare them for these specific moments better.
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However, after many years in the school system teaching social-emotional learning, I found my counselling expertise to be based simply on my ability to connect with children. I have an extensive background in ADHD, behavioural diagnoses, trauma-informed practice, and ASD, and I feel that my counselling approach has been able to support many children and families with a variety of experiences and challenges, all working towards different goals. One value that I would have to share with you is that my work is conducted by the client, who has to be ready to conduct change while being supported by a system that is going to be consistent in their adaptions led by them.
Outside of my job, I am a mama to a handsome young boy and a furry little Australian shepherd. I have the most supportive and loving partner with whom I get to share laughs. I am also a daughter, sister, and amazing friend. While I have many other hats, I hold them all with passion, which is the underlying message of this intro. I took a risk on this business because I knew that I had the passion and drive to impact the children and families on Vancouver Island, and I am so honoured and blessed for you to be a part of this journey.