Kayla Cialini

A bit about my path

I’ve always been a bit of an old soul, naturally drawn to helping and caring for others. My path to child life began with seeing firsthand how illness and hospitalization can affect a child and their family. It sparked my curiosity about how children experience these challenges and how they can be better supported.

After discovering child life and working in the hospital setting, I recognized a gap between the support available in hospital and what families could access in the community. This inspired me to bring my child life experience beyond the hospital, supporting children and families through illness, grief, anxiety, transitions, and other challenging experiences.

My education

I hold a Master’s degree in Paediatric Psychosocial Care and Child Life Studies, which led me to become a Certified Child Life Specialist. I began my career at McMaster Children’s Hospital, where I worked across a variety of hospital departments supporting children and families through a wide range of healthcare experiences. From there, my work expanded into community mental health, where I gained experience supporting children and families with their emotional and psychosocial needs outside of the hospital setting.

What a child life specialist does

Child life is its own profession, distinct from psychotherapy. Child life specialists work in children’s hospitals and in the community, helping children understand and cope with medical procedures, diagnoses, hospital stays, and the stress and change that come with them. The tools are matched to the child’s age: play, preparation, simple honest explanations, and coping plans a child can actually use.

Kayla offers child life sessions for children and families in St. Catharines. Parents and siblings are part of the work, because a child’s coping is easier when the whole family knows what is coming and has a plan.

What child life sessions are not

Kayla is a Certified Child Life Specialist, not a psychotherapist. Her sessions are not psychotherapy, and most extended health plans will not reimburse them. Please check with your plan before you book. Receipts are issued in Kayla’s name and describe the session as child life support.

If your child needs psychotherapy, our registered therapists work with children from age four, and Kayla can work alongside them.

Outside my work

Outside of the office, you’ll rarely find me without a project on the go. I love keeping busy, whether I’m organizing, creating, baking, or finding something around the house to work on.

But what I love most is having a home filled with people I care about. I’m happiest when I’m hosting and making sure everyone feels comfortable and at home, with a bit of a “feed everyone like a Nonna” mentality.