We were lucky to catch up with Kelsey Mora recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

When I was 16, I lost a close friend to leukemia. I happened to be by his bedside visiting when he died—a moment I’ll never forget. I didn’t fully understand it at the time, but that experience cracked something open in me. I began volunteering at the same hospital where he was treated. That’s where I first learned about child life specialists—the people helping children and families navigate illness, fear, and grief through play, preparation, and emotional support. I knew instantly: this was the work I wanted to do.

Since then, my path has evolved—expanding from child life into therapy, into writing, into parent coaching and organizational leadership—but the heart of it has stayed the same. Years later, in a narrative medicine workshop, as a pediatric ICU child life specialist, I was asked to write a six-word memoir. I wrote: Turning difficult moments into better memories. It felt like naming something I’d been doing all along and now something that has stuck as a mantra and business slogan.

What began as a personal loss became the foundation for a career spent helping others through their difficult conversations and moments. The lesson I carry is this: moments of deep difficulty often hold the seed of meaningful transformation. And we can meet those moments with honesty, care, and connection.

Kelsey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a certified child life specialist, licensed therapist, and author with over 12 years of experience helping kids and families navigate illness, grief, and other difficult life experiences. I started my career in hospitals and have since expanded my work into the community through private practice and nonprofit leadership.

In my private practice, I provide therapy for children and teens, coaching for parents, and consultations for organizations. I specialize in supporting families facing medical challenges, anxiety, and loss—offering a unique blend of child life and mental health support that helps both kids and caregivers feel more confident and connected while communicating about and coping with difficult things.

I also create accessible resources like The Dot Method, a hands-on workbook that helps kids understand cancer, with more titles coming soon. Through my work, I aim to turn difficult moments into better memories through communication, connection, and coping.

I am also the Chief Clinical Officer of Pickles Group – a nonprofit that provides free peer-to-peer support and resources to kids and teens impacted by their parent or guardian’s cancer.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Absolutely. I thought I had landed my dream job when I started working as a child life specialist in the hospital—and in many ways, I had. I was doing work I loved, supporting kids and families during both difficult and meaningful moments.

But over time, my career has evolved in ways I couldn’t have predicted. I still work with children and parents, but now I do so with more autonomy, creativity, and balance. I’ve been able to expand my reach through private practice, nonprofit leadership, writing, and resource creation. It’s work that not only aligns with my purpose—but also honors my time, energy, and value.

So yes, I’d choose this path again. And I’d remind myself that even a dream job can grow, evolve, and deepen—and that it should.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When the pandemic hit in 2020, like so many others, I had to quickly pivot—both personally and professionally. I was still working in the hospital, supporting patients and families in the PICU, while also seeing clients through my private practice. At the same time, I was pregnant with my first child and navigating all the uncertainty that came with being a healthcare worker during that time. I had to figure out how to safely continue supporting families—shifting to virtual care in my practice, adapting hospital routines, and protecting my own health and growing baby in the process.

Amidst all of that, I began writing The Dot Method—an interactive workbook to teach kids about cancer, inspired by the hands-on activity I had been doing for years with the children in my care. I had always imagined a traditional publishing path, with a clear timeline and structured release. But the pandemic brought unexpected delays: printing shortages, production slowdowns, and shifting capacity across every part of my life.

Over time, I came to realize that self-publishing wasn’t a backup plan—it was the right plan. It allowed me to design The Dot Method in a way that was developmentally informed, emotionally grounded, and accessible to the families who needed it most.

It took four years. I became a mom, grew my work in new directions, and released the pressure of doing things “on schedule.” In 2024, I finally published The Dot Method which prompted me to start my own business, brand, practice, and social accounts. That pivot taught me that meaningful work doesn’t always follow the path you first imagined—but sometimes, that’s exactly what makes it work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.childlifetherapist.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childlifetherapist/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555492666204
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelseymora