Services
Grief Garden provides developmentally appropriate, individually tailored, support to children who have a loved one that has a life threatening healthcare diagnosis or a loved one who has died. Support is provided by a Certified Child Life Specialist either in the home setting or via use of Grief Garden's Virtual Playroom. Review our available services by navigating the menu below. Don't see what you are looking for or have additional questions? Please reach out directly using the contact information at the bottom of our website.
Note: At this time child life services are not billable to insurance or Health Savings Accounts. Therefore services are self-pay. This allows for greater individualization of support as Grief Garden is not bound by insurance regulations. Payment plans are available, please inquire with Grief Garden for more details.
Meet Katie
Katie completed her Bachelor of Science in Clinical/Counseling Psychology from Carroll University and her Master of Science in Human Health and Physiology-Child Life from The University of Iowa. After completing her education she worked in children's hospitals throughout the Midwest providing support to pediatric patients experiencing health stressors and medical trauma on the general inpatient and intensive care units, as well as the emergency department. Katie transitioned into the hospice/end of life field in 2022 working to support children experiencing their own end of life and providing emotional care for children experiencing the death of a loved one; of any relationship.
Katie has a passion for supporting kids and helping families have tough conversations regarding illness, death/dying, and grief. She is a Certified Child Life Specialist through the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) and a Certified International Partner for Perinatal Excellence (IPPE-C). She won the Caring Kind Award in 2021 through her work in the Emergency Department at Children's Nebraska and the Shining Star Award in 2025 from the Nebraska Hospice and Palliative Care Association (NHPCA).
Why Child Life?
Certified Child Life Specialists are trained healthcare professionals with advanced knowledge of child development. This knowledge is used in the setting of grief and loss to help children understand death/dying, engage in coping tools, and promote emotional expression. For more information on the child life profession and certification please visit the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP).
Support from Grief Garden is not therapy. Should a child need more intensive/advanced support services a referral will be given to the family for where to find more appropriate support.
