Kelsey Ellis

Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) | Grief Specialist | Eco-Therapy Specialist 

650-297-3400 x35

Locations: Half Moon Bay

Fee: $250

Areas of Focus:

Adults: Adults

Grief, Loss & Bereavement, Anticipatory Grief, Supporting Parents of Children with Medical Conditions, Parent Consultation and Coaching, Nature-Based Healing

Children / Teens

Grief, Loss & Bereavement, Anticipatory Grief, Medical Trauma and Unpleasant Hospital Experiences, Education on Medical Procedures and Diagnosis, Fear of Medical Procedures (needles, IVs, surgery, treatment), Chronic Illness Support, PANS / PANDAS, Encopresis, Emotional Regulation and Coping Skills, Coping with Illness of a Loved One, Bullying and Peer Challenges, Life Transitions and Family Change.

Modalities:

Grief counseling, Surf / Ocean Therapy, Eco-Therapy / Nature-Based Healing, Somatic and Mindfulness-Based Approaches, Narrative and Meaning-Making Practices, Child Life Services, Therapeutic Play, Expressive Arts, Parent Consultation and Coaching,  Psychoeducation for Medical Experiences

Overall Description:

Many children and families face moments that feel overwhelming — medical procedures, difficult diagnoses, grief, or life transitions that are hard to understand or process. In these moments, children often need more than words. They need support that meets them where they are — through play, connection, education, and compassionate presence.

As a Certified Child Life Specialist, I support children and families through medical trauma, hospitalization, stressful procedures, grief, and loss. My goal is to help minimize psychological distress and help children make sense of difficult experiences in developmentally appropriate ways. Through therapeutic play, preparation, emotional support, and coping tools, I help children feel safer, more empowered, and better able to navigate life’s challenges.

At our Half Moon Bay location, I also integrate nature-based approaches into my work. Our office is just steps from the ocean and coastal trail, allowing opportunities for walk-and-talk sessions, sand play, and ocean-based reflection. Many children and families find that being near the water helps calm the nervous system and create space for healing. The ocean offers powerful metaphors for emotional life — reminding us that feelings, like waves, rise and fall.

In addition to supporting children, I also work with teens and adults navigating grief and loss. My own experience with grief led me to found the Waves of Grief Collective, a global community that gathers people in nature to honor loss and find connection. Today, Waves of Grief circles take place in more than twenty locations around the world.

Whether supporting a child preparing for a medical procedure, helping a teen process loss, or walking alongside a family navigating a difficult diagnosis, I strive to create a calm, grounded space where people feel supported, understood, and less alone.

More than Just My Work: 

Outside of my work, I enjoy spending time in nature. You can often find me surfing, hiking coastal trails with my Australian Shepherd, Ollie, or tending to my garden and chickens. I also enjoy painting and making abalone jewelry. Being outdoors and engaging in creative activities helps me feel grounded and continues to shape how I think about healing and connection in my work.

Experience:

Kelsey Ellis is a Certified Child Life Specialist with extensive experience supporting children, teens, and families navigating grief, illness, trauma, and life transitions.

She previously served as Program Director at Josie’s Place, a Bay Area grief support center providing peer-based groups for children, teens, young adults, and caregivers grieving the death of a loved one. In this role, she supported hundreds of families and trained facilitators in compassionate grief support.

Kelsey is also the founder of the Waves of Grief Collective, Audrey Ellis Foundation, a nonprofit organization that offers nature-based grief programs, ocean-based healing circles, and retreats for individuals and families navigating loss.

Her work has been featured in the National Geographic and Gal Gadot documentary series IMPACT, and she is a recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service. She has facilitated grief support programs for healthcare providers, families, and organizations including the U.S. Surgeon General’s team.

Through her work as a Child Life Specialist, Kelsey helps children understand medical experiences, process grief, and build emotional resilience through developmentally appropriate therapeutic approaches.

Education: 

• Master of Arts in Child Life — Eastern Washington University
•  Bachelor of Arts in Psychology — California State University, Chico
•  Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts — California State University, Chico

Training:

• Expressive Arts Therapy — John F. Kennedy University
• Surf therapy For Trauma Recovery – Groundswell  
• Grief Support-- Josie’s Place, Dougy Center
• Arts-Based Trauma Support–First Aid Arts

Articles:

• Kelsey has contributed articles and they will be coming soon

Professional Affiliations:

• Association of Child Life Professionals
• National Alliance for Children’s Grief
• International Surf Therapy Organization
• Waves of Grief Collective