Shira is a Certified Child Life Specialist with great expertise in child development, adolescent anxiety, family coping strategies, and grief and bereavement
Shira Zipursky is the Founder of It's a Child's Life
Early ones a teenaged volunteer, Shira experienced firsthand the positive influences that emotional and social supports can have on children and their families. As a result, she chose to dedicate herself and her studies to the fields of child and adolescent development, family health, and psychosocial supports to help families overcome difficulties and thrive.
Shira completed her undergraduate degree through the University of Manitoba. Her studies focused on Family Social Sciences, concentrating in the areas of child and adolescent development and family economic health. Shira then obtained the internationally recognized Master's Degree of Science in Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care through McMaster University, Hamilton, ON. Her master's thesis focused on holistic healthcare and the need to support and treat siblings of children with complex medical needs.
Currently, Shira is an adjunct faculty member with School of Nursing at the University of Prince Edward Island, and delivers a number of lectures focusing on paediatric pain, child development and hospitalization, and grief and bereavement, throughout the academic year. Additionally, she has been invited speak at a number of conferences within Canada and United States to share her knowledge and expertise.
Shira has worked throughout Eastern Canada in both hospital and community settings. She remains very active within the not for profit sector, and continues to give back to her community. Shira is dedicated to supporting children and families with the primary goal of enhancing the quality of life for patients and families.
Shira D. Zipursky, Certified Child Life Specialist | Email: shira@itsachildslife.ca