CLS vs. Clinical Child Psychologist
Hello everyone! I'm a psych grad student (canada) who just learned what a child life specialist is last week from a job posting. I've pursued working with youth in a psychosocial healthcare role since 1st year undergrad, so was shocked I didn't know about this profession sooner. After reading more, I am strongly considering if I might appreciate the role diversity, pace, and education/ advocacy emphasis of being a CLS over that of a psych treatment-oriented, hospital-based child psychologist. The very specific training/licensing requirements and intership would require some time/money sacrifice, given I'm partway through a non-CLS master's program that doesn't have all the APLC required course offerings. While I'm all for pursuing what will be most fulfilling, it also seems like CLS internships are hard to come by without attending a specialized program, and the CLS salary undercuts the length of training even without already having time/money invested in another pathway. Before entertaining this further, I'd really love to hear from anyone willing to speak more on the following points. Thank you!
Firsthand day-day experience as a CLS, especially if you can personally compare it to a hospital-based psychologist.
Realistic feasibility of switching tracks and securing an internship with a relevant, but not CLS-specific background