Laura Sufka, MA, CCLS is a certified child life specialist at Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota and adjunct professor for the University of Minnesota within the Institute of Child Development graduate courses. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Prior to her current positions, she worked as a child life specialist at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital and is co-founder of the Minnesota Child Life Coalition. Laura is passionate about play in the lives of children and youth and has worked with children and families impacted by illness and life events in her community for more than 20 years. Her work focuses on supporting patients and families with chronic illness, grief support, sibling support groups, educating staff on the importance of therapeutic play within pediatric healthcare, emergency care and long term coping of pediatric patients. In her spare time Laura enjoys baking, being outside in nature, and spending time traveling with her husband Eric and their three children.