Graduate Research
Due to our dynamic master’s and doctoral programs, the School of Child and Youth Care has made significant contributions to the health and well-being of communities within British Columbia, Canada and internationally.
Our students contribute to and collaborate on the work of many research centre's, individual research projects and community collaborations.
Graduate research spotlight - Amarens Matthiesen
Amarens Matthiesen is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Early Childhood Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University and a former Postdoc Fellow at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She completed her MA and PhD in Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria, where she continues to teach on a sessional basis.
As a child life specialist, Amarens has provided psychosocial support to children and families in pediatric hospitals around Canada. Amarens’ research broadly focuses on centering the needs, wishes, and preferences of children, youth, and families in the delivery of care through a rights-based approach. Under the supervision of Dr. Alison Gerlach, her doctoral study explored the role of child life specialists in shaping children’s rights to participation in healthcare decision-making in the context of the Netherlands.
Matthiesen, A., Gerlach, A. J., Koller, D., & Moola, F. (2024) Complicating ‘voice’ and 'choice': The role of child life specialists in shaping children's health care participation rights in the Netherlands. The Journey of Child Life: Psychosocial Theory and Practice.