About Coastal Coping

Learn about how Coastal Coping came to be and about your Certified Child Life Specialists

How It All Started...

Coastal Coping, LLC was founded by two Certified Child Life Specialists who worked together in a small community hospital. For years, they were asked by families, "where do we go for outpatient child life services?" Sadly, there was nowhere to send these families. Outpatient child life services did not exist anywhere in the state of NJ.

So, they decided to change that.

Coastal Coping was born out of a love and passion for supporting children and families through life's biggest challenges. Amidst the chaos and fear of the Covid-19 pandemic, the two child life specialists decided there was no better time to bring child life into the community and launched Coastal Coping in 2021.

Coastal Coping is honored to have the privilege to continue to support children, families, child life students, and child life professionals; offering these vital support services beyond hospital walls.

About April

April is the founder of Coastal Coping, LLC. She been a Certified Child Life Specialist since 2010. She holds a B.S. in Psychology-Child Life from Utica College of Syracuse University, a Master's in Education & Child Development from Ashford University and an MBA in healthcare administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She completed her child life practicum at Connecticut Children's Medical Center and child life internship at Prisma Health Children's Hospital. In additional to being a Certified Child Life Specialist, she is also a Certified Pediatric Massage Therapist and a Certified Integrative Aromatherapy Practitioner.

For the last 16 years, April has provided child life services around the country gained experience with a large range of patient populations including the emergency department, general pediatrics, hematology/oncology and a community-based program serving children with both medical and social complexities. These experiences have led her to have special interests in working with children who have chronic illnesses or who have experienced medical trauma.

April had the privilege develop and supervise a child life practicum and internship program. She created and taught the first child life undergraduate course in the state of NJ at Monmouth University. Supporting child life students and professionals is one of her passions in the child life field, she feels a strong commitment to helping new child life professionals be successful in their work.

In her free time, April loves playing with her pitbull mix (Gambit), reading "banned" books, cross-stitching, and exploring different cuisines with her husband, especially if there is sushi involved!

About Anne

Anne is a Certified Child Life Specialist and Haven-trained Bereavement Doula (@bereavementdoulas). Anne joined the Coastal Coping team in 2026 to specialize as a palliative care child life specialist and perinatal bereavement doula. Anne prides herself on providing trauma-informed, neurodiversity affirming, and disability affirming care in the services she provides to kids and teens of all ages as well as expecting parents.

Anne’s focus is in supporting families throughout life-altering illnesses, terminal diagnoses, miscarriages and stillbirths, unexpected death, and grief support and education. In her healthcare training, Anne imagined a field of care that was deeply human and holistic, bearing witness to the greatest joys and deepest sorrows of life, this led Anne into the world of palliative care, hospice, and grief support.

Anne has a special interest in supporting the neurodivergent community during grief and loss and recognizes the impact of various aspects of grief such as anticipatory grief, chronic illness, death of a loved one, and other circumstances in which a person experiences the loss of something or someone that was meaningful.

Anne lives in Central Jersey with her husband and two gray cats. She loves a good white chocolate mocha or cappuccino, wool needle felting and drop-spindle yarn spinning, a cozy game, and reading fiction and non-fiction alike.

Anne is available for virtual 1-on-1 interactive sessions, as well as limited in-person sessions in Burlington, Ocean, and Monmouth counties (NJ). Anne carries a limited client caseload to ensure every family has the level of comprehensive and cohesive support they need. To learn more about Anne’s services as a palliative care child life specialist, or as a bereavement doula, please email Anne@coastalcoping.com or call

609-535-3959

About Samantha

Samantha Wilson, Certified Child Life Specialist, received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies and Pre-Health from Colorado State University. As well as her M.A. in Early Childhood Education and Child Life Studies from Mills College at Northeastern University in Oakland.

Samantha has worked as a Certified Child Life Specialist with children, teens, and families in a variety of hospital settings including emergency, trauma, PICU, general pediatrics, and more; as well as in the community setting.

Samantha joined the Coastal Coping team to provide virtual child life services and facilitate medical play sessions with our affiliation with the My Special Aflac Duck Program, providing support to children with cancer and blood disorders.

In her spare time Samantha enjoys crafting, genealogy research, cuddling with her cat, Xena, and being active with her fiancé!

About DeAnna

DeAnna Bay-Markins, Professor of Human Development at Eckerd College, received her B.S. in Psychology and Spanish from Wagner College, her M.Ed. in Child Life and Therapeutic Recreation Management from Springfield College, as well as a CAS in Global Health and a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Science from Syracuse University.

DeAnna has worked as a Certified Child Life Specialist and Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with children, adolescents, and families in hospitals, summer camps, recreation programs, and psychiatric facilities. DeAnna’s research explores the influences of parental cancer on children and adolescents, human-animal interactions, and the use of experiential learning to enhance pedagogy.

DeAnna joined the Coastal Coping team as part of our affiliation with the My Special Aflac Duck Program, providing support to children with cancer and blood disorders. As a bilingual CCLS, she is able to expand the scope of the My Special Aflac Duck Program to reach to families who may otherwise not have access.

DeAnna also enjoys hiking with her husband and dogs, spending time at the beach, paddle boarding, and playing video games.