Paul Thayer
Clinical Associate Professor
Paul Thayer is a clinical associate professor in the Child Life & Family-Centered Care Program at Boston University College of Education & Human Development. His research interests include pediatric hospice, therapeutic boundaries in professional care, spirituality and illness, and bereavement care for children.
Before teaching at BU Wheelock, Dr. Thayer was the director of palliative care at Franciscan Children’s Hospital, director of the Sandcastles Pediatric Hospice Program, director of the Chilton House residential hospice, director of the Hospice at Mission Hill (the nation’s first inpatient AIDS hospice), and a child life specialist at Emerson Hospital.
Recent News
Education
DMin, Boston University
MDiv, Yale University
MA, Psychology, Assumption College
BA, Psychology, University of Connecticut
Selected Publications
Thayer, Paul (2009). Meeting the spiritual needs of children with chronic and life threatening illness. In Nancy Boyd Webb (Ed.), Helping children and adolescents with chronic and serious medical conditions. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Thayer, Paul (2009). Spiritual care of children and parents. In Ann Armstrong-Dailey and Sarah Zarbock (Eds.), Hospice care for children, Third edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Thayer, Paul (2008). The impact of church closings on Catholic youth: Implications for clergy, church leaders, and parents. VDM Verlag Publishers.
Thayer, Paul (2006). Navigating family relationships in child life. Child life focus. 24(3).
Selected Presentations
April 2010 "Developing a Model for Family Centered Care." Hospital of the King's Daughter, Norfolk, VA
September 2010 "Professional Boundaries in Pediatric Care." Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Hospital, New York, NY