Quotes from Children and Parents
ʺI looooove you, clown!"
— a 4-year-old child, hugging a clown
"This is the best medicine she's had all week."
— a mom with a huge smile talking to our hospital clowns
ʺYou don't want DESSERT? You want to play with the clowns?"
— a parent to their child
ʺOur little year-old grandson has been in intensive care all week. This is the first time he smiled all day."
— a grandmother running up to a clown with tears in her eyes
"I will never, ever forget you!"
— a child to a hospital clown
"God bless you. You made our night. You people are wonderful! Bless you."
— a parent to our hospital clowns
"Why do you have to leave?"
— a 6-year-old child to a hospital clown
ʺI havenʹt seen him smile for a couple of days!"
— a parent to a hospital clown
ʺYou clowns are making me feel so magical!"
— a 7-year-old boy
ʺNana, my clowns are here!"
— a 4-year-old girl
ʺYou da bomb!"
— a 15-year-old boy, as we clowned with him
ʺThe clowns are talented, jolly, and funny!"
— a child
Quotes from Doctors and Organizations
"When a child has a GI problem, you get them a gastroenterologist. When someone has seizures, you get a neurologist. When someone needs a laugh, a dose of joy, they get a clown. I think of you guys as part of the team, the emotional consultants."
— Michael Agus, M.D.
Boston Children’s Hospital
Medical Director, Hearts & Noses Hospital Clown Troupe
“Sometimes what it takes to make a child in a hospital feel better doesn’t come in a bottle, or happen because of a medical therapy or a surgical procedure. Sometimes 
healing comes straight from the soul. All of us here, at MassGeneral Hospital for Children, place a high value on helping children cope emotionally as well as physically with the stress of hospitalization, and that is why we value the Hearts & Noses Hospital Clown Troupe. Their mindful approach to TLC brings important moments of relief to a child, their parents, and our medical teams.”
— Alan Ezekowitz, M.D.
Chief of Pediatrics, MassGeneral Hospital for Children
ʺYour parade of clowns has done it again! This year's David S. Kaplan Day at Fenway Park was a huge success much to the clowns' credit. The clowns have captured the hearts of the Jimmy Fund Clinic patients, their families and especially the Kaplan Family."
— Kathleen Sweeney
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
“On behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Boston, I would like to thank you and your clown troupe for helping to make our wish children's holiday cruise a huge success. I hope you take pride in the fact that you and your troupe helped to make the holiday wishes of our most precious children come true.”
— Rebecca Dunphey
Wish Program Coordinator
“The clowns were a terrific addition to our event. You all added so much with your easygoing and fun style. I hope you'ʹll come back again.”
— Tracey M. Brown
Special Olympics, Special Events Co-Director
“The holiday party at Dick's Last Resort was enriched by your presence. Your improvisation along with skillful interactions with our patients was marvelous. We saw a lot of smiles on the faces of many children who attended the party.”
— Barbara M. Levy
Pediatric Volunteer Coordinator, Boston Medical Center
“They smiled... They giggled... They danced with joy. With the generous donation of time and talent, the members of the Clown Troupe contributed great joy and laughter to the more than 300 people who attended this year's annual Halloween Party.”
— Terence J. Shepherd
Executive Director, Why Me, Inc., Helping Children with Cancer
“The Summer Festival was a huge success because of you and your incredible clowns. You all went above and beyond to make sure these kids and their families were smiling throughout the day. Today is one that the families look forward to for months. It is one day out of the year where cancer isn't a part of their life. Thank you for being a part of this truly incredible day. I am so grateful for all your hard work and generosity.”
— Lisa Scherber
Activities Coordinator, Jimmy Fund Clinic
“The clowns brought the party to life. I am at a loss for the proper words to express my feelings from seeing the campers interact with the clowns. The clowns were wonderful, so lively and full of energy.”
— Pat Winske
Camping Coordinator, Easter Seals
Endorsements for The Art & Joy of Hospital Clown Training Program
We’ve all heard about how good it is to be a caring clown. Here is the manual on how to develop a spontaneous hospital clown group. Best of all, it comes from the heart – not the makeup and costume. All clown groups, whether you work with children or adults, singles or pairs, experienced or inexperienced, can benefit from adapting the exercises, experience, and wisdom to your programs. I recommend it highly.
— Shobi Dobi, The Clown
Shobhana Schwebke
Publisher, The Hospital Clown Newsletter
Given Jeannie Lindheim's extensive background in theatre and drama education, it is no small surprise that this manual is chock full of exercises and insights from the likes of Viola Spolin, Michael Chekhov, and Avner the Eccentric. These elements, along with Jeannieʹs own unique contributions, provide a practical, user-friendly introduction to Jeannieʹs improvisationally-based style of hospital clowning.
— David Langdon
ChildLife Specialist / Therapeutic Clown
This book will be truly useful and inspiring for hospital clowns.
— Camilla Gryski
Therapeutic Clown, Toronto, Canada
PRAISE FOR: Trusting the Moment: Unlocking Your Creativity and Imagination
A Handbook for Individual and Group Work — by Jeannie Lindheim
“If experience is the best teacher, then Jeannie Lindheim is the next best thing — a teacher who has created 50 powerful experiences that help people learn how to be fully alive, compassionate, courageous, creative human beings. This book is a goldmine of ideas for anyone interested in the burgeoning field of experiential education. I
recommend it enthusiastically!”
— Richard Borofsky, EdD
Clinical psychologist
Co-founder of the Center for the Study of Relationship
“The book is like a toy store for teachers who love to teach: so much fun, expanding the possibilities, making the impossible seem possible.”
— Ken Baltin
Actor and Teacher
The Boston Conservatory
“What a lovely, eclectic cookbook for learning to live more creatively in the here and now.”
— Stephen Snow, Ph.D., RDT-BCT
Chair Department of Creative Arts Therapies Concordia University
Learn more about the book Trusting The Moment: Unlocking Your Creativity and Imagination A handbook for individual and group work
See an excerpt of The Art & Joy of Hospital Clown Training Program.
