Evelise Manzoni - Child Play Therapy

Evelise Manzoni - Child Play Therapy Play therapy is an intervention for children experiencing social, emotional and behavioural issues. Play is the language of children.

They express themselves through play. By playing, they explore their internal world, act out their conflicts and learn to understand and make sense of their past experiences and/or traumas. Play is fundamental to children’s emotional, social, creative, physical, cognitive and language development. Play Therapy uses play to help understand children’s difficulties and also to help them communicate t

heir feelings, confusions and behaviours. As children are not yet ready to explain things by talking about their issues, they bring as much as they can to their play in order to work on their own emotions.

In my newest guide, we explore:🌿 How friendships develop throughout childhood🧩 Why some children find friendships more c...
26/07/2026

In my newest guide, we explore:

🌿 How friendships develop throughout childhood

🧩 Why some children find friendships more challenging

🎈 Why play is where friendships grow

💚 How adults can support friendships without pressure

A special thank you to Jesse, whose school speech about the importance of free play inspired this guide. 💚

My hope is that this guide offers reassurance and helps you see friendship through a developmental and play-based lens.

✨ Read the full guide via the link in my bio.

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

What do you think helps children build meaningful friendships?

❤️

Executive functioning isn’t something children either have or don’t have.It develops gradually over time, growing from s...
12/07/2026

Executive functioning isn’t something children either have or don’t have.

It develops gradually over time, growing from strong foundations like relationships, play, sleep, language, learning, and everyday experiences.

These skills influence a child’s ability to:

🌿 Stay focused
🌿 Remember instructions
🌿 Manage emotions
🌿 Organise themselves
🌿 Solve problems
🌿 Think flexibly

When we understand how executive functioning develops, we begin to see children’s behaviour differently, not as a lack of motivation, but as skills that are still growing.

I’ve just published a new evidence-informed guide exploring executive functioning in childhood, including practical examples, original illustrations, and strategies for supporting children at home and in educational settings.

📖 Read the full article via the link in my bio.

💚 Save this post for later and share it with someone who supports children.

My latest blog explores why children take things that don’t belong to them and shares practical, compassionate ways to r...
05/07/2026

My latest blog explores why children take things that don’t belong to them and shares practical, compassionate ways to respond while still holding clear boundaries.

Read it via the link in my bio.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

“You’re lying!”It’s a phrase many of us have said, or wanted to say.But what if children aren’t always trying to deceive...
28/06/2026

“You’re lying!”

It’s a phrase many of us have said, or wanted to say.

But what if children aren’t always trying to deceive us?

Sometimes they lie because they’re scared, using their imagination, wishing something were true, or simply don’t yet have the words to express how they feel.

Honesty isn’t something children learn through fear.

It grows when they feel safe enough to tell the truth, make mistakes, and know they’ll be supported to make things right.

Swipe through to learn more 💚

Have you ever wondered why your child can cope one day and completely fall apart the next?The answer may lie in their Wi...
14/06/2026

Have you ever wondered why your child can cope one day and completely fall apart the next?

The answer may lie in their Window of Tolerance 🧠💚

When children feel safe and regulated, they can learn, connect, think, and cope. When they become overwhelmed, their brain shifts into survival mode.

The goal isn’t to keep children calm all the time. It’s to help them recognise when they’re outside their window and learn how to return.

🌿 Read the full blog, link in bio.

“I’m bored.”Few phrases create as much pressure for parents as these two words.But what if boredom isn’t a problem to so...
07/06/2026

“I’m bored.”

Few phrases create as much pressure for parents as these two words.

But what if boredom isn’t a problem to solve?

Research suggests that moments of boredom can support creativity, problem-solving, independent thinking, and self-directed play.

Sometimes the best ideas emerge after a child has had space to wonder, daydream, and explore.

Read the full blog — link in bio 🌿

What if helping children wasn’t always about teaching, correcting, or finding the right words?What if it started with co...
30/05/2026

What if helping children wasn’t always about teaching, correcting, or finding the right words?

What if it started with connection?

Filial therapy is a relationship-based approach that teaches parents therapeutic play skills, helping children feel seen, understood, and emotionally safe through the power of play.

Children don’t always tell us:

“I’m worried.”
“I’m overwhelmed.”
“I need connection.”

More often, they show us through their play.

When we slow down, follow their lead, and step into their world, we create opportunities for deeper connection, emotional expression, and healing.

🌿 Read the full blog via the link in my bio.

Sometimes children don’t need us to fix their feelings.

Sometimes they need us to notice, listen, and be with them.

💚

Tantrums and meltdowns can sometimes look very similar from the outside, but internally, very different things may be ha...
24/05/2026

Tantrums and meltdowns can sometimes look very similar from the outside, but internally, very different things may be happening in a child’s brain and nervous system.

In this week’s blog, I explore:

• frustration-driven behaviour vs nervous system overload
• what happens in the brain during overwhelm
• how to recognise signs of dysregulation
• supportive ways to respond in the moment
• and why connection, co-regulation, and repair matter so deeply for emotional development

Children are not born knowing how to calm themselves down.

They learn through safe relationships, co-regulation, and repeated experiences of returning to safety with supportive adults. 💚

Swipe through to learn more →
Check out the full post, link in bio.

“Watch me.”“Look!”“Did you see?” 💛Children ask to be noticed constantly — not simply because they want attention, but be...
17/05/2026

“Watch me.”
“Look!”
“Did you see?” 💛

Children ask to be noticed constantly — not simply because they want attention, but because humans are wired for connection.

Through small moments of shared attention, children begin to build a sense of:

🌿 safety
🌿 belonging
🌿 importance
🌿 and self-worth

When we pause, notice, smile, respond, and share in their experiences, children learn:
“I matter to someone.”

This doesn’t mean parents need to respond perfectly every time.

Connection is not built through perfection, but through repeated moments of being emotionally available over time.

This week on the blog:

✨ “Watch Me!” — Why Children Need Us to Notice Them

A gentle reflection on attachment, connection, serve-and-return interactions, and why being seen matters so deeply in childhood.

Read more via the link in bio.



Motherhood can be beautiful, exhausting, meaningful, overwhelming, tender, chaotic, and deeply emotional, sometimes all ...
10/05/2026

Motherhood can be beautiful, exhausting, meaningful, overwhelming, tender, chaotic, and deeply emotional, sometimes all within the same day. 💛

This Mother’s Day, I wanted to write something gentle and honest about attachment, emotional connection, and the invisible emotional work that so many mothers carry every day.

Children do not need perfect mothers.They need mothers who keep showing up, reconnecting, loving, and trying again.

This week on the blog: Motherhood Is Not Meant to Be Perfect

A reflective, attachment-informed piece about emotional connection, repair, and the small everyday moments that help children feel safe and loved.

You can read the full blog via the link in bio.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and caregivers holding so much, often quietly, every single day 🤍

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Suite 14/1 Redman Road
Dee Why, NSW
2099

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