Anne Muscatello Play Therapy & Holistic Counselling

19/04/2025

“It might seem counter-intuitive but assessments are starting to focus on a child’s strengths during this process. This can create powerful opportunities to improve child and family outcomes, particularly when too much of the focus is on challenges in the family home, school and play settings.”

A new strengths checklist aims to help parents, carers and clinicians more easily identify a child’s skills, talents and positive qualities.

08/07/2024

Many moments from Inside Out 2 could help spark a conversation with your child about the complex emotions that are normal when growing up.

23/01/2024

It's all about relationship❣️

We have to change the way we think about school. When we prioritise academics, it's like building the walls - because that's what we see - before fortifying the foundations.

So many teachers know this, but with the increased focus on reporting and academics, they aren't being given the time and opportunity to build the relationships that will ensure those foundations are strong and steady.

This is why too many kids are falling down at school - not because they aren't capable, but because the necessary foundations for them to do well haven't been laid.

Schools are spending the resources anyway, but reactively on behaviour management, disengagement, reduced capacity to learn.

If we can steer those resources towards building relational safety, so kids feel more seen, valued, cared for, rather than less capable or clever, we'll see a decrease increased academic success, greater engagement, less social struggles, and less behaviour issues. It's just how it is.

First though, we need to value relationships and the way kids feel at school, even more than how they do at school. All kids are capable of their own versions of greatness, but unless they feel safe and cared for at school, we just won't see what they are capable of, and neither will they.❤️

05/05/2023

The influence and power of play…thank you Mona Delahooke, Ph.D. 🙌🏻

27/04/2023

“We human beings are very social creatures. As a social species, our development in childhood and throughout our lives unfolds within the context of close relationships with others, particularly our early relationships with our caregivers.”

The care we receive as children echoes through our relationships into adulthood; psychologists call this “attachment theory”.

17/04/2023

“Unstructured play is critical for children's mental health, in addition to boosting confidence”

A recent study finds links between children's lack of play and declining mental health.