About Me
Hi! My name is Evelise, but everyone calls me Evie. I’m originally from Brazil and have been living in Australia since 2006.
I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (Brazil, 2005), a Master’s in Child Play Therapy from Deakin University (Australia, 2020), and a Diploma in Early Childhood Education (Australia, 2010).
When I first started studying psychology, I was working as a Human Resources assistant and thought that would be my career path. But everything changed during my clinical internship, where I was placed in a one-on-one therapy setting with children for a full year. At first, I felt completely lost — I didn’t know how to help or connect. But within just a few weeks, I fell in love with the work. I found myself deeply moved by children’s stories, and I realised that I could relate to their struggles and support them with empathy. That’s when I knew: this is what I was meant to do.
After arriving in Australia, I transitioned into the early childhood education field and worked in childcare centres for 7 years before opening my own Family Day Care, Butterflies in the Garden, which I ran for 8 wonderful years. I loved supporting children’s learning and development, not only cognitively but emotionally — helping them navigate separation anxiety, self-regulation, communication, challenging behaviours, and social-emotional growth.
My passion for brain development and supporting families led me to pursue further study in child play therapy. That knowledge and training shaped the path I’m on today.
On a personal note, my connection to this work runs deep. As a child, I experienced PTSD following a life-threatening illness that left me hospitalised and isolated from my family for several days. I went through night terrors, bedwetting, intense separation anxiety, and the emotional fallout of shifting family dynamics. I didn’t begin therapy until I was 21, but it changed everything for me — including my relationship with my sisters, which is now one of the closest and most important parts of my life.
Looking back, I believe my own childhood experiences are what make me so attuned to the inner world of children. Even before I understood it fully, I had a natural connection with them — and that connection has only deepened with time, experience, and training.
Today, I feel incredibly grateful that we live in a world where early intervention and therapeutic support for children are available — because I know how much of a difference it makes.
I hope my passion and care can support your child and your family through whatever challenges you may be facing. Together, we can nurture your child’s mental health and emotional well-being — helping them to build confidence, resilience, self-regulation, and a strong sense of self.
Let’s give children the support they need today, so they can thrive tomorrow. 💚