About us
Practical knowledge. Meaningful support.
Out of the Box Therapies was founded by Jess and Vanessa — two professionals, mums and passionate advocates for children and families, with more than 30 years of combined experience across child development, education, therapy and family support.
Through our work, we identified a common theme. Parents, educators and professionals working with children were becoming overwhelmed by information overload, and the information available was not always current, evidence-based or easy to translate into everyday practice.
Educators and teachers are also expected to respond to increasingly diverse developmental, behavioural and emotional needs, often without access to practical, specialised training. While valuable research exists, it can be complex, inaccessible and difficult to apply in the moments when practical guidance is needed most.
Our story
Out of the Box Therapies was created to help bridge this gap — to take the ‘search’ out of research.
We bring together current research, professional knowledge and developmental science and translate it into clear, evidence-based resources, practical strategies and accessible learning. Our resources are designed to support the people who support children — at home, in early childhood settings and in classrooms.
We also recognise that research continues to evolve and that no two children are the same. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, we provide a range of evidence-informed knowledge and strategies that can be adapted to the individual child.
Our aim is to make the science of child development accessible, practical and meaningful — empowering families and educators with the knowledge and tools to help children learn, develop and thrive.
Meet the Founders
Jess (Speech Pathologist)
Jess is a Speech Pathologist with more than a decade of experience working with children, families, educators and multidisciplinary teams.
She holds a Master of Speech Language Pathology, a Bachelor of Psychological Science and a Master of Education (Disability).
Jess has a particular interest in early communication and language development, developmental differences and neurodiversity, and enjoys helping adults understand how to use everyday moments to support children’s language, communication, participation and learning.
Her experience across speech pathology, psychology and education helps shape resources that are evidence-informed while remaining practical and accessible for the people using them every day.
Vanessa (Educational Neuroscientist & Registered Play Therapist)
Vanessa holds a Master’s in Educational Neuroscience, a Degree in Behavioural Studies, and postgraduate qualifications in Counselling, Trauma and Play Therapy. She brings more than 17 years of experience supporting children, families and professionals across government and private settings, with a professional background spanning child protection, trauma, counselling, child development and therapeutic practice.
Working from a trauma-informed and neuroscience-informed lens, Vanessa has a particular interest in how children’s developing brains, relationships and experiences shape behaviour, emotional regulation and learning. Her work focuses on understanding what may sit beneath behaviour and how safety, connection, regulation and supportive relationships create the foundations for healthy learning and development.
Drawing on findings from educational neuroscience, Vanessa translates complex brain science into clear, accessible and practical learning guides, resources and professional education. Her work helps educators, professionals and families understand the developing brain and apply this knowledge to everyday interactions with children, supporting emotional wellbeing, regulation, learning and development.
What we Create
Our focus is on developing practical, high-quality resources and professional learning that help adults better understand and support children.
Our growing collection includes:
Online courses and professional development
Evidence-informed learning for educators, teachers and families across areas such as communication development, behaviour, regulation, child development and wellbeing.
Guidebooks
Accessible, professionally developed guides that bring together developmental information, practical strategies and everyday ideas.
Activity and reference cards
Easy-to-use tools designed to make developmental strategies practical and achievable in real-world settings.
Downloadable resources
Posters, handouts, reflection tools, checklists and practical resources that can be used across homes, early learning environments and classrooms.
Our course library is continuing to grow, alongside an expanding collection of downloadable tools and developmental resources.
Our Approach
Evidence-informed. Professionally developed. Practical by design.
Everything we create is grounded in professional knowledge, research and developmental science – but we believe good information should also be practical, accessible and easy to use.
Because knowledge is most valuable when it can be understood, remembered and applied in everyday moments.
Our resources are designed to make complex developmental information clear, meaningful and useful for the people supporting children every day.
We aim to create resources that are:
Evidence-informed
Grounded in research, developmental science and current professional knowledge.
Practical
Designed for real children, real families and real learning environments.
Accessible
Clear, approachable and easy to use, without unnecessary professional jargon.
Developmentally informed
Built around an understanding of how children communicate, learn, regulate, play and develop.
Respectful of individual differences
Shaped by a neurodiversity-affirming, relationship-focused and strengths-based approach.
Supporting the People Who Support Children
Children develop within relationships. That means some of the greatest opportunities to support development happen not only during formal intervention, but throughout everyday moments, conversations and routines.
Our goal is to give educators, teachers and families greater knowledge, practical strategies and the confidence to make those everyday moments count.
Because when the adults around children feel informed and supported, children benefit too.