Alessia Manzoli - Registered Psychotherapist

12/08/2025

This time of year can bring many mixed feelings. Let this be your reminder that you are allowed to feel it all, no matter what social media or societal expectations imply.

Be gentle with yourselves. ❄️🫂

Read more about how finding presence can bring some peace amidst the pressures of this season at www.alessiamanzoli.com 🫶 Full link in bio!

11/18/2025

Many people live with a body that’s always scanning and searching for cues of danger, even when life looks calm on the outside.

This is called hypervigilance, and it’s rooted in neuroception, which is the nervous system’s subconscious way of detecting safety or threat.

When that system has been exposed to unsafe situations, it may have learned to over-protect you. Because of this, the world can start to feel unsafe, even when there are no threats present.

Healing means teaching your body to relax into safe situations, and be on alert only when necessary. This is done through connection, awareness, and compassion. 🌿

📚 Read more: The Science Behind the Mind–Body Connection (link in bio)



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10/11/2025

The loneliness of feeling like you have to perform.
Be unapologetically you!!
🩵🩵

🎭 Masks
by Shel Silverstein

She had blue skin,
And so did he.
He kept it hid,
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by—
And never knew.

>>Meaning & Reflection

1. The “blue skin” symbolizes what makes us unique — our differences, our true selves, the parts we often hide to fit in.

2. Both characters spend their lives concealing their real identity, fearing judgment, longing for acceptance.

3. Their tragedy lies not in being different, but in pretending to be ordinary.

4. The poem reminds us that when we hide who we are, we risk losing the people who might have truly understood us.

5. “Masks” is a quiet yet piercing message: authenticity is the only way to be seen — and to find belonging.

“Be brave enough to show your color. Someone out there has been looking for your shade all along.”

10/09/2025

You are not your thoughts.

Though they can be convincing, our thoughts and beliefs are not facts. Nor are they rules that we need to abide by. But sometimes, they start out as an energetic contract that was signed in a moment of pain, fear, or survival.

Though it may have served you then, you certainly don’t have to adhere to its terms anymore.

Here’s how to release limiting beliefs and invite intentional action:

1. Make the choice to begin: No change happens without your permission. Being intentional about change is an important first step.

2. Notice the pattern: Pay attention to when you feel small, shut down, or “not enough.” In those moments, ask yourself: “What am I believing about myself right now?”

3. Feel it in the body: The body listens to what the minds tells it. Notice where you hold the pain of your limiting belief in your body. Is there a particular body part that suddenly feels achey, painful, or tight?

4. Meet yourself with compassion: It’s important not to add more shame to the story you’re already carrying. After all, at one time, this belief kept you safe and protected. Try saying to yourself: “It makes sense that I learned this. I don’t need to shame myself for it. And now, I’m ready to let it go.”

5. Recognize your behaviours: Notice how you act when you’re living out that belief. Do you find yourself engaging in self-defeating behaviours, avoiding challenges, or shutting down opportunities?

6. Shift into a curiosity mindset: Gently invite yourself to explore a different perspective. Ask yourself questions from a place of curiosity. “How would I show up if I believed something more empowering about myself? What’s one small thing I’m willing to try today that aligns with the more empowered belief?”

This experience will push you outside of your comfort zone, so please be gentle with yourself, and know that there can be support along the way if you ever need it. ✨

Find more information and journaling prompts in my blog. Link in bio 📝

09/19/2025

Sometimes the patterns we repeat happen in our subconscious, which can make it hard to move forward or grow from them.

As we continue into the season of letting go, I hope that these prompts can help you reflect, release, and realign ✨

Upon reflection, you may learn that your journey is about transforming the belief that you always need to prove yourself, into the belief that you are inherently worthy.

Or perhaps it’s about challenging the rule you have which is that you can only be acceptable when you’re productive.

Maybe it’s about setting a boundary in a one sided relationship.

No matter the realization, taking time to journal and understand yourself more deeply can empower you to choose how you want to move forward.
�If this speaks to you, grab your journal and give yourself the space to explore what you’re ready to let go of, and what you’re ready to embrace more of 🖊️💭

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09/12/2025

You know something isn’t quite working for you…but you can’t pinpoint what you need to let go of.

That’s the thing about letting go. It’s not always obvious what isn’t really working anymore.

Sometimes what needs to be released is internal:
Old roles. Perfectionism. A belief that once protected you.

Other times, it’s more external:
A boundary. A goodbye. A decision to stop proving yourself.

If you’re navigating this and need support, you’re not alone. Feel free to reach out.

✨ And if you’re unsure where to begin, stay tuned for journaling prompts to help you unpack what might be ready to release.

Your clarity doesn’t have to come all at once. It all starts with getting curious. ✨

🤍

07/29/2025

Not everyone feels light in the summertime.

If you’re moving through this season feeling low, anxious, or out of sync, you’re not alone. 🌿

There are many quiet reasons summer can be hard: disrupted routines, overstimulation, body image pressure, or just a feeling you can’t quite name.

Here I’ve shared some gentle ways to care for yourself and help you move through it with softness and self-compassion. 🤍
Take what resonates, leave the rest.

Remember: you’re allowed to slow down, even when the world is speeding up.

If you’d like to learn more, read my latest blog post on summertime depression at www.alessiamanzoli.com

If you find that you need some extra support moving through this season, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be honoured to support you 💌

05/12/2025

05/02/2025

Did any of these resonate? 💖 if they did, repeat it to yourself as often as you need to hear it!

Our younger selves carry the pain and the outdated messages from their experiences, even as we age.

Although we can’t change the past, telling them what they were never told and offering to meet their needs can be incredibly cathartic and the ultimate act of self-love.

What has your Inner Child or Inner Teen been carrying all this time? What do they need to hear? Can you take a moment to connect with them and give them that message? 🫶



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05/01/2025

We talked about the why, now let’s talk about the how. How do we sit with emotions?

♥️ Acknowledge and name your emotions. “I’m feeling sad/nostalgic/happy/irritated”

♥️ Notice how this shows up in your body. Are your eyebrows furrowed? Is your heart racing? Is your knee bouncing? Becoming aware of our bodies can help us identify our emotions and needs more easily.

♥️ Validate your emotion. Acknowledge that it’s okay to be experiencing this feeling. It’s part of the human experience.

♥️ Allow and accept the emotion without needing to fix, deny, downplay, or suppress it. Let it be present.

♥️ Explore it with curiosity to understand what brought it on, if there were any activators, and if you have any underlying needs. If possible, meet those needs or make a plan to do so.

Most importantly, move through this with compassion. Approach yourself the same way you might approach a friend who is experiencing that emotion. Know that it might be uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. You got this.

Comment below with a strategy that works for you when you are sitting with your emotions! Reach out if you’d like to learn more, or need extra support with emotional regulation through therapy.

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04/30/2025

“Sit with it.” We hear it a lot these days, don’t we?

But what does this really mean? WHY should I sit with it? If it’s uncomfortable and time-consuming, what’s the point?

Fair questions, and I hope to answer them for you here.

Most importantly, emotions are information. They are not good or bad, right or wrong. Rather, they’re here to inform us of what is going on in our body and in our environment. Beneath every emotion is wisdom about our experience and our needs.

For instance, let’s say you’re finally at a concert you’ve waited months for. You’ve been in line all day and feel irritated, overstimulated, and drained. You push through it, but end up snapping at people, struggling to focus, and not enjoying the show like you hoped.

Now, same scenario, but you pause. You “sit with” the irritability and realize: you haven’t eaten all day (we’ve all been hangry, right?!) You grab a snack, feel more grounded, and actually ENJOY the concert.

That’s the power of sitting with it. You tune in, meet your needs sooner, and stay more present.

Sometimes, though, it’s deeper.

Maybe you feel shame after realizing you had food stuck in your teeth on a date. If you ignore the emotion, you might ghost the person, start an argument, or spiral with self-doubt and seek constant reassurance.

If you sit with that shame, though uncomfortable, you might uncover a fear of rejection, or a limiting belief. Now that you’re aware of it, you can begin to challenge it with self-compassion. Over time, this helps you build confidence, release shame, and build stronger, more authentic connections.

So, “sitting with it” is really a practice of self-awareness and compassion. It helps us respond, not react. We learn to regulate, rather than suppress, which opens the door to more fulfilling decisions, healthier communication, and deeper self-trust.

More on HOW to sit with emotions coming soon ✨🧘