Strengthening Roots; Inspiring Growth
Podcasts
Pondering Play and Therapy Podcast
05/16/2025
In this insightful episode, we sit down with Mandy Jones, a skilled therapist, based in Chicago, who shares her expertise on the transformative power of play in therapy. Mandy discusses her unique approach, combining sand tray work and Theraplay, to help children and adults process and understand their trauma. She explains how these therapeutic techniques foster emotional healing and support the parent-child relationship.
Mandy also opens up about her personal journey, detailing the interesting path that led her to open her practice. With a deep passion for supporting children and families, Mandy has become a dedicated advocate for those impacted by the challenges of COVID-19, helping them navigate the emotional toll of the pandemic. Listen to the episode for a pondering conversation on the essential role of play in healing, connection, and emotional growth.
Chezuba Talks
07.01.2024
Nurturing Bonds: The Magic of Theraplay with Mandy Jones-Fischer
The Baffling Behavior Show
09/06/2021
Theraplay is a dyadic (parent/child) treatment modality for supporting children and families that focuses on harnessing the power of the relationship between the child and their caregiver as path toward change and healing.
Theraplay places a priority on strengthening the parent/child relationship as the way to create change for a child or within a family- even in diagnoses or symptoms that don’t seem obviously related to the parent/child relationship, such as ADHD or Autism. Theraplay believes that strengthening the parent/child relationship will always contribute positively to a child’s mental health, regardless of the specific symptoms or mental health diagnosis.
My guest today on today’s podcast episode is Mandy Jones, Program Director of The Theraplay Institute in Chicago, IL. Mandy is a Theraplay trainer, practitioner, and supervisor, a Registered Play Therapist, and an attorney. In addition to her administrative and training responsibilities at The Theraplay Institute, Mandy also provides therapy to children and families.
Publications
Jones-Fischer, M. & Lyles, M. (2023). Building security in and out of the tray to help children and families heal: Combining Theraplay® and sandtray. In R. Hong & A. R. Coleman (Eds.), Theraplay®: Innovations and integration (pp. 211-218). Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Frau, T., Milani, M., Jones, A., & Lender, D. (2022). Verso la costruzione di un legame affettivo: Il trattamento integrato della Theraplay® e della psicoterapia diadica evolutiva in caso di affido e adozione. Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva, 50(3), 1–15.
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc50-
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc50-