Podcasts

Therapist HQ Podcast

06/02/2026

Passion, persistence, and a call to action. Mandy Jones Fisher shares her inspiring journey with Illinois legislation that promises better pay for therapists and expanded access to mental health. This episode is a rallying cry for therapists everywhere — it’s time to stand up, get involved, and rewrite the future of mental health care.

In this episode:

  • How Illinois secured a law to set minimum reimbursement rates for mental health services
  • The behind-the-scenes lobby work and grassroots activism that made it happen
  • The real systemic barriers therapists face, and what this legislation changes
  • How similar laws could expand across states and what you can do to be part of it
  • The importance of storytelling and community action in policy change

 

Pondering Play and Therapy Podcast

05/22/2026

In this episode of Pondering Play and Therapy, host Philippa welcomes back Chicago-based child therapist Mandy Jones to discuss how COVID continues to affect children and families five to six years on. Mandy shares what she’s seeing in her practice with mostly under-8s, especially “COVID babies” now entering or finishing kindergarten: higher baseline anxiety, difficulty with transitions, separation distress, shutdowns or big behaviours, and heightened concerns about germs and mess. They explore how pandemic stress during pregnancy, disrupted birth experiences, reduced touch and co-regulation, and isolation may have shaped children’s nervous systems and sense of safety. The conversation highlights practical support through predictability, attunement, co-regulation, and parent and school understanding, emphasising hope, brain development, and that parents are not to blame. 

Unmuted Love Podcast

03/23/2026

In this episode of UnMuted Love, Ce sits down with Mandy Jones-Fischer—Certified Theraplay® Practitioner, Trainer, and Supervisor—for a rich, grounded conversation about why play, attunement, and safe relational experiences are the missing links for so many children from difficult beginnings.

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/qpc50-2022oa14081

Schedule an appointment today

Click Here