Strengthening Roots; Inspiring Growth
Podcasts
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-
https://doi.org/10.3280/qpc50-