About Jennifer Wisser-Stokes
Helping families move out of survival mode and back toward connection
When family life starts to feel like one long series of battles, it helps to have someone who understands both the child and the parent. Many of the families I work with come in worn down from the daily battle of navigating overwhelm, anxiety, trauma, big feelings, neurodivergent needs, or a major transition that has taken over home life.
My work is grounded in developmentally appropriate support. Through play therapy, EMDR, and parent support, I help children feel safer, parents feel steadier, and families move toward more connection and less daily friction.
Meet Jennifer
Many children do not respond best to rigid, one-size-fits-all approaches. Jennifer believes therapy should make room for the child, with space for movement, play, creativity, and connection. In her office, children are not expected to do all the adapting.
That approach is part of how Jennifer helps children feel known, less pressured, and more able to express what is hard to say out loud.
A therapist many families can relate to
Lived understanding of neurodivergence
Jennifer brings lived understanding as a neurodivergent therapist and parent. Alongside her clinical training, that gives her a deeper sense of how many children experience the world and how much work parents are often doing behind the scenes to support them.
Support for parents too
Jennifer also understands the parent side of this work. She knows how exhausting it can feel when every transition becomes a fight, when meltdowns start shaping the whole household, or when parents feel like they have tried everything already. Parent support is built into the process because real progress rarely happens in isolation.
Homeschool familiarity without judgment
You do not have to spend your first session explaining your curriculum or defending your educational path. As a longtime homeschool parent, Jennifer understands the rhythms, values, and diversity within homeschool life because she has lived it herself.
How Jennifer works
Therapy here is personalized and research-supported. Depending on the child and family, Jennifer may draw from play therapy, EMDR, parent consultation, and other child- and family-centered approaches that support regulation, expression, healing, and stronger family connection.
1. Parent intake
The process begins with the grownups. Jennifer starts by understanding the family history, current concerns, and what life has been feeling like at home.
2. Child assessment
Jennifer then spends time getting to know the child, how stress shows up, what strengths are already present, and what kind of support may fit best.
3. Parent guidance and treatment planning
After the initial assessment period, Jennifer meets with parents again to review goals, explain what may be underneath the struggle, and talk through the treatment plan. When EMDR is part of care, she may explain it in a child-friendly way by comparing a scary memory to a toy stuck between couch cushions. The goal is to help that memory get where it belongs so it does not feel quite so big anymore.
Parent involvement looks different from case to case, but it is always important. Therapy is not designed as a drop-off service. The goal is for positive change to show up in real life, not only in session.
Learn more about Child Play Therapy →
A calm, nature-inspired space for children and families
The office is designed to help children feel more settled and less pressured from the moment they walk in. Soft greens and sky blues, sensory-friendly details, sand tray work, art materials, and play-based tools all support regulation and expression in a way that feels more natural for many children.
A room that helps children settle can support deeper work.
Play-based materials give children more than one way to communicate.
Art, movement, and sensory tools can help big feelings become more manageable.
Training and professional grounding
Jennifer combines extensive clinical training with a calm, down-to-earth presence that many families find reassuring. She is especially known for her work with children, families, and parent support.
Credentials
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC
• Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, RPT-S
• Qualified Supervisor for Registered Mental Health Counselor Interns
Practice strengths
• Play therapy and child-centered work
• Parent support and family systems awareness
• EMDR and trauma-informed care
• Neurodivergent and homeschool family relatability
• Calm, relational, structured support
Who may be a good fit
Families often reach out for support with
• ADHD and neurodivergent support
• Anxiety and overwhelm
• Big feelings and emotion regulation
• Trauma and distress
• Divorce adjustment
• Parent-child strain
• Homeschool-related support needs
Protecting the therapeutic space
Jennifer wants therapy to remain fully centered on the child's well-being and the family's healing. For that reason, this practice is not designed for custody recommendations, parenting-plan recommendations, testimony, or high-conflict litigation. Those situations can pull treatment away from its real purpose and put the child in the middle of something therapy is not meant to become.
Thoughtful support outside the therapy room
Families also receive practical support with scheduling, billing, portal access, and general office questions. The goal is for the administrative side of care to feel clear, responsive, and steady so parents are not left chasing answers while trying to get help for their child.
Looking ahead to Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
Jennifer also plans to offer Equine Assisted Psychotherapy as a future service. For some children and families, horses can support regulation, confidence, trust, and experiential growth in ways that feel different from office-based work.
When that offering becomes available, families will be able to learn more about whether it may be a good fit.
Learn more about working with Jennifer
Learn more about Jennifer’s play therapy work and how treatment is tailored to the child.
See whether telehealth may be a good fit for parents, adults, teens, or some children.
Read the practical guide for families using Step Up for Unique Abilities funding through EMA Marketplace.
Ready to connect?
If you think Jennifer may be a good fit for your family, the next step is simple. Reach out through the contact page to request a consult and share only brief, general information to get started.
Orlando Office: 1858 N Alafaya Trail, Suite 208, Orlando, FL 32826
Phone: (407) 305-8300
Email: info@playtherapyorlando.com