Find a therapist in Chelmsford, MA — covered by insurance

If you've ever felt like you're moving through life a little out of sync with yourself, like something is pulling you off course and you can't quite name it, you're not alone. And you're in the right place.

I'm a Doctor of Nursing Practice and Psychiatric Advanced Practice Clinical Nurse Specialist, and my approach to care is anything but one-size-fits-all. I believe that true healing happens when we tend to the whole person, your mind, your body, and your spirit, and that you already hold a lot of the wisdom you need. My job is to help you access it.

As your therapist I will work alongside you to help you learn to identify your emotions, learn healthy ways to express yourself, and healthy and effective ways of communicating with others. Together we will also identify your strengths as well as possible unhealthy thinking or behavioral patterns and how they relate to your everyday experiences and emotions.

A bit about my educational journey: Upon Graduating from High School in Oregon, I headed East. I earned my Bachelors Degree in Communication Studies from Emerson College in Boston where I minored in Psychology. My Masters in Clinical Mental Health came years later from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.

Healing Across the Lifespan: A Partnership in Mental Wellness

Choosing a mental health provider is a deeply personal decision. You aren’t just looking for a prescriber; you are looking for a witness to your story, an expert in the biological complexities of the brain, and a partner in your recovery.

My name is Jessica Stanley, and I am a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). My journey to this practice has been defined by a unique duality: the macro view of a healthcare executive and the micro focus of a dedicated clinician. Before opening the doors to this practice, I served as the Clinical Director for a large-scale healthcare organization. In that role, I was responsible for the oversight of complex systems, the mentorship of large clinical teams, and the implementation of evidence-based protocols across diverse populations.

While my time in leadership allowed me to impact mental health at a systemic level, my true passion has always remained in the quiet, transformative moments of the exam room. I have returned to full-time clinical practice to bring that high-level expertise back to where it matters most: the individual human experience.

Mental health does not exist in a vacuum, nor does it look the same at age seven as it does at seventy. I specialize in treating patients across the entire lifespan. Whether I am working with a child struggling to navigate their first years of school, an adolescent facing the pressures of identity formation, or an adult managing the heavy mantle of career and family, my approach remains the same: comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence based.

Areas of Specialization

I am trained to treat a broad spectrum of psychiatric conditions including:

ADHD & Neurodivergence

Anxiety Disorders

Depression

PTSD & Trauma Recovery

As a LMHC and Art Therapist, my work is rooted in the belief that creative expression can be a powerful pathway to healing, insight, and personal growth. My use of art therapy offers a unique way to explore thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Through the creative process you can safely examine experiences, reduce stress, and access deeper self-understanding. No artistic skill or background is needed the focus is on expression, not perfection.

I get so excited to watch clients learn more about themselves, build self confidence and grow as individuals. The transformations I have witnessed in the people I have worked with over the years is amazing and awe inspiring. Emotional pain can be incredibly difficult to deal with, especially on one’s own. Ultimately, we all deserve to feel better about ourselves and learn to care for ourselves in a more kind and accepting way.

I have worked with many different populations and people struggling with a variety of concerns. I am particularly interested in working with adults and adolescents experiencing ADHD, depression/mood disorders, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, grief and loss, and adjustment to life transitions.

I earned a Master of social work from Simmons School of Social Work and I am licensed in Massachusetts as an independent clinical social worker.

We all need connection, community, and the ability to be our authentic selves in order to thrive. Many of us are not provided these attachment needs in childhood, and we grow into adulthood burdened by this wounding, unsure of how to relate safely and from a place of wholeness. If you struggle to align your inner and outer worlds, find yourself repeating difficult relational patterns, or feel as if your authentic self must remain hidden, I would love to work with you. I am particularly interested in supporting the health of queer families and cooperatives.

I am a provider dedicated to empowering clients I work with through supportive health education and shared decision making. I enjoy discussing medication and therapy options. This is your health, and I want to support you in making your own informed decisions.

There is no weight/body shaming in my practice.

I gladly accept clients with neurodivergence.

I welcome all marginalized and disenfranchised individuals to my practice. I work closely with LGBTQIA+ communities especially gender diverse/trans communities. I have 23 years of experience in research and education around complex trauma/CPTSD.

As a white provider I participate in lifelong learning and activism to aid in dismantling racism in healthcare settings.