Trauma and PTSD therapists & psychiatrists in Framingham, MA

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’m a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who runs a private practice called Next Play Therapy. I work with adolescents, young adults, adults, and athletes. My background includes both school-based counseling and outpatient therapy, where I’ve helped clients manage anxiety, stress, depression, self-esteem challenges, and life transitions. I also have experience coaching high school athletics, which has shaped my passion for helping athletes build confidence and mental resilience. My goal is to create a supportive space where clients feel comfortable, understood, and empowered to move forward.

Now accepting patients in Massachusetts! Offering in office visits on the fourth Monday of each month in Westford, MA from 8:00 until 11:30 and virtual visits throughout the week.

I have been in healthcare for over 20 years and enjoy partnering with patients . As a gay man, I understand the comfort that comes with working with someone from the community.

I support women who are ready to reconnect with themselves and step into greater wholeness after years of over giving. Many of my clients come to me during times of stress, transition, or disconnection from their bodies, relationships or sense of purpose. My approach combines counseling and coaching with somatic techniques such as Reiki, creating a holistic path that supports body, mind and spirit. I offer a compassionate and space for healing, growth and transformation. Together, we release old patterns, awaken inner wisdom and open the way to a more authentic and empowered life.

exceptional care to the client.

empathetic, nonjudental and and focused on building a therapeutic relationship

I primarily learned using a Cognitive-Behavioral Model (learned through the Beck Institute), but have since incorporated more Mindfulness-based and Humanistic approaches to my work.

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

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with experience in both outpatient and inpatient settings, providing comprehensive mental health care across diverse populations. My background includes extensive work in behavioral health emergency settings, partial hospitalizations, IOP, recovery care, community psychiatric care. I also have experience supporting dually diagnosed patients with co-occurring medical conditions, giving me a broad perspective on the complex interplay between mental and physical health.

I earned my PMHNP degree from Post University and hold PMHNP licensure in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Throughout my career, I have remained committed to evidence-based care, while continuously seeking opportunities for professional development and growth in the mental health field.

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.