Work With Me

Jessica Riutzel-Schmidt, LCSW, PhD
NeuroFlexible Family

I’m a chronically ill, ADHD mom raising kids with these same beautifully complex brains and bodies—and I’ve lived the experience of being told “it’s just anxiety” when I knew it wasn’t.

I believe in nervous system work.
I believe in mind-body connection.

And I also believe something gets missed when we stop there.

Because sometimes your body isn’t overreacting—
it’s responding to something real that hasn’t been fully understood yet.

🧠 What I Do

I help youth, adults, and parents who are navigating:

• Chronic illness, pain, fatigue, dizziness, or “mystery” symptoms

• Neurodivergence (ADHD, autistic traits, sensory overwhelm)

• Medical trauma or feeling dismissed by providers

• That in-between space where symptoms are labeled as anxiety—but don’t fully fit

Together, we work at the intersection of:

• Nervous system regulation

• Brain + body science (in real-life language)

• Emotional processing and support

• Practical advocacy with medical and school systems

You don’t have to convince me your experience is real.
We start there.

🔬 My Approach

I use a flexible, integrative approach I call the NeuroFlexible Method—because there isn’t just one right place to begin.

Some clients start with finally feeling seen and understood.
Others start with calming the nervous system, reducing symptoms, or making sense of what’s happening in their body.

Over time, we gently integrate:

• EMDR (adapted for sensitive nervous systems)

• Pain Reprocessing Therapy

• Short, realistic regulation tools (like 2-minute resets)

• Somatic awareness and pacing strategies

• Psychoeducation informed by the latest research that you can actually use—and bring to your providers

• With youth, I utilize play therapy strategies that bridge their world

  -using gaming, their favorite characters, music, art- so I meet them where they are.

No overwhelm. No rigid protocols.
We work with your capacity—not against it.

🧩 My Background

I bring over 20 years of experience supporting children, teens, and families, including:

• School-based therapy

• Work with youth in the foster care system

• Casework with children and families

• Coaching youth with disabilities transitioning to adulthood

• Program leadership, research and advocacy work

For the past several years, I’ve focused specifically on clinical therapy as an LCSW, integrating my background with advanced training in:

• EMDR

• Pain Reprocessing Therapy

• Nervous system regulation

• Chronic illness and neurodivergence-informed care, including ECHOS training through the Ehlers Danlos Society

• Synergetic Play Therapy

I also hold a PhD in Social Work and have a deep love of learning—
which means I’m often reading medical journals, listening to podcasts, or watching a webinar on a Friday night.

(ADHD special interests!.)

🌿 A Little More Human

I’m warm, real, and sometimes a little quirky. I’ll meet you exactly where you are—whether that’s more than overwhelmed, analytical, skeptical, hopeful, or just really tired of not being heard.

I believe healing happens when you can unmask, be understood, and make sense of your experience—not when you’re trying to fit into someone else’s framework.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Who I Work With

• Youth (approx. 11+)

• Adults

• Parents navigating complex kids and systems

Especially those thinking:

“I know something else is going on… I just can’t get anyone to connect the dots.”

📍 Practice Details

Telehealth across Oregon

• Currently Scheduling Wednesdays 9am-3pm PST

• I am a private pay (out-of-network) therapist

• Sessions are $225 for 55 minutes

  For many of the clients I work with—especially those navigating chronic illness, neurodivergence, and complex symptoms—

  this allows us to work in a way that’s more flexible, personalized, and not limited by insurance requirements.

  We’re able to focus on your full story, move at a pace your nervous system can tolerate, and integrate both brain and body approaches.

💛 Final Note

If you’ve been dismissed, minimized, or told to just manage anxiety—and it hasn’t explained everything—

You’re not too much.
You’re not making it up.

We just might need a more flexible way of understanding your brain and body.