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Passionately Delivering Quality Therapy For Children & Teens While Empowering Parents To Support Them

Where We Specialize

Find the support that fits your family.

Every child and family experiences challenges differently. This section is designed to make the site easier to navigate, so you can quickly find the kind of support you are looking for. Start with the area that feels most relevant. Each path leads to more detailed information about how KidWise helps.

Anxiety Therapy

Help for worry, avoidance, fears, panic, and anxiety that is getting in the way of daily life.


OCD Treatment (ERP)

Specialized support for obsessive-compulsive disorder using evidence-based treatment.

Perfectionism

Helping children and teens overcome the need for everything to be just right.


Fear-Based ARFID

Help for food restriction driven by fear, distress, or anxiety.


BFRBs

Support for hair pulling, skin picking, and related behaviors with a compassionate, practical approach.

Phobias

Helping children face and conquer their fear, step by step.


View All Specialty Areas
Mother and child therapy session online

Evidence-Based Care for children, teens, and families

How KidWise Helps

Support designed around your child, your family, and your next step

KidWise Counseling offers thoughtful, evidence-based support for children, teens, and parents navigating anxiety and related challenges. Care is tailored to the child’s needs while helping families better understand what is happening and how to move forward with confidence.

Services are designed to make care feel clear, supportive, and practical from the very beginning.

Individual Therapy

Support for children and teens that is personalized, goal-oriented, and tailored to their needs, pace, and stage of development.

Parent Support / SPACE

Parents are an important part of the process. KidWise helps caregivers understand what is happening and how to respond in ways that support meaningful progress.

Telehealth & Flexible Care

Accessible, engaging care that helps families stay consistent and receive support in a format that works with real life.

Learn More About Working With Us
Our Approach

A thoughtful, practical approach to care

At KidWise Counseling, therapy is not just about talking through a challenge. It is about understanding what is happening, building the right tools, and helping children and families move forward in a way that feels steady, supported, and achievable.
Collaborative<BR> Care

Collaborative
Care

Treatment is guided by shared understanding, clear goals, and a plan that feels meaningful for both the child and the family.

Tools for home and school

Tools for home and school

Therapy focuses on practical strategies that can be used in everyday situations, not just in session.

Supportive Momentum

Supportive Momentum

Care is supportive and thoughtful while still helping children gradually face challenges and make progress over time.

SPACE

Support for parents matters, too

When a child is struggling, parents are often carrying a great deal too. Parent support at KidWise Counseling is designed to help families feel less stuck, less alone, and more confident in how they move forward.
  • No child session required for SPACE
  • Parent-focused and practical
  • Builds confidence at home, school, and beyond
Learn About SPACE

SPACE Parent Based Treatment

SPACE is a parent-based treatment approach that helps caregivers support children with anxiety and related challenges without reinforcing the patterns that keep those struggles stuck. It can be a powerful option for families who want practical, meaningful change.

Looking for the right next step for your child or family?

If you are feeling overwhelmed, unsure where to begin, or looking for a provider who truly understands what your child is going through, KidWise Counseling is here to help. The first step is a conversation.
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8R3A5111

15 +

Years of Experience
Meet Jennifer
Bringing specialized support for children, teens, and families.

KidWise Counseling is led by Jennifer Ruef, LCPC, a therapist with extensive experience helping children, teens, and families navigate anxiety, OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviors, and fear-based ARFID. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based care that supports both children and the parents who love them.

Experienced, evidence-based support for children, teens, and families navigating anxiety and related challenges.
With experience across school counseling, family support, and clinical practice, Jennifer brings both professional expertise and deep compassion to the work. She helps families better understand what is happening, create a clear path forward, and build tools that support progress in everyday life.
Learn More About Jennifer
Telehealth / Flexible Care

Flexible support that meets families where they are

Telehealth makes therapy more accessible, more consistent, and easier to sustain, while helping children feel comfortable, engaged, and supported from home.

Accessible

Care that works more easily with school schedules, family routines, and everyday life.

Engaging

Interactive tools help sessions feel active, connected, and personalized for each child.

Comfortable

A familiar environment can help children settle in more naturally and participate with greater ease.
Learn More About The TELEO Virtual Therapy Platform
quick answers to common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Starting therapy can bring up a lot of questions. Here are a few of the things families often want to know as they consider next steps.

KidWise specializes in anxiety, OCD, body-focused repetitive behaviors, fear-based ARFID, and related challenges affecting children, teens, and families.

Yes. Parent support is an important part of the work, and some services are specifically designed for parents.

Yes. Telehealth is a major part of the practice and offers a flexible, engaging option for many families.

The first step is reaching out to request a consultation.

Kidwise Testimonials

Courtney Glickman

Clinician

As a fellow clinician, I highly recommend Jennifer Ruef at KidWise Counseling for children and teens needing specialized support for anxiety, OCD, ARFID, and related concerns. Jennifer’s work is grounded in evidence-based approaches like CBT, ERP, and the SPACE parent model, and she brings a truly warm, supportive, and thoughtful presence to her work with families. I value her collaborative approach and trust her with complex cases.

Sarah Thompson

Therapist

I've had the pleasure of connecting with Jennifer, and she is truly wonderful at what she does 😊 As another therapist, I can say her play therapy approach feels thoughtful, natural, and very comforting, and it is clear she is an expert in her work. I’d absolutely trust that you're in good hands with her compassionate, evidence-based, and genuinely high-quality care. Highly recommend!!