- Warm and direct
- Career and life focus
- Mindfulness and CBT
About Polly
Polly Mortensen is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in New York with 21 years of experience. She helps people who are coping with stress, anxiety, loss, career decisions, and relationship concerns. Polly draws on long experience in mental health and vocational settings to guide practical steps forward.
Her path began in psychiatric rehabilitation and home-based therapy, working with people who had complex mental health needs. She later provided services in foster care settings and supported members of the LGBTQIA+ community. She also spent many years in vocational and rehabilitation counseling in New York and Florida, offering career and educational coaching.
Polly's approach is warm and direct. She uses well known methods like cognitive behavioral techniques, mindfulness practices, and dialectical skills to help people manage difficult emotions and change unhelpful patterns. Sessions are shaped to each person’s situation and goals.
She pays attention to practical life concerns such as parenting stress, caregiver strain, chronic health challenges, and navigating adoption and foster care related matters. Her work also addresses grief, trauma, substance-related relationship issues, and self-esteem problems.
Polly emphasizes small, achievable steps that add up over time. She listens closely, helps set realistic goals, and offers tools people can use between sessions. Those seeking help are invited to start with a brief matching questionnaire and schedule according to therapist availability.
Approaches that guide online work and progress
Polly uses client-centered methods that focus on what matters to the person in front of her. This approach means sessions start with the client's priorities, with the therapist offering support, reflection, and space to sort things out. It is useful for people who need a steady, understanding presence during change.She also draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect. CBT offers concrete skills to challenge unhelpful thinking and build different habits, which can help with anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy provides practical emotion regulation and coping skills for strong emotions and relationship difficulties.
Finding the right mix of approaches is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, and then tailor sessions accordingly.
Confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified in the biography. Online work can make attending sessions easier by fitting therapy into busy schedules, reducing travel time, and allowing focused check-ins between work or family tasks. It can also let people use shorter or different session rhythms to match their days, while keeping the focus on steady progress and usable skills.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Credentials
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Polly address?
She works with a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, grief, parenting challenges, trauma and abuse, ADHD, and matters related to adoption and foster care.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is warm and direct. She uses practical tools, listens carefully, and helps people set realistic goals they can practice between sessions.
What is her professional background?
She has 21 years of experience working in psychiatric rehabilitation, home-based therapy, foster care settings, and vocational rehabilitation counseling in New York and Florida.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LMHC, practicing in New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients accepted?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions scheduled and what about cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.