- CBT techniques
- DBT skills
- Mindfulness practice
About Polly
Polly Mortensen is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) practicing in New York with 21 years of experience. She works with people coping with stress, anxiety, anger, relationship strain, grief, career concerns, and other life challenges. Polly also supports those facing trauma, parenting strain, bipolar mood issues, and questions around identity and self‑esteem.
Her early work included psychiatric rehabilitation outpatient programs and home‑based therapy for people living with HIV. She later provided services in foster care settings and spent many years in vocational and rehabilitation counseling in New York and Florida. That background informs how she talks about work, disability, and practical steps toward independence.
In sessions she uses clear, direct conversation and practical tools. Expect to talk about current problems, patterns that keep repeating, and small changes to try between meetings. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness practices, and motivational interviewing to shape those tools.
Polly’s style is straightforward and life‑focused. She often blends career and counseling topics when work or school is part of the stress. People who want concrete techniques for managing anger, improving communication, or planning next steps tend to find this approach useful.
Her practice includes helping people with complicated grief, long‑term trauma, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. Sessions also address control issues, codependency, and coping with chronic illness. Polly works in English and sees clients in New York.
How Polly’s therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Polly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people spot unhelpful thoughts, test them, and try different behaviors. CBT is practical and problem focused, and it can help with anger, anxiety, low mood, and work‑related stress.She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills to teach distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and clearer interpersonal communication. DBT skills are useful when frustration or strong emotions get in the way of relationships or decision making.
Finding the right mix of methods is a collaborative process. Polly will talk with each person about goals, what has helped before, and what feels doable. She adjusts the approach based on feedback and what works in day‑to‑day life.
The biography does not list specific session formats for online work, so confirm current session options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy schedule, allow shorter check‑ins, and remove travel time. Discussing goals and practicing skills between meetings helps therapy stay practical and tied to everyday situations.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Polly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, anger, depression, relationship strain, grief, trauma, parenting challenges, career concerns, ADHD, and related issues.
How does she approach anger and frustration?
She uses practical skill building drawn from CBT and DBT to help people notice triggers, test unhelpful thoughts, and practice new responses.
How long has she practiced?
Polly has 21 years of experience working in mental health, rehabilitation counseling, and vocational services.
What credentials and location are listed?
She is an LMHC licensed in New York and practices out of New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients book sessions?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions paid for?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin scheduling a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.