Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
How Polly works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LMHC
- Licensed in
- New York
- Years in practice
- 21
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Polly
Polly Mortensen is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in New York with 21 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who are facing stress, anxiety, anger, grief, and major life changes. Polly listens with warmth and aims to help people access the strengths they already have.
Polly trained with a master's degree in Counseling and Community Psychology and has worked across a range of settings. Early in her career she supported people in psychiatric rehabilitation and in home-based programs for those living with HIV and mental health needs.
Background and approach
She also has experience with foster care populations and the LGBTQIA+ community. For many years she combined mental health counseling with vocational and rehabilitation work in New York and Florida. That background gives her practical experience with career and educational choices, and with the challenges people with disabilities can face in work and daily life.
Polly can help clients think through career steps alongside emotional concerns. Her style is warm and friendly. Sessions tend to be straightforward and goal-focused while honoring each person's story.
She uses familiar, evidence-informed methods such as cognitive behavioral and mindfulness approaches, and incorporates practical skills from dialectical behavior work. People come to Polly for help with anger, relationship strain, parenting stress, ADHD, depression, burnout, and trauma recovery. She works collaboratively to set clear steps and build skills that fit each client's life.
If someone wants calm, practical help and steady support, Polly can be a guide through change.
What Polly works with
Everything Polly lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Polly's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- LGBT
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Personality disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Polly lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online care
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and helping people find their own solutions; it centers the person's goals and lets the therapist follow the client's lead. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, adds skills for managing strong emotions and improving how people cope during crises.Choosing the right approach is a shared process. Polly works with each person to identify needs and preferences, then combines methods that fit those goals. She checks in regularly to adjust the plan if something is not working as expected.
Online therapy offers flexibility for busy lives. Video calls allow face-to-face conversations when a longer session is needed. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for quick check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging make it simple to get short, timely support between longer sessions. These options help fit counseling into work breaks, caregiving schedules, or periods of travel while keeping treatment consistent and goal-oriented.
Questions people ask about Polly
What kinds of concerns does Polly address?
She helps people coping with stress, anxiety, anger, depression, relationship and family issues, trauma, grief, parenting strain, ADHD, and related concerns like self-esteem and career choices.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her sessions are warm, practical, and collaborative. Polly blends listening with skill-building so clients leave with concrete steps to try between sessions.
How much experience does she have?
Polly has 21 years of clinical experience across outpatient, home-based, and vocational settings, including work with trauma and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Which credentials and location apply to this clinician?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, listed as NY LMHC, and practices from New York.
In what language are sessions provided?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Polly offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different preferences and schedules.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to therapist availability.