Therapist profile
Polly Mortensen, LMHC
LMHC in New York - Family and parenting concerns
Continue with PollyAbout
- CBT techniques
- Mindfulness practice
- Career coaching
About Polly
Polly Mortensen is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York with 21 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, parenting pressures, grief, trauma and a wide range of life changes. Polly also lists focus areas such as ADHD, compassion fatigue, and LGBT concerns.
Polly’s early career included psychiatric rehabilitation and home-based therapy for people with HIV and mental health needs. She later provided services for people in foster care and spent many years in vocational and rehabilitation counseling in New York and Florida. That work included educational and career coaching for people with disabilities.
In sessions she uses Client-Centered Therapy alongside practical techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She also draws on mindfulness practices and motivational interviewing to help people clarify goals and try new skills. Her description names solution-focused and trauma-informed ideas as part of her approach as well.
Polly tends to work in straightforward, conversational ways. She helps people talk through recent events or long-standing problems and looks for steps that can reduce daily stress. She frames counseling around real-life tasks such as improving communication, managing mood shifts, and addressing parenting strains.
Her background in vocational rehabilitation means she can also assist with career and education decisions. For someone juggling parenting, work, or caregiving responsibilities, she offers practical coaching alongside emotional support. To start, confirm current session options before booking so you know how she conducts appointments.
How sessions work
How therapeutic approaches are used in online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and responding to a person’s concerns. It centers the conversation on what matters most to the individual and encourages self-directed problem solving. This approach can help people clarify what they want to change and build on their own strengths.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks down thoughts, feelings, and behaviors into practical steps. It offers simple exercises to test unhelpful thoughts and try different coping strategies, useful for anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) adds skills for emotion regulation and managing intense reactions, which can help with anger, mood swings, and overwhelming stress.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Polly will collaborate with each person to decide which methods to try based on goals, day-to-day life, and what feels manageable. That might mean starting with brief CBT techniques, adding mindfulness practices, or focusing on skill-building from DBT depending on the situation.
Confirm the current session formats before booking, since the biography does not list specific options. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counseling into a busy week - they can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins around work, or avoid being on camera when that helps. Licensed professionals can use a mix of conversation, homework exercises, and mindfulness practices to keep sessions practical and relevant to everyday challenges.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of family or parenting issues does she help with?
She addresses parenting stress, communication problems, grief related to family change, and related relationship concerns. The listing includes parenting and family among her specialties.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
She works in a conversational, client-centered way and combines practical skills with mindfulness. Techniques from CBT and DBT are used to help people change unhelpful patterns.
How much experience does she have?
She has 21 years of experience, including psychiatric rehabilitation, home-based therapy, foster care services, and many years in vocational and rehabilitation counseling.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) licensed in New York and practices from that state.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or to international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats does she provide?
Please confirm the current session options before booking, as formats are not specified in the biography. Check the booking flow for up-to-date session types.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. Review the subscription details for pricing information.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session through the platform.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.