Polly Mortensen

Polly Mortensen is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) based in New York with over 21 years in the field. She focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family concerns, and eating and food-related issues. Polly aims to help clients find practical ways to cope and build on their existing strengths.

Her early work included psychiatric rehabilitation and home-based therapy for people managing HIV and mental health needs. She later supported people in foster care and spent many years in vocational and rehabilitation counseling across New York and Florida. That vocational background informs her approach to career and educational concerns.

Polly uses a warm, down-to-earth style in sessions. She mixes client-centered listening with techniques from cognitive behavioral and mindfulness-based therapies. Sessions often include skills practice, clear goal-setting, and moment-to-moment reflection to help with mood, stress, or behavior patterns.

She has experience with trauma, grief, anger, ADHD, compassion fatigue, and a range of identity and life-stage issues. Polly also draws on life experience and Eastern philosophy when it fits a person's needs, tailoring the work to each situation.

People who are looking for a practical, steady counselor may find her approach helpful. She focuses on small steps you can try between sessions and on strengthening coping strategies that fit everyday life.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Polly uses client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy as core parts of her work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping you set your own goals; it can help when someone needs a steady, understanding presence to talk things through. Cognitive behavioral therapy targets unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns with practical exercises and homework to try between sessions, which can help with anxiety, mood, and eating and food-related concerns.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Polly will work with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and preferences. She adjusts tools and pacing so the work feels doable and relevant to daily life.

If you are considering online therapy, confirm the current session options before booking. Many people find online sessions easier to fit into busy days, allowing shorter check-ins or scheduled evening meetings around work or family. Online work can make it simple to practice CBT exercises between meetings and to bring real-life challenges into the conversation. Discuss available session formats when you schedule so you can pick the arrangement that best fits your routine.