Profile / United States
Polly Mortensen, LMHC
New York
LMHC - Stress and Anxiety
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Career and vocational help
- Mindfulness practices
About Polly
Polly Mortensen is an LMHC in New York with 21 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, parenting concerns, trauma and abuse, relationship struggles, and career or vocational questions. She also addresses ADHD, bipolar concerns, and issues related to identity and the LGBT community.
Polly began in outpatient psychiatric rehabilitation and home-based therapy programs. She later supported people in foster care and worked in vocational and rehabilitation counseling in New York and Florida for 14 years. That background informs how she helps with work, education, and disability-related challenges.
Her sessions are practical and action-oriented. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different responses. She also draws on client-centered methods to focus on the person’s experience and on techniques from Dialectical Behavior Therapy for emotion regulation and distress tolerance.
Polly includes mindfulness and motivational interviewing tools when they fit a person’s goals. She uses plain language and structured exercises rather than jargon. Sessions can include skills practice, short behavioral experiments, and planning for real-life situations.
She has experience supporting people who have faced long-term mental health challenges, caregiving stress, chronic illness, trauma, and vocational barriers. Her vocational counseling background means she can help people clarify career and education options alongside emotional concerns.
Sessions are conducted in English and reflect both clinical training and years of hands-on practice. Readers who want to explore working together are asked to follow the site’s matching and scheduling process before booking a first session.
How her approaches translate to online care
Polly commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thought patterns and test new behaviors. CBT sessions often include brief exercises, homework, and step-by-step plans to change how daily routines and responses unfold.She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which focuses on listening closely to a person’s experience and responding in a practical, nonjudgmental way. Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques are used when stronger emotion regulation skills are needed, offering concrete tools for distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness.
She treats finding the right approach as a collaborative process. Together the person and therapist review goals, try methods that fit day-to-day life, and adjust the plan based on what helps most. The therapist will explain options and recommend practical exercises or skills to try between sessions.
If you are considering online sessions, please confirm the specific session formats available before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It also supports doing real-life experiments and skills practice between sessions so therapy can connect directly 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 concerns does she commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and parenting concerns, career questions, ADHD, bipolar concerns, and matters related to LGBT identity.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her approach is practical and structured. She uses exercises, skills practice, and behavioral techniques to address thoughts, habits, and emotions.
What is her professional background?
She has 21 years of experience including outpatient psychiatric rehabilitation, home-based therapy, foster care work, and 14 years in vocational and rehabilitation counseling.
What credential does she hold and where is she located?
She is an LMHC licensed in New York and practices from New York.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin the process?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
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 you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.