Polly Parks , LCSW

Polly Parks is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in California with 14 years of professional therapeutic experience and continuous good standing with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. She works with people facing depression, anxiety, stress, grief, anger management, and challenges that affect LGBTQ2+ individuals, offering informed and empathic care grounded in years of clinical practice.

Polly has experience supporting students and professionals affected by the Saugus High School student shooting in Santa Clarita in 2019, and she maintains active membership in the National Association of Social Workers and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. She completed the California-required telehealth training approved by the Board of Behavioral Sciences, which supports her ability to meet clients through remote care options.

In addition to clinical work, Polly brings personal experience in long-term recovery from alcohol, sustained since July 6, 2006. She is familiar with 12-step fellowships including AA, NA, EA, OA, and Adult Children of Alcoholics, and she also recommends SMART Recovery for people working on addictions. That lived experience informs a nonjudgmental, practical approach to substance use and recovery work.

Polly offers sessions in the afternoons and evenings, with typical start times at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00, and she is also available on Saturdays and Sundays. Her regular days off are Wednesday and Thursday. She will not hold a session while a client is driving because of potential danger and in keeping with NASW ethics. Polly creates an open environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without judgment, and she recognizes that taking the first step to begin therapy often requires courage.

Approaches and Online Care with Polly Parks

Polly Parks draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients notice unhelpful thoughts, connect with personal values, and take meaningful action. ACT is often used for anxiety, depression, avoidance, and life changes where aligning behavior with values matters. Client-Centered Therapy is another key approach she uses - it emphasizes empathy, active listening, and respect for each person's experience, which supports self-exploration, confidence, and coping with life transitions. Polly also employs Trauma-Focused Therapy for people impacted by traumatic events; this approach focuses on processing trauma responses and building strategies to reduce the ways traumatic memories interfere with daily life.

Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the work together. Polly collaborates with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and she adjusts the plan as progress unfolds so the treatment feels relevant and practical.

Online therapy with Polly is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, giving flexibility to fit therapy into busy schedules. These options make it easier to access consistent care from home or another convenient location, support timely check-ins between sessions, and allow people to choose the format that feels most comfortable for them.