Polly Parks , LCSW

Polly Parks is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in California who has maintained continuous good standing with the Board of Behavioral Sciences across 14 years of professional therapeutic practice. She supports people facing depression, anxiety, stress, grief, anger management, and challenges commonly experienced by LGBTQ2+ communities, bringing focused experience with trauma and abuse to her work.

Her background includes direct work with students and staff after the 2019 Saugus High School shooting in Santa Clarita, reflecting experience with crisis response and school-related trauma. She maintains professional membership in the National Association of Social Workers and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and she has completed the California-required BBS-approved telehealth training.

In her personal recovery from alcohol that began on July 6, 2006, she remains engaged with 12-step traditions and is familiar with AA, NA, EA, OA, and Adult Children of Alcoholics; she also recommends SMART meetings for individuals working any form of addiction recovery.

Polly schedules sessions in the afternoons and evenings with start times at 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 - she does not hold sessions at 4:00. Weekend appointments are available on Saturdays and Sundays, and her regular days off are Wednesday and Thursday. She will not conduct a session while a client is driving due to safety considerations and NASW ethical guidelines. Her practice aims to provide an open environment where thoughts and feelings can be shared without judgment, and she acknowledges that taking the first step to begin therapy often takes courage.

Therapeutic Approaches Adapted for Online Care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps clients clarify their values and learn practical skills to accept difficult thoughts and feelings while taking meaningful action. It is often useful for anxiety, depression, and problems that involve avoidance or stuck patterns.

Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on processing traumatic experiences in a paced and supportive way. This approach helps people reduce the ongoing impact of past trauma and develop coping strategies for triggers, flashbacks, and intense emotional reactions.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship in which the therapist follows the client’s lead and offers empathy and support. It is especially helpful for building self-understanding, increasing self-compassion, and navigating identity and life-purpose questions.

Choosing the right approach is part of therapy, and Polly works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. Together they may combine elements from different approaches to tailor care.

Online sessions via video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging provide flexibility for scheduling around work, family, and mobility needs. These options make regular contact with a licensed professional more accessible and allow therapy to continue even when in-person visits are impractical.