Jennifer Polanco, LPC

Jennifer Polanco is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Virginia with seven years of experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression while helping people navigate family conflict and relationship concerns.

She centers sessions on the client’s own goals and strengths. Jennifer believes each person knows their story best and brings tools that can help change feel possible. She aims to make first steps toward change clearer and less overwhelming.

In sessions she uses straightforward, practical methods drawn from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and client-centered work. This means identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying new behaviors, while keeping the conversation warm and respectful. The work is collaborative and paced to what the client wants to try.

She also supports people facing caregiver strain, cancer-related stress, guilt and shame, and feelings of isolation. Other common concerns she addresses include communication problems, control issues, and struggles around purpose, intimacy, and commitment.

Jennifer helps people develop more self-compassion and practical coping skills for daily life. She encourages small, steady changes that build confidence over time. Her approach is direct but kind, focused on skills you can use between sessions.

CBT and Client-Centered Care Online

Jennifer uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors that reduce anxiety and low mood. CBT sessions often include practical exercises and small experiments to test different ways of thinking and acting. She also draws on client-centered therapy, which prioritizes listening, empathy, and the client's own goals to guide each session.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will listen to what matters to the client and suggest methods that fit those needs. Clients and the therapist decide collaboratively which techniques to try and adjust them as progress is made.

Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy lives. Video calls let conversations feel more like in-person sessions. Phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work well for ongoing support, brief check-ins, or when writing helps clarify thoughts. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or medical schedules while still focusing on clear goals and practical skills.