Jennifer Polanco

Jennifer Polanco is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia with seven years of clinical experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, relationship and family concerns, low self-esteem, and depression. Jennifer also addresses life purpose questions and issues such as caregiver stress, midlife transitions, and feelings of emptiness.

She uses a client-centered approach that puts the person's perspective first. Sessions focus on listening, reflecting, and helping people name their strengths. Jennifer also uses cognitive behavioral ideas to identify unhelpful thoughts and test new ways of thinking and behaving.

In a typical session she helps people talk through what feels stuck, breaks problems into small steps, and practices manageable changes. Conversations look at how thoughts affect feelings and actions, and at patterns that come from family of origin or past relationships. Practical skills and simple experiments are often part of the work.

Jennifer helps people facing major life changes, including cancer caregiving or shifts in commitment and sexuality. She talks through family problems, communication breakdowns, guilt, and forgiveness. When someone is questioning what matters next, she supports exploration of values and purpose without pushing a single answer.

Her style is straightforward and collaborative. People who want to clarify priorities, strengthen confidence, or reduce persistent anxiety can expect practical tools alongside reflective conversation.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting on what the person brings. Online sessions allow the same careful listening and space to name strengths and priorities. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and uses simple experiments or homework to test new ways of thinking. That work transfers well to remote sessions where people can try small changes between meetings.

Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about their goals and preferences, then recommend whether a client-centered emphasis or CBT techniques are a better starting point. The plan can be adjusted as the work unfolds so it fits the person’s needs.

Confirm the exact session options before booking, as formats are not specified here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit meetings into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce travel time. They can also allow people to practice CBT experiments in day-to-day settings and bring real-life examples back into the session for discussion.