IFSTherapists

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

LCSW

Yuridia (Valerie) Polonsky, LCSW

  • Experience15 years
  • LocationFlorida
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Family, and Self esteem
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • LanguagesEnglish and Spanish
Continue with Yuridia

Review online therapy options and next steps on BetterHelp.

About Yuridia

Yuridia (Valerie) Polonsky is a Florida-licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of professional practice who focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, and major life transitions.

Background and approach

She draws on a range of evidence-based methods to support clients facing complex problems such as trauma, grief, addictions, intimacy-related issues, ADHD, parenting challenges, and career or identity shifts. Her LCSW credential reflects clinical training in assessment and psychotherapy.

Polonsky emphasizes a compassionate, individualized stance that centers each person’s lived experience and values. She creates an affirming environment where clients can explore emotion regulation, self-esteem, communication patterns, and attachment-related struggles while working toward practical coping strategies.

Her work also covers additional concerns including abandonment, body image, caregiver stress, blended family dynamics, and co-morbidity. Sessions are available in English and Spanish to accommodate bilingual needs in Florida.

Clients looking for a therapist who integrates Internal Family Systems ideas alongside cognitive and acceptance-oriented techniques may find her collaborative, client-centered style helpful. She offers flexible session formats and uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time, with scheduling based on therapist availability.

Integrating Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Internal Family Systems (IFS) views the mind as composed of multiple parts and invites clients to relate to those inner parts with curiosity and compassion; this can help people untangle inner conflicts, reduce self-criticism, and process trauma-related material. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and building psychological flexibility by learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to value-driven action, which can be useful for anxiety, avoidance, and life transitions. Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relational patterns shape current emotional responses and interpersonal dynamics and supports building more supported ways of relating to oneself and others.

Choosing the right approach is presented as a collaborative process. The therapist will work together with clients to assess needs, preferences, and goals and then tailor a combination of methods that feels most useful for the presenting concerns. This collaborative stance helps clients experiment with different tools and notice what supports progress.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility and access. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, continue work during life changes, and maintain consistency across weeks. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises, homework, and check-ins to work well in each format so clients can pursue meaningful change from wherever they are.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy-related concerns, grief, addictions, ADHD, parenting, career matters, and life transitions.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
The approach is collaborative and client-centered, blending emotion-focused work with cognitive and acceptance-based techniques to help clients build coping skills and self-understanding.
What is her professional background?
She brings 15 years of clinical experience working with diverse challenges and draws from multiple evidence-based therapies including IFS, CBT, and ACT.
Where is the therapist licensed and practicing?
She holds an LCSW license in Florida and provides services to clients located in that state.
Can I work with her if I speak another language?
Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, but she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences and schedules.
How are fees and subscriptions handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and services use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesCoachingADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFertility issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyGottman MethodImago Relationship TherapyJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

15+ years

Licensed

Florida

Languages

English, Spanish