Analise Polinsky, LMSW

I took the long way to becoming a therapist. I started in cybersecurity managing client relationships, which sounds unrelated until you realize what I actually loved was hearing about people’s lives. The technical work was fine, but the human part was what mattered. That curiosity led me to social work, where I learned that connecting people with resources only goes so far if we don’t understand the patterns, thoughts and behaviors underneath and how to actually change them.

Now I work with kids, teens and young adults figuring out who they are and helping them to feel okay in their minds and body. I specialize in depression, anxiety, eating-related concerns and OCD – basically all the ways our brains try to protect us that end up making life harder.

Therapy with me feels like a real conversation with a purpose. I push strongly but gently and clients tell me I balance challenge with encouragement so growth doesn’t feel overwhelming. You don’t need to have it all figured out to move forward and make progress. Life doesn’t come with a roadmap so I encourage my clients to embrace the process of therapy and know that growth is still possible even if it’s not perfectly planned out.

When I’m not in session I love to be outside and active. I like camping, hiking, climbing, surfing, snowboarding, spikeball and ultimate frisbee. When my body is moving and I’m out in nature, my mind is clearest and I feel most like myself.

I read once about a story where you realize at the end that the narrator wasn’t as reliable as you thought. That idea stuck with me because we all do that — we assume our thoughts are facts and our perspective is the truth. Therapy is about noticing that voice, seeing your patterns more clearly, and choosing how you want your story to go. Not because something’s broken, but because you deserve to feel in charge of your own life.