- stress and anxiety
- relationship struggles
- guilt and shame
About Malka
Malka Polonetsky is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey with five years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, trauma and abuse, low self-esteem, and depression. She also addresses related concerns such as communication problems, control issues, feelings of emptiness, forgiveness, and guilt and shame.
She approaches sessions as a collaborative process. She treats clients as the experts on their own stories and helps them notice strengths they already have. Conversations are practical and focused on what is getting in the way now and what small steps might change it.
In sessions she listens for patterns that keep a person stuck, including avoidance, impulsivity, and self-criticism. She helps clients name those patterns and try different responses. Work can include looking at past hurts, current relationship dynamics, and habits that reinforce low mood or anxiety.
Her background includes five years working directly with people in clinical settings. That experience has involved supporting people through panic attacks, mood shifts, and trauma reactions. She uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques to bring structure and clarity to the work.
For someone carrying guilt or shame, she will explore how those feelings show up in daily life. The focus is on practical changes in thinking and behavior, clearer communication, and regaining a sense of control over reactions. The first session is a chance to map goals and decide what to try next.
How therapeutic approaches guide online work
She applies evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on thought patterns and behavior. Cognitive-focused methods look at unhelpful thoughts and test them with straightforward experiments to reduce anxiety and self-criticism. Behavioral strategies target actions - building small routines, breaking avoidance habits, and practicing steps that reduce panic or low mood.She also uses trauma-informed ways of working that pay attention to how past hurt affects reactions now. This can include grounding skills, slower pacing, and creating a clearer plan for handling strong emotions. These approaches are often useful for people carrying guilt or shame because they connect feelings to concrete actions and choices.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. She will collaborate with each person to decide which techniques fit their goals and preferences. That might mean trying one method for a few sessions and adjusting based on what helps most.
Confirm current session options before booking to know which formats are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - shorter check-ins around a work break, fewer travel demands, or seeing a therapist from your own town. Licensed professionals can still work deeply over video or phone when that format matches a person's needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
New Jersey
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to guilt and shame?
She works with guilt and shame alongside stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, and depression.
What is her general approach in sessions?
She treats the client as the expert on their story and uses practical, evidence-based techniques to identify patterns and try different responses.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has five years of professional work experience supporting people with anxiety, mood concerns, panic, and trauma reactions.
What credentials and region does she practice in?
She is an LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor practicing in New Jersey.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the country work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are sessions scheduled and what do they cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.