Hi, I’m Carly
Helping you reclaim comfort through authentic connection and expert guidance.
WELCOME - I’m so glad you’re here.
My Approach
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I believe in being direct, authentic, and unconditionally supportive with you.
I won’t tell you “aww it’s gonna be OK” and you’ll probably see my face making some expressions. I’m never going to answer your question with a question like you see in the movies.
I use a dash of intentional humor and human connection to support your therapeutic goals.
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I'm not going to pretend I have all the answers for you. I don’t think the phrase “you should…” is in my therapist vocabulary.
Instead, I come to our sessions genuinely curious about your story, your parts, and your unique way of seeing the world.
I believe the wisdom, healing, power, whatever you want to call, the “thing” or “belief” that you need is already within you. Together we can begin to explore, build trust, and connect with it.
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We all have biases, and to deny them is harmful. It matters if your therapist is anti-LGBTQ+ or doesn't believe in compassionate immigration policies.
Yes, clinical training and experience matter, but if you also care about others, you have the right to ask your therapist about these beliefs.
We can't be non-political right now.
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My support for you is unwavering. No matter what you're going through or feeling, no matter how intense or confusing.
Your whole self is appreciated here – the good, the bad, and the ugly. There's no judgment, just a safe space to explore and build trust with every single part.
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I'm not about dry, logic-based theories. I want to give you practical tools and strategies that you can start using right away.
And if a slightly unusual analogy or thought experiment comes to my brain, I might just let it out.
Everything I suggest is based on what I know to be helpful. I use EMDR, IFS, somatic and psychedelic therapy with clients because I also use them in my own healing journey.
Are you constantly battling your emotions, disconnected in your relationships, or generally overwhelmed by life?
Maybe you long to trust your intuition, make confident decisions, and finally find that sense of peace that you know is out there.
If this resonates, you're definitely not alone.
You want that transformation from feeling insecure to truly secure within yourself. You want comfort amidst life's challenges. I can help you navigate this journey using EMDR therapy, convenient online therapy, and intensive in-person therapy.
My approach goes beyond traditional CBT or talk therapy, and I offer useful guidance with genuine compassion and expert understanding.
Specializing in…
Bereavement
Navigating the deep sadness and complex emotions that arise from the loss of a loved one.
Traumatic Loss
Healing from losses involving violent circumstances, such as accidents, suicide, or homicide.
Complicated Grief
Providing support for prolonged grief from losing someone to addiction or cognitive decline.
Betrayal Trauma
Rebuilding trust and healing from the profound pain of betrayal, whether from infidelity or broken trust.
Autistic or Neurodivergent Grief
Grief support for the unique experiences of autistic and neurodivergent individuals.
Pet Loss
Offering compassionate support for the unique and often underestimated grief of losing a beloved animal.
Perinatal Loss
Providing gentle understanding support for those experiencing the devastating loss of a pregnancy or infant death.
Family Abandonment
Healing from family estrangement, rejection, or identity-based conflicts, and finding a sense of belonging.
Anticipatory Grief
Supporting you through facing an impending loss or life-altering circumstance.
Existential Grief
The profound distress arising from the hostility and cruelty of the current political and social landscape.
I’ve been a therapist for years,
but I’m still overly competitive and annoyed when I lose. When I was 13 I decided to stop eating meat, and I’m currently exploring a sober-curious life. I love to bake extravagant treats and I love having friends who enjoy what I bake.
I forget where I parked my car when I leave the grocery store, but I’ll remember the name of your great aunt from your 4th bday party who got upset when you didn’t kiss her cheek.
I won’t hold back a “wtf” face if called for and advocate fiercely for the decolonization of mental health.
I know the chaos, sadness, and pain of trauma and grief because I’ve been there. In the loss, the hurt, and the beauty on the other side.
faqs
About Carly
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I believe therapy should be authentic, powerful, and effective.
My approach to therapy is collaborative, ultra personalized, and intentional. I don't sit there and shake my head and say "mhm." I believe you have everything you need to "heal," and I'm there to help you access it.
Sessions are designed to be focused and planned to address your unique goals, yet flexible to meet you wherever you’re at.
While I can’t give you a set number of sessions it will take, you will begin to feel progress soon after we begin.
I hope that my website can reveal a bit about my personality, and the free consultation call can give you the rest of what you need to make your decision.
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I use trauma-informed, somatic based therapies that are modern, evidence-based, and engaging.
I’m not huge on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, but everyone has their preferences ;)
I use a dynamic, integrative approach - meaning, we’ll use a blend of EMDR, Brainspotting, IFS, Somatic, and Psychedelic therapies when appropriate. I believe this allows my clients to find the most success in therapy.
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You might see different letters at the end of therapist names, for example, I am Carly Pollack, LCSW.
The “LCSW” just means I am a licensed clinical social worker.
Other therapist acronyms could be LCP (Licensed Professional Counselor), LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), LP (Licensed Psychologist) or PsyD (Doctor of Psychology). Licensed psychiatrists, DO’s and MD’s can also provide therapy but they use other tools like medication.
Some religious leaders offer “pastoral counseling,” which isn’t therapy unless the individual licensed.
Licensing is the process of being educated (must have at least a master’s degree) and then working underneath a more experienced, licensed professional who guides and supervises your work. You might see an “A” in someones letters like Carly Pollack ACSW, which means “associate” and that person is earning their hours.
I had to do this for 3,000 hours over at least 2 years - it actually took me about 5 :) Then, you sit for a national practical exam and a local jurisprudence exam. You have to pass, pay the fees, and submit an application to the state for your license.
As an LCSW, on a yearly basis I have to reapply for my license and complete required continuing education units to ensure I keep competent in the profession.
If someone claims to be a “trauma coach,” “somatic/IFS/trauma-informed,” “guide,” “grief healer,” “mental health coach,” “psychotherapy-informed” or some other vague credential, they might be exactly what you are looking for. They also might be passing themselves off as more legitimate than they actually are.
There is a bit of nuance here because, in my opinion, healers with indigenous training and family lineage have a right to practice within and for their community, but might not have the letters by their name.
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I love being a therapist because it allows me the role of fellow traveler. I've learned so much and will continue to expand into the best therapist I can be.
I am in tune with myself, my clients, and my world, which allows me to sit with you while you address and move through deeply painful material.
Working with folks who are going through loss is an absolute privilege. When I am sitting with you in your grief, confusion, hurt, anger and disgust, I feel such a sense of clarity that it’s hard to describe.
Lot’s of therapists don’t know how to work with grief and loss. Or don’t want to. I find that so incredibly sad - I don’t know a more powerful honor.
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Super great question.
I am anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-transphobic, anti-xenophobic, pro Free Palestine, and have a hard time understanding the cruelty of our fellow people electing trump.
I am agnostic but not religious and consider myself more and more spiritual as I grow with and into myself. Although I am obviously plugged into a capitalistic system, I think capitalism drives a lot of the suffering we experience as a people.
Please, feel free to ask me about any of this and if there are parts that I missed, bring them up in our consultation call.
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Everyone should ask their therapist this!
I am involved in my own individual therapy and regularly practice IFS and somatic mediations.
I get cozy with my shadow parts and regularly take part in individual and group psychedelic therapy experiences.
I play soccer, spend time in nature and water, cook healthy plant-based meals, bake vegan treats, prioritize sun and water intake, learn Spanish, volunteer at the humane society, and play with my dog on a regular basis.
I have a loving partner who supports me unconditionally 💖
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It's cheesy but it's true- I don't think I really "chose" it at first.
My baby brother died of bone cancer when I was 20 and he was 17. He had his leg amputated as part of treatment, was in remission, and it came back, it metastasized. The entire 3 years were horrible, and my family and I had no idea how to grieve. We sort of stuffed it down. Shocker - it came back up.
10 years after my brother died, my dad died by suicide after a long struggle with depression and alcoholism. I was 30.
These losses shaped me personally and professionally, and I am honored to work with folks navigating similar traumas and losses.
Even if you don’t share the experience of losing family to death, grief and loss shows up many times in our lives. Everything that we love, eventually, we lose.
I don’t see this as something to be fought against, anymore. Usually, it can help me focus on what is in front of me and what I want to cultivate. Sometimes, it’s just really fucking sad.
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Outside of work, I love jumping into ice-cold alpine lakes in Colorado, aprendiendo español, volunteering with and fostering dogs at the humane socety, playing competitive adult soccer, cooking elaborate dinners for my friends, and watching terrible but hilarious comedy TV like It’s Always Sunny, The Office, Reno 911, and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
☼ Ready to start therapy? ☼
Me too - I can’t wait to connect!
Professional Education
And Training
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BA in Anthropology, Michigan State University, 2015
MSW (Master of Social Work), University of Michigan, 2017
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Virginia LCSW #0904015183
Colorado CSW.09929105
California LCSW #113909
Florida TPSW4484
Fully licensed since 2021, pre licensed from 2017-2021
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2023 - IPI Psychedelic Assisted Therapist Certification
2022 - BSP Phase 1
2021 - EMDR Certified

I am anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-transphobic, anti-xenophobic, pro Free Palestine, and care about using my privileged position for good. If you are an adult exploring your identity, I’d be honored to help through individual therapy. If you are a person who occupies a less privileged social location, I'd be honored to help, and happy to provide referrals to therapists who share your identities.
Before my therapy career, I worked in programs for refugees, unhoused folks, veterans, first responders, and survivors of rape.
Current investments:
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement