Riley Polacek (she/her)

MA
Accepting Clients

I specialize in working with women during complex life transitions, first-time motherhood, and relationship and intimacy challenges.

Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern in St. Petersburg, FL
Supervised by Dr. Charisse Diaz, PsyD LMHC

Services
  • Individual
  • Couples

About My Clients

My areas of focus are first-time motherhood and postpartum adjustment, high-achieving women navigating stress, perfectionism, and burnout, relationship and intimacy concerns, communication and emotional connection, infertility and reproductive challenges, anxiety, and identity shifts and major life transitions. I work best with first-time moms and high-achieving women who are thoughtful, motivated, and ready to engage in meaningful self-reflection, - even if you are unsure where to start.

My Background and Approach

In our work together, I offer a warm, grounded, and nonjudgmental environment where you can explore what’s really going on beneath the surface. Together, we’ll focus on helping you feel more connected to yourself, more secure in your relationships, and more confident navigating this chapter of your life.Working with me feels supportive, collaborative, and steady. Clients often share that they feel deeply heard and validated, while also gently challenged in ways that promote real growth. I balance compassion with practicality, helping you process emotions while also developing tools you can use in everyday life. We’ll move at a pace that feels right for you, focusing on strengthening communication, setting boundaries, easing anxiety, and reconnecting with your sense of self. Therapy isn’t about fixing you—it’s about supporting you through change and helping you feel more grounded, confident, and aligned with the life you want to build.

Techniques I Use

Specialties
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Gottman Method Couples Therapy
Other Techniques
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Collaborative Couple Therapy
  • Culturally Sensitive Therapy
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Relationship Counseling

Issues I Treat

Specialties
Relationship Issues Women's Issues
Other Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Codependency
  • Relationship Issues
  • Self-Esteem
Insurance Plans Accepted
  • Cigna
  • Medicare
  • Oscar
  • Optum
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
  • United Healthcare
  • UMR
  • Florida Blue
  • Evernorth

At A Glance

  • Experience: 7 years of practice
  • Languages: English

Info

Email Riley
9800 4th St North
Suite 310
St. Petersburg, FL 34683

Reach out to Riley