With over a decade of experience in clinical practice, Penny has supported both adults and CYP through anxiety, depression, queer and neurodivergent identity difficulties and much more. She brings both clinical expertise and the lived experience needed to help you find your way forward.
What are you struggling with?
Anxiety and Depression
Perhaps you find yourself lying awake at night with your thoughts racing, feeling overwhelmed by things that others seem to handle easily, or just a persistent sense that something isn’t right. Through therapy, many people find they develop a clearer understanding of what’s behind those feelings, and with that comes a greater sense of calm, resilience and control over their day to day life.
ADHD and/or Autism
Maybe you’ve spent years feeling like you’re failing at things that seem effortless for everyone else, hiding who you really are just to make it through the day, or feeling confused and struggling to understand why you experience things so differently from other people. Therapy can be a space where you finally feel understood, and where that understanding becomes the foundation for genuine self-acceptance and a life that works for you, not against you.
LGBTQIA+ Support
This might be a really confusing time in your life where you have all these questions about what your internal experiences really mean. Maybe these questions are new and have come up as a result of something you’ve heard or read about online, or they might be old ones resurfacing after a long time of being brushed under the carpet. The exhaustion from having to justify or explain who you are to people that just don’t understand, even if they want to. This is a space where none of that is needed. Many of my queer clients find that over time they feel more grounded in who they are, manage to find ways to set boundaries, and end up living a life that stays true to themselves.
Boundaries and Relationships
It can feel impossible to say no or make yourself a priority, so you keep ending up in the same painful situations and feel responsible for everyone else’s feelings but your own. You find it incredibly hard to fight your own corner during arguments or maybe just ‘people please’ to avoid them altogether. Therapy can help you figure out why you always fall back into these unhelpful patterns, as well as establishing what it is you actually need and want from interactions and develop the ability to express this so that you can enjoy healthier, more fulfilling relationships as a result.
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Good therapy is an investment in you
There are plenty of things you might try to feel better in the moment; treating yourself to something you want, online impulse buys, doom scrolling for the distraction. But that feeling doesn’t tend to last very long, and you deserve more than a quick fix.
Using ChatGPT for support has its place, but it simply cannot replicate the experience of a genuine human connection. Chatbots tell you what you want to hear, whereas working with an experienced therapist offers a different perspective on your struggles that often leads to lasting change.
Investing in the right therapist is one of the most worthwhile decisions you can make for yourself.
If you would like us to work together to help you feel better, please get in touch and I will aim to respond within one working day.
If you feel you’re a danger to yourself or others, please see my Crisis support section here –> Resources & Useful links
Pensive Counselling: Essex Therapy 