Ellen Penny-Brookes , BACP

Ellen Penny-Brookes is a qualified counsellor with 5 years of clinical experience who brings psychodynamic and person-centred training to her work. She holds a Masters degree with distinction in Psychodynamic Counselling from Essex University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Person-Centred Counselling from the University of East Anglia, and she is registered and accredited with the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).

Ellen works with adults, children and adolescents in a private practice setting, offering in-person appointments alongside remote sessions by video, voice call and messaging. Her practice commonly supports people dealing with anxiety, burnout, low self-esteem, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, loneliness, loss and grief, and a range of childhood and adolescent concerns.

Her psychodynamic orientation attends to the motives and feelings that shape behaviour beneath conscious awareness, while her person-centred background emphasises empathy and a nonjudgemental therapeutic relationship. She adapts the style and pace of therapy to each person, tailoring conversations and treatment plans to match individual needs and goals.

Ellen approaches work with sensitivity and compassion, aiming to guide, support and empower people as they explore difficult choices and life changes. She recognises that beginning counselling takes courage and seeks to create a respectful space where deeper understanding and more satisfying ways of relating can develop.

How Ellen blends therapeutic approaches for online support

Psychodynamic therapy explores the feelings, motives and early experiences that influence how people relate to themselves and others. It can help when patterns from the past are showing up in current relationships, emotional reactions or recurring difficulties. Client-centred therapy focuses on the therapist offering empathy, acceptance and understanding so the person can find their own solutions and build self-worth; it is well suited to issues like low self-esteem, grief and life transitions. Trauma-focused therapy attends specifically to the impact of traumatic events and supports gradual processing and coping strategies when past harm continues to affect daily life.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Ellen works collaboratively with each person - listening to their needs, goals and preferences - and will suggest or combine approaches that best fit the presenting concerns and how the person prefers to work.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to receive support through video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions around work, family or mobility needs, and they allow licensed professionals and therapists to maintain continuity of care even when in-person appointments are not possible.