Ellen Penny-Brookes, BACP

Ellen Penny-Brookes is a counsellor based in the United Kingdom who works with adults on a range of emotional challenges. She has five years of practice and holds a Masters degree with distinction in Psychodynamic counselling. Ellen aims to create a respectful, compassionate space where people can talk about what matters to them and begin to feel less overwhelmed.

She uses psychodynamic ideas to help people notice patterns that affect how they think, feel and behave. Those patterns often come from early experiences and from ways of relating that sit beneath conscious thought. Ellen also draws on client-centred approaches that focus on listening and responding to each person’s needs.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, used alongside other methods, helps break down unhelpful thoughts and habits into manageable steps. Trauma-focused work is used when past events continue to affect daily life, helping people process what happened and reduce its impact. Ellen adapts her style to suit the person she is meeting rather than following one fixed method.

She works in independent practice and offers a mixture of in-person and remote sessions by video, voice call and messaging. Sessions are tailored to the issue and the pace the person prefers. Ellen aims to support people through anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, grief, burnout, low self-esteem and other common concerns.

Starting therapy can feel daunting, and Ellen focuses on guiding people gently through the early steps. She helps set clear goals and reviews progress so the work stays relevant and manageable.

How Ellen's approaches translate to online therapy

Psychodynamic work looks at how past experiences shape current feelings and relationships. Online sessions can offer the same careful listening and reflection, helping people spot patterns that may be affecting daily life.

Client-centred therapy places the person’s own goals and pace at the centre of the work. In remote sessions this means the counsellor follows the individual’s lead, using empathy and open questions to help people feel heard and to clarify what they want to change.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on practical steps to shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. Remotely, this can include setting small tasks between sessions, working through thought records together and trying new coping strategies in everyday situations.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will discuss options and work collaboratively to choose methods that match the client’s needs, goals and preferences, adjusting over time if something isn’t helpful.

Practical benefits of online work include fitting sessions around daily life and reducing travel time. Remote options can make it easier to have shorter check-ins or regular weekly sessions without leaving work or school. Confirm the exact session formats and scheduling details before booking to ensure they suit your routine.