Ellen Penny-Brookes
Practical, listening-led support for adults
About Ellen
Ellen Penny-Brookes offers calm, straightforward support for people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety or life shifts. She works with adults on issues such as low self-esteem, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma and grief. Her approach is practical and conversational, aimed at making it easier to talk about painful or confusing feelings.
Ellen studied psychodynamic counselling at master's level and also completed a postgraduate certificate in person-centred counselling. She has five years of practice and is a member of the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).
Background and approach
Ellen draws on these backgrounds to help people notice patterns that keep causing pain. In sessions she listens for recurring themes from early life and current relationships. That helps make sense of actions and feelings that often feel automatic.
She also uses client-centred ways of working so people feel heard and respected while they name their priorities. Ellen can use practical strategies from cognitive behavioural ideas when needed to help manage symptoms such as anxiety or sleeping problems. She also offers trauma-informed support for those dealing with abuse, loss or difficult memories.
The emphasis is on small, useful steps that fit into daily life. Work happens in person or remotely using video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text messaging. Ellen tailors the pace and focus to each person, helping them feel steadier and more able to cope with change.
What Ellen works with
How Ellen works
Listed by Ellen among the ways they work.
Listed by Ellen among the ways they work.
Listed by Ellen among the ways they work.
Listed by Ellen among the ways they work.
Listed by Ellen among the ways they work.
Sessions & fees
How Ellen's approaches work online
Psychodynamic therapy involves paying attention to repeated patterns in feelings and relationships. It helps people understand why they react in certain ways by looking at motives and emotions that may sit below awareness, and can be useful for long-standing issues such as relationship patterns or recurring low mood.Client-centred work focuses on listening, empathy and the person leading the pace. This approach helps people clarify what matters to them and feel supported while they make changes, which can be particularly helpful for building self-esteem and moving through loss.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Ellen will talk with each person about their goals, try different ways of working and agree what feels most useful. This is a collaborative process that adapts over time as needs change.
Online sessions via video calls let the conversation feel closest to in-person contact, while phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a quieter voice check-in is preferred. Live chat and text-based messaging suit shorter check-ins, written reflection or people who prefer typing. These options give flexibility so therapy can fit around work, childcare or daily life.
| Session length | Typically 50 minutes |
|---|---|
| Client ages | Adults, 18 and over |
| Fees | Subscription via BetterHelp, cancel anytime |
| Insurance | Not billed directly |
Questions people ask
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Areas of focus
What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Eating and food-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Relationship issues
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 5 years
- Registered with
- BACP
- Languages
- English
