- Psychodynamic approach
- Person‑centred work
- Anxiety and grief
About Ellen
Ellen Penny-Brookes is a counsellor registered with the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) with five years of practice. She holds a Masters degree with distinction in Psychodynamic Counselling and a Postgraduate Certificate in Person-Centred Counselling. Ellen works with adults on problems such as anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, relationship difficulties, trauma, grief and issues experienced in adolescence and early adulthood.
Her approach draws on psychodynamic thinking to look at patterns that run beneath current feelings and behaviour. She also uses person-centred ideas that focus on how a person experiences themselves in the moment. Ellen combines these perspectives to help people recognise repeated responses and to try different ways of relating to themselves and others.
Sessions involve talking through recent difficulties and noticing links with earlier experiences and emotions. She pays attention to attachment patterns and how these affect relationships, communication and commitment issues. Cognitive and practical techniques are added where helpful to manage anxiety, sleeping or eating concerns.
People seek her help for a wide range of stresses common in early adulthood - feeling stuck after university, coping with job pressures, isolation, identity questions and relationship problems. Ellen also supports those dealing with bereavement, trauma responses, ADHD-related challenges and issues around gender and body image.
She works from private practice in the United Kingdom and offers remote sessions as well as in-person work. Sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time. To begin, clients complete a short matching questionnaire and book a first session.
How Ellen’s approaches translate to online work
Psychodynamic thinking looks at recurring emotional patterns and unseen influences from earlier life. Online sessions can use this approach to notice how current reactions link back to attachment and past experience, which helps with relationship and commitment concerns.Person‑centred work focuses on a person’s experience as it happens and on building a trusting therapeutic conversation. In remote sessions this can support exploring identity, self‑esteem and feelings of emptiness or isolation in a straightforward, conversational way.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Ellen will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most useful, and together they will decide whether to emphasise psychodynamic reflection, more present‑focused person‑centred dialogue, or practical cognitive techniques for managing anxiety and sleep problems.
The biography notes she offers remote sessions via video, voice call and messaging as well as in-person work. If you want to use remote counselling, confirm the exact session options and scheduling when you book. Online sessions can make it easier to fit counselling into study, work and everyday life, and they allow shorter check-ins or different formats when that helps with time or attention.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties, trauma, grief and other stresses common in early adulthood.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She combines psychodynamic thinking with person‑centred principles, exploring patterns from earlier life while focusing on current experience.
How much experience does she have?
She has five years of practical experience and holds a Masters degree with distinction in Psychodynamic Counselling.
What credential does she hold and where does she practise?
She is registered with the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.
Can I have sessions in another language or from another country?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The biography states she offers in-person consultation and remote work via video, voice call and messaging.
How does the cost structure work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I get started with a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.