About Ellen
Ellen Penny-Brookes is a counsellor who helps people feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, low self-esteem, loss, trauma and life changes. She works with adults and with younger clients, using straightforward conversation to clarify what matters most to each person. Ellen uses short, clear steps so people can begin to feel steadier between sessions.
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.
How Ellen works
Ellen is registered with the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists, BACP. She brings five years of practice experience to her work. In sessions Ellen draws on psychodynamic ideas to look at patterns that run below the surface.
She helps people notice how past experiences shape current feelings and relationships. She also uses client-centred methods to keep the conversation focused on each person’s priorities. When helpful, Ellen offers cognitive behavioural techniques to manage anxiety, sleep problems and low mood.
She also uses trauma-focused approaches when people are coping with past harm. Her style is warm and practical, with attention to both feeling and thinking. Ellen provides therapy in person and remotely by video, phone, live chat or text messaging.
She explains options clearly and works with each person to agree a way of working that fits their daily life and needs.
Ellen lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Ellen works with
The areas below are the ones Ellen selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
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
Training and background
| Register | BACP |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 5 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | United Kingdom |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy looks at hidden patterns and early influences that shape how people feel and relate. Online discussion and reflective sessions can help bring those patterns into awareness and reduce confusing repeats of old behaviour.Client-Centred Therapy focuses on the person’s own priorities, offering empathic listening and gentle guidance. This approach works well online because sessions centre on what the client wants to talk about and on building a trusting working relationship.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy uses clear, practical steps to manage symptoms such as anxiety, sleep problems and low mood. In online sessions CBT tools and short exercises can be introduced and practised between meetings to create steady progress.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences and what feels most helpful, then adapt methods collaboratively as therapy unfolds.
Online formats offer practical flexibility. Video calls let people meet face to face, phone sessions can be easier if bandwidth is limited, and live chat or text messaging suit shorter check-ins or days when being on camera is difficult. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue momentum between sessions.
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Common questions
What concerns does Ellen commonly help with?
What therapeutic style does she use?
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What are her credentials and where is she based?
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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