- 30 years experience
- Goal focused work
- Person centered approach
About Penny
Penny Gifford is a licensed counselor who brings 30 years of clinical experience to her work. She holds LPC and LCPC credentials and practices in California. Penny focuses on helping adults build new skills and gain more control over their lives. Her approach is collaborative and nonjudgmental, aimed at practical change rather than jargon.
Penny spends sessions helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and addiction concerns. She also supports people dealing with grief, major life changes, relationship difficulties, body image worries, and codependency. Conversations are straightforward and goal-oriented, with emphasis on steps clients can try between sessions.
Her background combines several counseling traditions. She uses client-centered methods to follow what matters most to each person. She draws on cognitive behavioral ideas to spot patterns of thinking and behavior that maintain problems. She also incorporates techniques from dialectical behavior therapy and motivational interviewing when they fit the situation.
In session Penny takes a directive, solution-focused stance when needed. That means she helps clients set clear goals and tries practical strategies to move toward those goals. She balances that with humanistic listening so people can feel heard while they try new ways of coping.
People who choose Penny often want help with practical problems and steady support while making changes. She works with adults in individual sessions and asks clients to collaborate on a plan that fits their daily life and values.
How therapeutic approaches shape online work
Penny uses client-centered therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy often in her practice. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following what matters most to the person, which helps build trust and clarify goals. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at how thoughts and habits affect feelings and behaviors and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn't helped before, then recommend ways to proceed. That decision is collaborative and can change over time as needs evolve.
The original biography does not specify which online session formats are used, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when a quick update is needed. It also lets people practice skills between sessions within their everyday routines. Licensed professionals, including Penny, can adapt exercises and tools used in in-person therapy to an online setting so sessions remain practical and focused.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Credentials
Colorado, Montana, California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Penny help with?
Penny works with adults on a wide range of issues, including stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, grief, relationship and family concerns, codependency, body image, and coping with life changes.
What is her therapy style like?
She combines a warm, nonjudgmental stance with practical, solution-focused work. Sessions often include goal setting and exercises clients can try between meetings.
How much experience does she have?
Penny has practiced for 30 years and draws on a broad base of clinical experience to support people through mood, behavioral, and life-transition challenges.
What credentials and location apply to her practice?
She holds LPC and LCPC credentials and practices in California.
Which languages are supported and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English and Penny is not currently working with international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Penny?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.