How Penny works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LPC, LCPC
- Licensed in
- Colorado, Montana, California
- Years in practice
- 30
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Penny
Penny Gifford is a licensed professional counselor with three decades of experience helping adults work through difficult life moments. She holds LPC and LCPC credentials and practices in California. Penny focuses on practical steps people can use to feel more in control and more hopeful about their lives.
Her approach is collaborative and straightforward. Sessions aim to build new skills for managing strong emotions, reducing stress, and handling major life changes.
Background and approach
She talks with people about patterns that get in the way and helps them try different ways of coping. Penny draws from several well-known methods to craft a plan that fits each person. She uses client-centered principles to keep the work grounded in a person’s goals.
She also uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy to teach skills for mood and behavior change. People come to her for a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, grief, relationship struggles, and issues with self-esteem and body image.
She also supports people facing career stress, ADHD, bipolar challenges, and the fallout of trauma or domestic violence. Penny emphasizes clear, doable steps. She helps people set goals, practice new skills between sessions, and notice progress.
The tone in sessions is nonjudgmental and focused on real-world change.
What Penny works with
Everything Penny lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Penny's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Penny lists
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Using practical therapies in online sessions
Client-centered work focuses on the person's goals and experience, letting the therapist listen closely and shape sessions around what matters most. This approach helps people feel heard and guides the work toward realistic aims.Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. In short exercises clients learn to spot unhelpful thinking and try different behaviors to ease anxiety, depression, anger, or stress. Dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT, teaches concrete skills for regulating strong emotions, tolerating distress, and improving communication in stressful moments.
Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. The therapist will discuss options, try methods that match a person's goals, and adjust plans as needed. Finding the right fit is part of the early work together rather than a one-time decision.
Online therapy offers flexibility in how people connect. Video calls let the therapist see nonverbal cues and work through exercises together. Phone sessions can be easier when video isn't possible and are useful for shorter check-ins. Live chat or text messaging supports ongoing coaching, brief updates, and moments when someone needs a quick strategy between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to keep momentum between meetings.
Questions people ask about Penny
What kinds of concerns can I bring to sessions?
Penny works with adults on stress, anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, grief, relationship and family issues, mood disorders, eating or sleeping problems, and related concerns listed in her profile.
What is her general therapy style?
She uses a collaborative, nonjudgmental style and focuses on practical skills. Sessions mix supportive listening with hands-on techniques to change thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
How much experience does she bring?
She has 30 years of clinical experience working with adults on a broad range of mental health and life-change issues.
What credentials and region are listed?
She holds LPC and LCPC credentials and practices in California.
Are sessions offered in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be conducted by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing the short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling sessions according to the therapist's availability.