Penny Gifford

Penny Gifford is a licensed counselor with 30 years of clinical experience. She works with adults in individual sessions to help them build skills, regain control, and make changes that feel manageable. Her approach aims to create a calm, non-judgmental space where people can talk through what matters and take practical steps forward.

Her work often focuses on strong emotions and life transitions. Penny regularly supports people dealing with anger, anxiety, stress, addictions, depression, grief, and relationship or family concerns. She also helps with self-esteem, sleep and eating issues, career questions, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and other overlapping problems.

Penny uses a mix of approaches to match each person’s needs. She draws on client-centered methods to keep the work grounded in the person's goals. She also uses cognitive behavioral ideas to identify patterns that cause distress and solution-focused techniques to aim for clear, achievable change.

Motivational interviewing is part of her toolkit for people who want help finding motivation to change habits. Dialectical behavior therapy skills are used when emotional regulation and strong reactions are a central concern. Penny blends these methods into a practical, directive process that stays focused on real-life steps.

Sessions emphasize collaboration and skill-building. People leave with tools they can use between visits. Those who want to begin can use the site's Start Therapy flow to match and schedule sessions with her.

How therapy approaches translate to online work

Penny integrates cognitive behavioral work and client-centered methods in her sessions. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and replacing them with more useful alternatives; it is often used for anxiety, depression, anger, and stress. Client-centered therapy centers the person’s goals and experience, offering empathetic listening and support while the individual decides the pace and direction of work.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, preferences, and what has or has not worked before. Together they decide which combination of approaches fits best and adjust the plan as progress unfolds.

Confirm the available session formats before booking, since options are set by the therapist. Online sessions can make attending therapy easier by fitting work around a busy day, shortening commute time, or allowing a quicker check-in when needed. Depending on offered formats, they can also make it simpler to use skills between sessions and maintain continuity of care when life is busy.