Ali Penny

I work primarily from a psychodynamic perspective, which means that my belief is that our early life experiences can shape us as adults. I work from an empathic and non-judgmental position, as I believe the relationship between the therapist and client to be of utmost importance to the process of therapy. The aim of our sessions is to collaboratively investigate how past experiences may be having an impact on your current life. We will consider patterns that may have arisen through your life and explore unconscious processes and defence mechanisms that may be contributing to your current difficulties. I aim to support you in creating a deeper understanding of yourself, which can lead to improvements in your relationships with others and with yourself, better self-esteem and emotional well-being, and healthier boundaries in your personal and working life. I also work with an Integrative Therapeutic approach, bringing in the humanistic approach and elements of CBT if desired.

Qualifications: - BSc Psychology (Counselling) - PGDip Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling - PGDip Psychodynamic Psychotherapeutic Counselling - MSc Psychotherapy (ongoing) Following my undergraduate in psychology and counselling, I gained graduate membership with the British Psychological Society. I worked in mental health in an educational setting for three years until completing my PGDip in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling in 2015, which allowed me to build therapeutic skills in CBT and humanistic therapy. I also completed a PGDip in Psychodynamic Psychotherapeutic Counselling, and am continuing my professional development with an MSc in Psychotherapy. I have 12 years of experience in counselling and psychotherapy. I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and a trainee member of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).