Penny Jennings

I offer daytime and early evening appointments in a quiet, dedicated room. For a lot of clients the counselling process is an unknown and this can raise anxiety about both the decision to have counselling and how to select a therapist. Since we know that a lot of the success of counselling lies in the relationship that develops between the client and therapist, an initial meeting where the client can find out how the therapist works and how they get along, without committing to ongoing work, is a key component. Clients need to check out that they are able to describe their thoughts without fear of feeling criticised, as this is the first step towards change. At the end of the first session I would discuss with the client how they have found it and how we would continue to work together if the client chooses to continue. There needs to be time for questions and, if needed, clients can go away to think about whether or not they want to have further sessions. As I usually work in an open-ended way, this means the client can continue for as long as feels right for them.

My initial training gave me a Post Graduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling in 2006. Since then I have done some further training, for example in CBT skills and I have a Diploma in Parent Infant Therapy. I have worked in the NHS for many years and have also had a long association with Child Bereavement UK, as bereavement and loss of all kinds are a particular interest.