Profile / United Kingdom
Penelope “Penny” Williamson, BACP
United Kingdom
BACP counsellor - anxiety and relationships
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Attachment focus
About Penelope
Penelope “Penny” Williamson is a BACP-registered counsellor with three years' experience. She works with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship and family concerns, as well as issues such as ADHD, addictions, grief and trauma. She also supports people with self-esteem, body image and workplace difficulties.
Penny draws on person-centred humanistic approaches alongside Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Sessions are practical and conversational. She uses coaching skills when the immediate focus is goal setting or short-term change.
She emphasises clear, direct work on thoughts and habits when that helps. She also offers space to look at attachment patterns and early experiences when those feel relevant. Clients can expect straightforward discussion, occasional creative exercises and suggested take-home resources such as readings or worksheets.
Penny has worked in an NHS setting and with people from diverse backgrounds. That experience shaped a flexible way of working that moves between problem-solving and deeper emotional work. She aims to match the method to the person rather than only using one fixed model.
Sessions tend to be client-led, with options to focus on immediate challenges or longer-term themes. Penny sometimes uses humour and creative prompts to test different ways of responding to problems. Practical steps and short exercises are commonly offered between sessions.
Before booking, readers should confirm current session formats and scheduling details. The profile reflects her BACP registration and the approaches she lists.
How her approaches translate to online work
Penelope commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in her practice. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and testing small changes in behaviour to reduce distress. ACT emphasises noticing values and committing to actions that matter, even when difficult thoughts or feelings appear.She also works from an attachment-informed perspective when relationships or early patterns are part of the issue. Attachment-based work looks at how past relational patterns shape current reactions and aims to develop more helpful ways of relating.
Finding the right approach is part of the initial process. Penny will discuss goals and preferences with each person and then suggest methods to try. This is a collaborative decision and can shift as work progresses.
Confirm the current session formats before booking, as they are not listed here. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people use quieter surroundings, avoid video when preferred, or schedule sessions around work or parenting commitments. Registered or accredited professionals can adapt exercises and homework for remote sessions so practical progress continues between meetings.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
3+ years
Listed in
United Kingdom
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression and relationship and family concerns, and also addresses ADHD, addictions, grief, trauma, self-esteem and workplace issues.
How would she use CBT in sessions?
Penny uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to notice unhelpful thoughts and test new responses. She combines this with practical exercises and homework when helpful.
What is her professional background?
She has three years' experience and has worked in an NHS setting. That background informs a flexible approach to different problems.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and practises in the United Kingdom.
Which languages are sessions available in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people living outside the UK work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted; she works with people located in the United Kingdom.
How are sessions paid for?
Costs vary with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule a first session.
Details come from information the counsellor supplied to BetterHelp. A registration can be checked with the body that issued it.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe, use the crisis numbers.