Welcome to Penny Simmonite Counselling

Taking the first step to make contact to find professional support may feel daunting. Yet talking to someone uninvolved in your life may feel easier than talking to a family member or friend who may not be able to be objective.

My Aim

My aim is to create an environment where you can come and feel safe to talk about your worries or feelings. I offer a warm, empathic and supportive space for you to talk about whatever is troubling you, and will treat you with sensitivity and care, giving you the time and space to explore your concerns or difficulties; somewhere you can feel listened to, without fear of judgement.

About me

As an integrative therapist, I use different therapeutic approaches, which allow me to tailor my work to you, my client, individually. I believe that the therapeutic relationship that is created between us will allow us to work together, leading you to gain more insight, self-awareness and self-understanding.

I will support you to express difficult feelings and emotions that you may have never felt able to talk about or acknowledge before.

I can accompany you on your journey, to help you focus on what you want to be different in your life, perhaps improved relationships or more freedom to make the changes you may want to make.

I am an approved provider of psychotherapy services for the following Private Medical Insurers: Aetna International, Aviva , AXA Health, Cigna Healthcare, and Vitality Health Care Insurance. I am also able to provide psychotherapeutic/counselling services to Healix members.

Training & Qualifications

I am a fully trained and qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor. My counselling training commenced in 2010 with a Certificate in Counselling: humanistic and psychodynamic theory and subsequently I graduated with a First-Class BA (Hons) degree in Integrative-Relational Counselling from Middlesex University.  I have a Certificate in Relationship Therapy (COSRT accredited) for working with couples and am also ACTO approved for the provision of online and telephone counselling.

In addition to my private practice, I worked for a number of years in an NHS GP practice and workplace counselling service offering therapeutic support to a range of adults and older adults.

I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and I adhere to their Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. My work is supervised by a senior practitioner.  I am also BACP-accredited, meeting the BACP’s higher standard for competent, ethical and independent practitioners.

In 2000 I obtained a BA (Hons) degree in Business Management (2:1) from Leeds Beckett University.

Prior to my counselling career, I worked for a number of large FTSE 100 companies with the healthcare sector.

I attend regular ongoing training as part of my continuous professional development.

I am a warm, interested and accepting psychotherapist and offer a safe, confidential space for you to talk about your individual concerns and experiences, to work out what you would like to be different in your life, to be more content both now and in the future.

FAQ

Not necessarily. You may go through a period of feeling worse initially, if you are talking about painful emotions or something that you find difficult. Research shows that this can happen and is a natural feeling. Please do talk to me about this, if it happens, so we can look at this together.

We may talk about your relationships; your childhood; your emotions, thoughts and behaviour; or situations or events that you find difficult to manage.

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