Penny Gifford, LPC, LCPC

Penny Gifford works with adults in individual sessions to help them develop new, healthy skills that promote self-empowerment and improvements in daily life. She supports people facing mental health concerns or life transitions by offering a calm, encouraging therapeutic environment that prioritizes collaboration and positive change. Creating a nonjudgmental space is central to her work and helps clients feel able to explore challenges and build lasting coping strategies.

Penny has extensive experience with anger management, anxiety and stress, codependency, family discord, grief and loss, life purpose and transition, mood disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Her practice draws on an integrative counseling model, combining behavioral therapies with psychodynamic insights and humanistic principles to tailor care to each person’s needs. She guides clients through a directive, solution-focused process that emphasizes practical tools, self-awareness, and gradual change.

She holds LPC and LCPC credentials - LPC stands for Licensed Professional Counselor and LCPC stands for Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor - and applies an approachable, goal-oriented style to support adults in making meaningful, sustainable changes.

Integrative approaches for online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a warm, respectful relationship in which the therapist listens carefully and follows the client’s lead to support self-discovery and personal growth - it is useful for people coping with life changes, self-esteem issues, and relationship concerns.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and reshaping unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, offering practical strategies for managing anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, which can be especially helpful for strong mood swings, intense emotions, or difficulties with relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Penny collaborates with each person to determine which methods align with their needs, goals, and preferences, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions by video call and phone allow for face-to-face connection without travel, while live chat and text-based messaging provide options for more immediate or convenient check-ins. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to access licensed professionals from different locations.