Pennie Brooks, LMHC - Therapist in Florida

ACT techniques
CBT strategies
Hypnotherapy options

About Pennie

Pennie Brooks is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida with 42 years of experience. She works with people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, grief, and anger. She also addresses related concerns such as abandonment, attachment issues, and chronic illness and pain.

Pennie uses practical, skills-based methods to help people cope with current problems. Sessions focus on clear goals and tools that a person can try between meetings. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and client-centered techniques to guide conversations and exercises.

Her background includes work in acute care hospitals, rehabilitation centers, hospice care, and government programs for at-risk youth. She has long experience in group practice and private practice settings. This range gives familiarity with medical, trauma, and life-transition issues.

Pennie also has training in hypnotherapy and has worked with people facing brain and spinal cord injury, chronic medical conditions, and caregiving strain. She has supported people navigating identity, loss, and major life changes, including LGBTQ+ individuals and single parents.

In sessions she focuses on building practical coping strategies, improving communication, and addressing patterns like codependency or control issues. People who meet with her work on short-term problems and longer-term goals. The approach is collaborative and oriented toward usable skills and clearer next steps.

How Pennie uses ACT, CBT, and client-centered work online

Pennie draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people notice difficult thoughts and feelings and choose values-based actions. ACT often focuses on small steps that reduce avoidance and increase meaningful engagement with life.

She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify unhelpful thinking patterns and to practice skills that change reactions to stress and anxiety. CBT work tends to include clear exercises and homework to test new ways of responding.

Client-centered therapy is woven through sessions by keeping the conversation focused on the person's concerns and preferences. This approach emphasizes listening, clarifying what matters, and adjusting pace and goals as needed.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Pennie will help figure out which methods fit best based on a person's needs, goals, and preferences, and she adapts plans over time as things change.

Confirm current session options before booking to know which online formats are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. These practical benefits help people try strategies consistently and keep progress moving forward.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuse GriefAnger management

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issues Communication problems Control issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily problemsFertility issuesForgiveness Guilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivity Isolation / loneliness Jealousy Life purpose Men's issuesMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issues Mood disorders Multicultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCD Panic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual dysfunctionSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issues Workplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Gottman MethodHypnotherapyImago Relationship TherapyMindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapySystemic Therapy

Experience

42+ years

Listed in

Florida

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does she help with?

Pennie works with stress, anxiety, relationship issues, trauma and abuse, grief, and anger, plus related concerns like attachment, abandonment, and chronic illness.

What is her therapeutic style?

She uses practical, skills-based work drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and client-centered techniques to set goals and try tools between sessions.

How much experience does she have?

She has 42 years of experience in the mental health field, including work in hospitals, rehabilitation, hospice, government programs, group practice, and private practice.

What credentials and where is she licensed?

She is an LMHC and is licensed in Florida.

Which languages are supported?

Sessions are offered in English.

Can people outside the US work with her?

International clients are not currently accepted.

How does payment work?

Cost varies with location; sessions are arranged through a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin a first session?

Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.