Penny Annesley
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This professional is available for new clients.
This professional is available for new clients.
About me
I am a very experienced counsellor with over fourteen years post qualifying experience. I offer supportive counselling and coaching for when things are difficult or change is needed. I work in a constructive, person-centred way.
I am a BACP Accredited counsellor. I am registered with BUPA.
I work with adults at all stages of life helping them manage anxiety and depression that may be linked to life transitions, workplace stress, family pressures, chronic illness, burnout or early life experiences.
I have worked with a lot of professionals juggling busy home lives with stressful jobs who may also be experiencing relationship issues, bereavement or illness and find life overwhelming. I help people to process life events and find coping strategies so life feels more possible and they can find hope again.
I also have a lot of experience working with women going through menopause and supporting people who are neurodiverse, in particular those who have ADHD.
I work with professionals in the NHS experiencing stress and burnout, lawyers, teachers and actors as well as charity workers and full time parents so have a good undrestanding of the different pressures different roles can bring.
In addition to regular counselling I offer CBT, EMDR, and coaching methods and can work both short-term and long-term.
I previously worked in refugee law for many years and as a manager. I have three teenage children so I understand the pressures of changing career and of juggling work and family life.
I work in Bishopston from a lovely, calm garden cabin. I offer sessions in person, online via a number of platforms and over the phone.
I do a lot of external work for organisations who refer employees to me who are impacted by workplace problems such as bullying, burnout, stress, social anxiety and life-work balance.
I am also a supervisor and reflective practice facilitator of counsellors and frontline workers, supporting those in private practice and in organisations.
For more details please see my website (address at the top of this page).
Training, qualifications & experience
- MSc in counselling from the University of Bristol (completed 2011)
- EMDR training
- ADHD coaching training (2023 and 2024)
- Diploma in counselling supervision
- Accredited member of British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP)
- 8 week course in nutrition for mental health (2018)
- Level 1 Narrative therapy
- Diversity training (2016)
- Reflective practice training (2017)
- Trained in post natal depression
- Update training in CBT (2014 and 2015)
- Coaching training (2015)
- Mindfulness training (2015 and 2016)
- CBT for flashbacks (2015)
Prior to working as a counsellor I worked in refugee law representing asylum seekers in their legal appeals. I also worked as a manager of people doing that work and it was that role that led me to train as a counsellor as the lawyers I managed were struggling more with the emotional demands of the work than the legal demands and I wanted to be more equipped to support them. I enjoyed the counselling training so began to switch my career into the counselling world full time once training was completed.
I now work as an external counsellor for a number of different organisations, both corporate and non-profit. I am experienced at boundaries within these settings and supporting employees through workplace related issues around stress and burnout.
I previously also worked as lead counsellor in an agency setting counselling vulnerable groups and have worked as a supervisor in a number of charitable organisations and counselling agencies throughout Bristol and London.
I supervise counsellors working in a number of charities as well as supervising counsellors working in private practice. I work with supervisees who are new to private practice and keen to establish and build their work and with those who are experienced in their work and private practice and have their own style of working whilst still looking to be challenged and supported through their work.
Member organisations
school Registered / Accredited
Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
I did my MSc research into the impact of working with trauma and how to recognise the signs of secondary trauma. As a result of that, I have worked a lot with organisations whose staff are at risk of burnout and run groups and do one to one work to help people reflect on the impact of their work and look at wellbeing and avoid burnout.
In my counselling practice I have worked with adults who are mostly at all different life stages. I have worked a lot with relationship issues, women's issues including menopause and the perinatal period, parenting challenges and illness.
More recently I have done a lot of training in ADHD in response to a number of people reaching out wondering if they have ADHD and contemplating the pros and cons of going for an assessment.
I also provide a lot of coaching in my practice and look at ways that people can move forward and make positive changes.
Therapies offered
Fees
£70.00 per session
Free initial telephone session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
Additional information
Free initial phone consultation. Thereafter £70 per session (for both counselling and supervision). I am registered with BUPA.
When I work
I have some flexibility during the day for taking on new counselling clients and supervisees. I have no availability during the evenings or at weekends at present,
Further information
I previously worked in the charity sector in a legal capacity. Since re-training as a counsellor I have established my own successful private counselling practice which has been running for over twelve years. I work very differently with each client and find that the relationship with each person is the most important aspect of the therapy so work hard to establish that in my work.
If you have any queries I can be contacted via email, phone or text prior to making an appointment.
