Penelope Surber , LMHC

Penelope Surber is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida with eight years of experience supporting adults through trauma and recovery. She focuses on practical, down-to-earth work with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, and issues that affect self-worth. Penelope brings a warm, person-centered stance to sessions and favors a respectful, nonjudgmental tone.

She draws from several approaches to shape treatment for each person. That includes client-centered work that follows the person's pace, cognitive-behavioral tools to change unhelpful thoughts and habits, and skills from dialectical behavior therapy for emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Penelope also uses emotion-focused and Jungian ideas when they fit the client's needs.

Her background includes six years as an adult trauma therapist at a recovery center and more recent work under Florida licensure. She has supported people dealing with abandonment, attachment concerns, caregiver stress, codependency, communication problems, divorce and separation, and family of origin difficulties. She has also worked with individuals affected by domestic violence, dissociation, and grief.

In sessions she aims to tailor conversations and goals to each person's situation. That may mean building coping skills, processing traumatic memories, strengthening boundaries, or improving self-esteem. Her style is interactive and collaborative, and she avoids stigmatizing labels.

Penelope works with clients in English and accepts international clients. She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Getting started begins by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling a session based on the therapist's availability.

Therapeutic approaches and how they work online

Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and following the client's lead, helping people feel heard and supported as they name goals. It can be useful for building trust and exploring personal values and identity.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and testing new behaviors. It often includes simple exercises between sessions and can help with anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, offers practical skills for managing intense emotions and reducing self-destructive reactions. Techniques include emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness skills that translate well to remote work.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked in the past, then tailor a plan that blends methods as needed.

Online formats - video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video lets people use visual cues for deeper conversation. Phone calls work when bandwidth is limited or a quicker check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging can be useful for short updates, skill reminders, or when typing feels more comfortable. These options increase flexibility and help people keep consistent momentum toward their goals.