Penni Mitchell , LCSW

Penni Mitchell is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of hands-on experience. She focuses on helping women with common and complex concerns like anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, and issues around identity and intimacy. Penni speaks plainly and meets people where they are. Penni uses a mix of approachable methods tailored to each person. Sessions are practical and conversational. She pulls from client-centered work to keep the session focused on the client's goals and from cognitive-behavioral tools to address unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. When emotions run high, Penni can draw on techniques from dialectical behavior therapy to teach coping and regulation skills. She also uses emotionally-focused ideas to help people understand patterns in close relationships and to build stronger bonds. Hypnotherapy is offered as another option when appropriate and agreed upon. Her background includes a Master of Social Work and prior training as a life coach. Penni has supported people through addiction, trauma and abuse, parenting stress, career transitions, and caregiving challenges. She also assists those dealing with eating and sleeping struggles, ADHD, and compassion fatigue. Penni practices from Florida and communicates in English. She works with a wide range of life concerns and will adapt methods to fit each person's needs and preferences. The tone in sessions is warm, accepting, and nonjudgmental so people can talk openly and take steps toward manageable change.

How her approaches translate to online therapy

Penni often uses client-centered therapy, which centers sessions on the person's needs and priorities. This approach focuses on listening closely, reflecting feelings, and supporting the client to set goals and make choices that feel right for them.

She also draws on cognitive behavioral therapy, a hands-on method that looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. CBT in online sessions can include identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, practicing new coping strategies, and using short homework tasks between meetings to track progress.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Penni will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, preferences, and the issues they bring. She checks in regularly and adjusts techniques as needed so the plan stays relevant.

Online formats make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be useful when bandwidth is limited or when a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text-based messaging are options for people who prefer writing or want ongoing check-ins between sessions. These formats offer flexibility while keeping the focus on practical tools and steady progress.