Dr. Penny Brower
Practical relationship and life-change therapy
LCPC Illinois
- Experience
- 34 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Self esteem
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English
About Penny
Dr. Penny Brower uses practical, relational approaches to help people handle stress, anxiety, relationship strain, and life changes.
Background and approach
She is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and brings 34 years of experience to her work. Her style is straightforward and compassionate, focused on helping people make choices that fit their values and daily life.
She often draws on the Gottman Method to address relationship patterns and attachment-based ideas to look at how early bonds shape current reactions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy are used to spot unhelpful thinking and to build skills for living a meaningful life.
Sessions emphasize clear, doable steps rather than jargon-filled explanations. Her background includes in-home work with complex families, roles in community mental health, and eight years with the Air National Guard developing programs aimed at reducing suicide risk and increasing resilience.
That range of settings informs a flexible, real-world approach to problems like addiction, trauma, grief, and intimacy-related issues. People who meet with her can expect a collaborative process.
She invites feedback about what helps and what does not so therapy can be adjusted. The goal is to equip clients with tools for calmer reactions, stronger connections, and clearer choices.
Dr. Brower speaks English and practices from Illinois.
She frames concerns in human terms rather than labels, and she focuses on what makes life more livable for each person she meets.
Therapeutic approaches for online relationship and life work
Dr. Brower often uses the Gottman Method to look at how couples communicate and manage conflict, offering concrete exercises to improve connection and reduce repetitive arguments. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that match their values, which can ease anxiety and increase meaning. Attachment-Based Therapy explores early relationship patterns to understand why certain triggers and defenses come up now, which is useful for intimacy and trust issues.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. She will listen to your goals, try methods that fit your situation, and adjust plans based on what actually helps. That way the work stays practical and personally relevant rather than theoretical.
Online sessions are available by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and needs. Video calls let people work face-to-face when visual cues matter. Phone sessions can be an easier option when bandwidth is limited or you prefer not to be on camera. Live chat and text messaging are useful for short check-ins or ongoing support between longer sessions. These options make it possible to maintain continuity of care while fitting therapy into busy lives.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
34+ years
Licensed in
Illinois
Languages
English