Penny Howland, LCSW

Penny Howland is a licensed clinical social worker with four decades of experience. She combines practical therapy methods to help people manage addiction, grief, anxiety, and relationship struggles. Penny’s approach focuses on real problems and daily life, with an emphasis on the mind-body connection and resilience.

She has worked in both medical and mental health settings, including care for people on dialysis and those facing terminal illness. That background shapes how she supports people coping with major life changes and end-of-life concerns. Penny also has experience addressing substance abuse and adjustment disorders.

Penny trained at Wayne State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Social Work. She holds the credential LCSW, Florida LCSW, and is a member of professional organizations such as ACSW and NASW. Her long career gives her familiarity with a wide range of issues and treatment settings.

In sessions she selects methods that fit each person’s goals, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and psychodynamic ideas when useful. She emphasizes helping people notice patterns, make practical changes, and use personal strengths to cope. Her style is straightforward and grounded in real-life needs.

People reach out to Penny for help with stress, depression, trauma, intimacy or communication problems, and compulsive or impulsive behaviors. She also supports those dealing with caregiver strain, hospice and end-of-life matters, and career or midlife transitions.

How CBT and Psychodynamic Work in Online Therapy

CBT, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, focuses on the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It uses structured work and practical exercises to help with anxiety, depression, compulsive behaviors, and stress. Psychodynamic therapy looks at long-standing patterns and how past experiences shape current reactions; it can help with relationship issues, attachment concerns, and feelings that repeat over time.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, daily challenges, and what feels most helpful. Together they decide whether to emphasize skills and behavior change, or to dig into patterns and history, and they can combine ideas as needed.

The original profile does not specify which online session formats are used, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight. It also lets people keep regular contact while managing health, caregiving, work, or travel constraints. Licensed professionals guide how the work translates to remote sessions and adjust tools to match the client’s needs.