Anthony Penn, LPC

Anthony Penn is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Virginia who helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and trauma and abuse. He speaks plainly and focuses on practical steps someone can use between sessions. Anthony draws on many years of work with people who have faced serious mental health challenges, including service members adjusting after deployment.

He uses straightforward techniques from cognitive behavioral approaches to help people change unhelpful thoughts and patterns. He also blends mindfulness practices and client-centered listening so clients feel heard while learning skills to manage strong emotions. Motivational Interviewing elements are used when clients want help building motivation for change.

Anthony has 13 years of counseling experience and earlier work spanning about 25 years alongside people with severe mental illness. That background includes private practice, inpatient psychiatric settings, outpatient programs, group homes, forensic facilities, and community mental health programs. He has worked with active duty, veteran, and retired service members who experienced difficulty reintegrating after combat.

In sessions he emphasizes clear goals, simple tools, and steady progress. Expect direct discussion of current problems and hands-on strategies you can try between meetings. He is pragmatic about coping skills while remaining open to exploring deeper issues when that feels right.

If you want help with relationship concerns, grief, career stress, attachment or codependency issues, Anthony will work with you to identify next steps and practical changes to try.

How his approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on clarifying what matters most to you and taking small committed actions toward those values while accepting difficult feelings. It can help with anxiety, stress, grief, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to change patterns that cause distress. It is useful for anxiety, depression, anger, and mood regulation. Mindfulness-based practice teaches simple attention and breathing exercises to reduce reactivity and increase present-moment awareness, which supports emotional regulation and stress management.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Anthony will collaborate with each person to see which methods fit their needs and goals. That might mean starting with CBT skills, layering in mindfulness, or using ACT to focus on values and action. The plan is adjusted based on how you respond and what you want to accomplish.

Confirm which session formats are currently offered before booking, since the biography does not list specific options. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example, sessions may be simpler to schedule around work breaks, require less travel time, or allow a shorter check-in by phone if needed. Licensed professionals can use these formats to deliver the same types of skills-based work and conversational support as in-person sessions.