1:1 Sessions with Penelope
You’re holding it together, but things still don’t feel right.
I’m a Clinical Psychologist, Mindfulness Teacher, and Fitness Trainer with 38 years of experience helping women through depression, anxiety, stress, major life changes, and the unique emotional and physical challenges that come with getting older.
I offer honest, practical, and compassionate support for whatever you’re facing right now.
About Penelope
I'm a clinical psychologist, fitness trainer, and mindfulness expert with over 38 years of experience helping people get through life’s toughest transitions, like depression, anxiety, stress, grief, and the emotional and physical impacts of big changes, including ageing.
I work with women over 30 and offer not only clinical experience but also a real understanding of how it feels when life takes an unexpected turn and everything seems uncertain.
At 68, I've lived through chronic pain, financial hardship, depression, anxiety, chronic stress, health issues, and the loss of an identity built on being the strong one. I know this territory professionally and personally, and I don't confuse the two
I bring that same honesty to all my clinical work, whether you’re dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, big life changes, or the specific challenges of ageing.
"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."
Jon Kabat-Zinn
How I work
I bring together psychology, mindfulness, and body-mind work, adapting to what you actually need, session by session. I want to help you deal honestly with what's actually happening in your life, whatever that turns out to be.
I work with what's real, not with what you wish was true.
I won't ask you to just think positively or reframe everything. I help you be honest about where you are, understand what you're experiencing, and work with it, not against it.
This approach helps whether you're dealing with depression, anxiety, grief, stress, major life changes, or the unique physical, mental and emotional challenges of ageing.
What I can help with:
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Persistent low mood, hopelessness, loss of interest
Anxiety, panic attacks, worry that won't stop
Chronic stress and burnout
Grief and loss
Anger, frustration, emotional numbness.
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Career changes, retirement, redundancy, or professional identity loss
Relationship breakdown, separation, divorce, or bereavement
Health crises, chronic illness, chronic pain, lack of fitness, and muscle loss
Major role changes (empty nest, caring for ageing parents, becoming a grandparent)
Loss of purpose and meaning when old roles no longer fit
Finding out who you are now at midlife and beyond
Significant life upheavals and relocations.
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Identity crisis when your old roles don't fit
Body changes, chronic pain, loss of physical capacity
Memory loss
Fear of dependence and loss of autonomy
Grief for what ageing has taken
Invisibility and lack of respect as an older person
Finding purpose and vitality in later life.
Who I work with
I work with women over 30.
Women who want depth, not quick fixes: You’ve tried the apps, read the books, and things still aren’t changing. You don't want more advice, you want something real, practical and helpful, that's what I offer.
Women going though a big change: Like health challenges, a new career, retirement, divorce, becoming a parent, an empty nest, losing someone close, or coping with ageing? When the person you thought you were no longer feels familiar, I can help you find your next steps.
Women tired of forced positivity: You don’t need to reframe everything. You need someone who can sit with you in the truth of where you are. That’s where we begin.
Women whose struggles have gone unnoticed: Depression and anxiety don't always look like sadness and fear. Sometimes they’re experienced as exhaustion, irritability, or a flatness you can't explain. If you've been told you're fine when you know you're not, I’ll believe you.
Women who want to explore ageing honestly: Not the "ageing gracefully" kind. The real version, where your body is changing, your roles are shifting, and no one wants to talk about what that actually feels like. I specialise in this because I'm living it too.
What we'll work on
Depending on your needs, we might explore:
Depression or anxiety: What triggers it, what keeps it going, and how to work with it rather than fight it.
Self-compassion: Treating yourself with kindness for the life you're actually living, not the one you think you should be living.
Sense of self: When who you've been no longer fits, whether because of retirement, health changes, role loss, or a transition that's asked more of you than you expected.
Grief and loss: For relationships that ended, loved ones who’ve died, health you've lost, roles that no longer exist, or the future you imagined that won't happen.
Chronic pain and difficult emotions: Learning to live alongside what you're experiencing rather than fighting it.
Purpose and meaning: When the things that used to give your life structure like work, roles, relationships are no longer available or no longer enough.
Body and mind together: When physical strength, energy, or capacity feels just as important to address as what's going on emotionally, we can work on both in the same session.
My approach to therapy
Psychologically grounded, practically focused
I use evidence-based approaches like CBT, ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), mindfulness-based interventions, compassion-focused therapy, body-mind integration, and existential psychology. But I use what works for you, not just what the textbooks say.
We figure this out together
YOU know your life better than anyone. I bring my training and experience, and together we figure out what's actually right for you.
Honest, not harsh
I'm warm and compassionate, but I'll always be honest with you, even when that's not what you want to hear. I'm direct, and sometimes funny, because that's often what makes the hard stuff bearable.
Focused on what works
Theory is only useful if it helps you live better. I focus on what actually works in your real life.
Whole strength sessions
For a long time, I believed that being physically fit would help me handle anything that came with getting older. But when my body eventually let me down, I realised that fitness alone wasn’t enough. What I really needed wasn't just physical. It was support for my mind, my heart, and a sense of meaning too.
That’s what Whole Strength is about: bringing your body, mind, heart, and soul together, so they support each other instead of working on each separately.
These sessions put that idea into practice.
You’ll get therapy, using the same honest, shared approach I described earlier.
You’ll also have fitness training, designed for what your body and mind need that day. Depending on what works best for you, this might include:
🌷 Safe, effective cardio designed for women and their specific needs
🌷 Strength work to build power, improve tone, and feel stronger
🌷 Movement that boosts memory, focus, attention, and mental clarity
🌷 Practices to improve coordination and confidence
🌷 Work on flexibility, mobility, and balance
This isn’t just fitness with a little therapy added, or therapy followed by some exercise. It’s a true combination of both, because that’s what really works.
Available online or face-to-face.
$410 for the full 90 minutes.
Ready to begin?
If you're somewhere between "I'm fine" and "I really need to talk to someone" that's exactly the right time. If you're dealing with depression, anxiety, stress, life transitions, or the challenges of ageing and you want honest, grounded support, book a session below or email me to talk about options.
Individual Sessions: 50-minutes.
Whole Strength Sessions: 90-minutes.
Location: Zoom sessions available worldwide or in person- Fremantle, Western Australia.
Frequency: Weekly, fortnightly, or as needed, depending on your situation.
COST:
(50 minute session) $320 AUD
(90 minute session) $410 AUD
Medicare Rebates: Medicare (Australia) covers a rebate for up to 10 sessions per year.
Private Health Rebates: You may be able to claim a rebate, depending on your level of cover.
