Grace Penman, ACA
Finding your story, steadying your steps
Details
| Name | Grace Penman |
|---|---|
| Credentials | ACA |
| Based in | Australia |
| Registered with | ACA |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 4 |
About Grace
Grace Penman is an ACA counsellor with four years of professional experience. She supports adults from mixed cultural backgrounds and immigrants, including people in the LGBTQIA+ community, as they work through identity, belonging and life transitions. Grace aims to help clients find choices that feel true to them while acknowledging where they come from.
Her style is conversational and grounded. She listens for the stories that shape how people see themselves, then helps rewrite those stories in ways that reduce shame and self-doubt.
Background and approach
Sessions often include practical skills for managing anxiety, stress and everyday overwhelm. Grace pays attention to how cultural expectations and family history influence relationships and decisions. She works with issues such as guilt, grief, codependency and attachment concerns, and supports people navigating separation, career shifts or immigration stress.
Her approach is calm and steady when trauma and painful memories come up. Clinical tools Grace uses include Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and attachment-based approaches, along with cognitive strategies and mindfulness practices. These methods are used to help clients notice patterns and try different ways of responding to difficult thoughts and feelings.
People usually come to Grace wanting clearer boundaries, less anxiety or a stronger sense of self. She encourages small, doable steps and practical experiments between sessions. The work is collaborative and paced to the client’s needs.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Family conflicts, Trauma and abuse among the things Grace works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Career difficulties
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Attachment issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Communication problems
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Immigration issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Multicultural concerns
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-love
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Somatic Therapy: Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Grace among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Grace directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Grace directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How Narrative, ACT and Attachment work online
Grace often blends Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and attachment-based ideas in online sessions. Narrative Therapy helps people notice the stories they tell about themselves and try new, more helpful stories to shape identity and choices. ACT focuses on values and small actions - learning to accept difficult feelings while doing things that matter. Attachment-based approaches look at patterns in close relationships and help people practise safer ways of relating and setting boundaries.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Grace will discuss your goals and preferences and together you will decide which methods to try. That joint planning helps ensure sessions match what matters to you and what feels doable.
Online therapy with Grace is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and deeper exploration. Phone sessions work well when you need less bandwidth or want a shorter check-in. Live chat and text messaging suit quick reflections, brief support between sessions and for people who prefer not to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy around study, work and family life.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of problems does she help with?
Grace supports adults with stress, anxiety, depression, grief and life changes. She also helps with relationship issues, parenting strain, family-of-origin concerns and identity questions.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is conversational and story-focused. She listens for recurring patterns, uses practical exercises and encourages experiments to test new ways of coping.
What is her professional background?
She has four years of professional experience working with mixed-culture adults and immigrants. Her work often focuses on cultural transition, belonging and trauma held in the body.
Where is she based and what credentials does she hold?
Grace works in Australia and holds ACA as her listed credential.
Can I work with her if English is not my first language?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging for online therapy.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Grace are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Grace where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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