Grief counselors and therapists in Lowell, MA

Amy Penny is a passionate and dedicated therapist who believes that every person holds limitless potential and inner strength waiting to be discovered. Drawing from her own experiences of overcoming adversity and her clinical expertise, Amy creates a safe and supportive space where individuals feel empowered to connect with their inner resources and move toward growth and healing.

I've been doing this work for 25 years — which means I've sat with a lot of people in a lot of different kinds of pain, and I've watched most of them find their way through it. I work with adolescents, adults, and families dealing with trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, LGBTQ+ identity, cultural identity, and the messy overlaps between all of those things. I'm warm, direct, and probably a little funnier than you'd expect from a therapist. That's intentional. Some of the hardest healing I've witnessed happened in moments that also had some lightness in them. I'm LGBTQ+ affirming, work with couples and families in addition to individuals, and I accept Aetna, Carelon Behavioral Health, and Cigna through Headway — plus several additional insurers on Psychology Today.

I bring more than clinical training to this work—drawing on two decades in supporting individuals to self-actualize through education, design, and community building. My approach is integrative, warm, and forward-looking. It’s practical and rooted in evidence-based practices like Internal Family Systems, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), expanded by a adaptive and existential frameworks, and grounded in the belief that safety and transformation begin from within.

As a licensed substance use and addiction counselor, I believe that recovery is not a one-size-fits-all journey—it’s a deeply personal process that deserves compassion, respect, and hope. Every individual’s story is unique, and so are the reasons behind their struggles with substance use. My approach is rooted in the belief that healing happens when people feel truly seen, heard, and supported without judgment. I view my role not as someone who tells clients what recovery “should” look like, but as a guide who helps them discover what recovery means for them.

I am a licensed mental health counselor with 6 years experience in outpatient therapy, school based therapy, and emergency mental health services. I have a vast background in human services dating back to 2004 supporting folks with developmental disabilities, acquired brain injuries, adult foster care, and homeless populations.