Pollen by SimplePractice
Pollen by SimplePractice
Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA

Olivia Pennelle (aka Liv), MSW, CSWA, is the founder of Tera Collaborations. Liv is an experienced writer, clinical copywriter, and therapist specializing in substance use disorder, mental health, and recovery. Liv identifies as queer and neurodivergent, and works hard to help similarly identifying clients. Live's work revolves around the intersections between neurodivergence, expansive pathways of substance use and mental recovery, and LGBTQIA+ identities.

A therapist uses DBT principles with her client. This article answers “What are the six main points of dialectical behavioral therapy?”—a question both therapists and clients ask.

What Are the Six Main Points of Dialectical Behavior Therapy?

Wondering about dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT) principles? While many therapists and clients are aware of dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT), they … Continued

practitioner on a laptop using simplepractice ehr
A client in distress clamps her hands, while the therapist explains a person-centered therapy techniques that may help.

Person-Centered Therapy Techniques

While some therapists may align with specific interventions or theoretical orientations, like EMDR therapy, most use person-centered therapy techniques—adjusting their … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A client faces her therapist as she gets CBT for PTSD treatment. Want to understand more about CBT therapy for PTSD? This article explains CBT for PTSD, including its efficacy, sample treatment plans, and more.

CBT for PTSD

Looking for information on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for PTSD? In this article, we explore CBT for PTSD in depth, … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A social work student and her mentor discuss the average salary for licensed clinical social workers

Average Salary for Licensed Clinical Social Workers

Wondering “How much do LCSWs make?” If you’re interested in a behavioral health career, you may be trying to decide … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A cliseup photo of the eye of a therapy client who is curious about trying EMDR therapy

EMDR Therapy

If you’ve ever wondered what’s involved in EMDR therapy, this article describes EMDR therapy—or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy.  … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
An illustration of a female therapist sitting in a chair wondering about mental health for mental health professionals

Mental Health for Mental Health Professionals

When we think about mental health for mental health professionals, we’d be remiss if we didn’t  acknowledge the high levels … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
An illustration shows a face of a person with anxiety who is surrounded by eyes which are visual indicators of his negative thoughts so he's considering CBT for social anxiety

CBT for Social Anxiety

Looking for information on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for social anxiety? This article explores cognitive behavioral therapy for social phobia … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A therapist writes with pen and paper to capture therapist session notes following a client session

Therapist Session Notes

Writing effective therapist session notes may not be a clinician’s favorite part of the job. Documentation takes time and, given … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
Two different masks as sides to a face are shown to demonstrate the internal family systems model tenet that there are no “bad” parts to the self

A Guide to the Internal Family Systems Model

The internal family systems model is a therapeutic modality used to help clients identify the root causes of their emotional … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A couple seeks couples counseling. Both partners have their arms crossed on the couch.

Guide to Couples Counseling

Couples counseling, or marriage counseling, is a type of psychotherapy for people involved in a romantic relationship.  Often confused with … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A pre-licensed therapist calls her supervisor to ask "how long should it take to write a progress note?" She also has her laptop open and is searching for an answer to her question online as well.

How Long Should It Take to Write a Progress Note?

For therapists wondering “how long should it take to write a progress note?” or “how long does it take to … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A teen client lies down on their therapist's couch and puts their hands over their eyes, a gesture that indicates resistance in therapy.

Resistance in Therapy

As therapists, addressing resistance in therapy is part of the job.  Even if a client has positively responded to interventions … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA
A couple sits in front of their therapist. The man speaks and gesticulates as the woman practices active listening, a couples therapy exercise that is helpful both in and out of session.

Couples Therapy Exercises

Looking for couples therapy exercises to use with clients?  This article provides an overview of couples therapy, couples therapy questions … Continued

Olivia Pennelle, MSW, CSWA

Are you interested in writing for Pollen?

Learn More

Got a question for Ethics Consult?

Submit a Question