Penny Parks
Consulting Psychotherapist, PICT Creator, Trainer, Author

Mrs Parks is the creator of Parks Inner Child Therapy (PICT). She is a pioneer and expert in the field of childhood abuse (recognition, treatment and training) - having developed the first inner child method of therapy in the UK. She began teaching this complete ‘stand alone’ therapy model in 1988. It was originally created from her successful self-help efforts in resolving her own personal childhood abuse experiences and has evolved into a structured, rapid, thorough and compassionate therapeutic model.  

Mrs. Parks is an American who has lived in the UK since 1982. Her work with survivors in England evolved into two books - Rescuing the ‘Inner Child’ (1990, Souvenir Press) - a self-help publication and The Counsellor’s Guide to Parks Inner Child therapy (1994, Souvenir Press).

Mrs Parks lives in Suffolk, England with her husband and is now semi-retired, spending her time writing, teaching one day Masterclasses and working as a Motivational Speaker. She continues following her hobbies as a Jazz/Blues vocalist and as an artist.

Professionals throughout the UK and abroad contact the PPF for information on abuse issues; client referrals; training; supervision; as well as, the seminars and workshops that are offered. The NHS and Social Services have joined Relate, MIND and private counselling agencies in making the PICT training available to their workers and/or PICT therapy available to clients.

Penny Parks has continued to develop the PICT method, transforming it from a methodical letter writing format, as first offered in Rescuing the ‘Inner Child’, to more rapid moving visualisation work. In recent years (1996), as a result of many overseas clients wishing to take the therapy, it progressed further adding an alternative intensive, condensed model, PICT Quick Change Therapy (QCT) – consisting of a series of daily four hour sessions for those clients ready for rapid change work.

Now, with QCT, it is possible, for clients to resolve the major portion of their emotional ‘baggage’ and learn skills that enable them to continue with their personal development. In comparison to PICT traditional weekly, 1½ hour sessions, this intensive therapy model can offer, for specific clients, the equivalent of five months work in as little as five days. For others, the QCT model can significantly reduce the overall period of therapy.

Both formats, PICT once a week or QCT over a series of days, retain the thoroughness of the original model and also incorporate the features that make PICT more humane - the most significant being the fact that clients do not need to disclose detail of trauma or abuse.