I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Trauma Specialist, Life Coach, Author, and Presenter with over 25 years of experience empowering teens, college students, and adults to heal, grow, and thrive. Welcome! I’m Candace, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a virtual practice dedicated to providing compassionate, strengths-based care. I specialize in supporting individuals facing challenges such as trauma, anxiety, low self-confidence, life transitions, mid-life crises, and empty nest syndrome. I understand how difficult taking the first step toward therapy can be, which is why I strive to create a safe, accepting, and comfortable space for every client. My therapeutic approach combines Solution-Focused Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Trauma-Focused techniques to help clients recognize and shift unhealthy thought patterns, build self-confidence, and discover healthier ways of navigating life’s challenges. I also provide guidance on communication and problem-solving skills to help strengthen personal relationships and promote long-term growth. I am passionate about helping people reach their goals and create meaningful change, I see therapy as a collaborative journey. I earned my Master’s degree in Counseling and Human Systems from Florida State University and bring decades of experience walking alongside clients in their healing process. Above all, I offer warmth, encouragement, and an unwavering belief in my clients’ ability to grow, heal, and thrive.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Our first session will explore the issues and challenges that led you to seek counseling. We will create a plan to address these needs and how to build your self-confidence, set goals, and work on positive outcomes.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths as a therapist lie in my ability to create a compassionate, safe, and affirming space where clients feel genuinely understood and supported. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, I bring a strengths-based, collaborative approach to therapy, blending Solution-Focused, Client-Centered, and Trauma-Focused techniques to help clients move forward with clarity and confidence. I specialize in working with concerns such as trauma, anxiety, low self-confidence, life transitions, mid-life challenges, and empty nest syndrome, and I understand how vulnerable it can feel to take the first step toward change. Clients often appreciate my warm, encouraging style and my ability to gently guide them in recognizing unhelpful patterns, building self-confidence, and developing healthier ways of navigating relationships and life’s challenges. Drawing on my graduate training from Florida State University and decades of experience, I focus on practical growth, meaningful insight, and lasting change—always grounded in an unwavering belief in each client’s capacity to heal and thrive.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My clinical mental health practice specializes in serving teens, college students, young adults, and adults. To accomplish this, I offer a variety of evidence-based treatments to help individuals work through their unique struggles. I understand that seeking mental health treatment is not easy and strive to make clients feel comfortable and supported in their journey to a happier, healthier life. I believe that a multi-disciplinary approach to mental health is the most effective way to help clients make meaningful and lasting changes in their lives.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
As a solution focused therapist, my approach is focused on creating a supportive, empathetic, and non-judgmental environment that facilitates the client's self-exploration, personal growth, and self-determined path toward healing and well-being.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Trauma-Informed CBT helps you notice the patterns that developed during overwhelming or painful times—patterns that may have once protected you, but are now getting in the way of the life you want to live. Together, we gently explore these thoughts and emotional responses, and we practice new coping strategies that strengthen resilience and restore a sense of personal control.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
My approach to CBT therapy is collaborative, practical, and client-centered. I help clients understand how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact, and we work together to identify patterns that may be keeping them stuck. Drawing on my experience using CBT with concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, and life transitions, I focus on building skills clients can apply in everyday life. Sessions are structured yet flexible, emphasizing evidence-based strategies, self-reflection, and gradual, achievable change that supports long-term growth and resilience.
Psychodynamic
My psychodynamic approach is insight-oriented, relational, and grounded in creating a safe, reflective space. I help clients explore how early experiences, unconscious patterns, and relationship dynamics influence present thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. With experience supporting clients through concerns such as relationship difficulties, identity development, and longstanding emotional patterns, I emphasize curiosity, self-awareness, and the therapeutic relationship as tools for change. The work supports deeper understanding, emotional integration, and meaningful, lasting change over time.