Meet Candice

The people I work with are usually the ones nobody worries about — capable, dependable, holding it together for everyone else. Underneath, anxiety is running the show, and they're not sure where they're allowed to set it down.

What I know after ten years is this: real change doesn't start with advice. It starts the moment you feel safe enough to stop saying “I'm fine” and let what's actually going on into the room. Everything I do is built around getting you there.

Here's how I think about anxiety: your body stays braced for a threat that isn't actually there. What you're feeling is real and exhausting — the system meant to protect you is just stuck in overdrive. Nothing's wrong with you, and it can be turned down. Therapy is a lot like learning to ride a bike: we start with training wheels, you wobble, you catch yourself, and before long you're riding without a second thought — steadier, more in control, and trusting yourself again.

My path into this work started in research, studying PTSD in veterans — and later, doing clinical work with combat veterans who'd served in Iraq and Afghanistan. That's where I saw how many forms anxiety can take, and how long trauma can quietly shape a person. It's also where I learned the thing that still drives how I practice: it isn't only what you say that helps — it's whether you feel truly met by the person across from you. Without that, no one really opens up. So that's where I begin.

I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with a psychology degree from San Diego State and a graduate degree from Boston University. But credentials are the floor, not the work. The real work is treating you as a whole person — capable, complex, and already holding more of the answers than you give yourself credit for — and helping you reach the ones that are harder to find on your own.

When we work together, you get me — myself, plus everything I've learned in school, in the research, and in ten years of practice. I've been on the other side of the room too, as the client, and I carry that with me: I show up the way I'd want someone to show up for me.

When I'm not with clients, life is full: a toddler who keeps me on my toes, long hikes, and Pilates and yoga — as much for my mind as my body. I stop for every dog I pass, I run on good coffee, and I'm always chasing a good laugh and a truly great pizza slice.

Ten years in, this still hasn't gotten old. Watching someone catch their own progress — the shift in their voice, the shoulders that finally drop, the small wins stacking up — is the best part of what I do. I get to walk alongside people as they find their way back to themselves.

If any of this sounds like you, here's what I want you to know: feeling better is possible, and we can make a plan to get there. When you're ready, book an initial evaluation — or start with a free intro call if you'd rather just say hello first. No pressure either way.