candice holloway (she/they)

FOUNDER, LPC-S

I am a white, queer, non-binary therapist based in Houston, Texas. I specialize in working with clients exploring their gender, sexual, or romantic identity, and survivors of sexual trauma. I am passionate about LGBTQ+ rights (and human rights in general), intersectional feminism, anti-racism, and dismantling bullshit systems. I know that social progress is similar to psychological progress--both take perseverance, time, and a willingness to look at painful truths. Therapy should be a collaborative process, built on mutual respect and authenticity. I don’t believe in trying to be a “blank slate” with clients because:

  1. it’s not actually possible, I’m a whole person with my own experiences, identities, etc. and

  2. it’s helpful to be able to relate to you regarding your own experiences and identities, especially if those have been marginalized.

It’s hard to trust and be REAL with someone you know nothing about. That said, therapy is about you, not me (I have my own therapist for that!). You know more about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences than anyone else—my role is to provide a safe, supportive, non-judgmental place for you to process your emotions and create a path moving forward.

In my downtime I like to read non-fiction, get tattoos, scroll through Reddit, and watch really terrible horror movies with my wife and our three dogs, Cooper, Tova, and Cane.

Cooper (left) and Tova (right)

Cane

My bestie Laura Zavala-Membreno (left) and I (right) at TAASA 2019

education + Experience

I hold a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston, as well as two Bachelor’s degrees—one in Religious Studies and one in Journalism—from the University of Texas at Austin. Religion, particularly Western Christianity, has always interested me from a psychological and sociological perspective, but I do not personally hold any religious beliefs. I was raised in a mostly Southern Baptist family and am open to serving clients of any (or no) faith.

Since graduating from UH in 2014, I’ve been a Rehab Clinician at The Harris Center (formerly MHMRA of Harris County), an Outreach Counselor and Senior Sexual Assault Counselor at Houston Area Women’s Center, a Therapist at University of Houston’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and a Staff Therapist at The Menninger Clinic. While at Menninger, I was a primary clinician and group therapist for young adults with complex mental illness in the Pathfinder program and provided individual therapy to adolescents and young adults on inpatient psychiatric units.

In August 2017, I opened my private practice, Vada Counseling. For the next four years, I saw clients on evenings and weekends in addition to working full-time elsewhere. In 2021, I decided to shift into working at Vada full-time and learned I really, really love the independence of working for myself. Because I own this practice, I am able to be more flexible with my schedule for clients, use decolonized, liberation-based psychological theory, and do truly anti-racist and queer-centered work.

I am also a LPC Supervisor in Texas (#73866) and licensed to provide telehealth in Florida (#TPMC2725).

awards

  • Michael DeVoll Counseling Award of Excellence - TX-SAIGE (2023)

  • “Best Nonbinary Mental Health Therapist” finalist - OutSmart magazine (2023)

Memberships

I’m an active member of the following organizations:

  • American Counseling Association and its state chapter, the Texas Counseling Association

  • Houston LPC Association

  • Texas Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (TX-SAIGE)

  • World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and it’s United States counterpart, USPATH

I also serve on the Clinical Advisory Board of Passport Journeys, a teletherapy app specifically created for mother-daughter pairs to strengthen their relationship.

presentations + trainings

I have presented on anti-racist counseling, transgender allyship, and sexual trauma at several statewide conferences. I've also trained therapists, psychologists, nurses, CPS case workers, and other direct service providers on various topics including cultural diversity and counseling survivors with disabilities. I was an expert panelist at the University of Houston's forum "From Shame to Healing: The Journey of the Spiritual/Religious Survivor." Below is a partial list of presentations, workshops, and trainings I’ve given:

  • Queering Allyship: Building effective therapeutic relationships with trans* and gender diverse clients

  • On the Margins of #metoo: Centering LGBTQ+ Survivors of Sexual Trauma

  • Dear White Counselors: Addressing Race and Oppression in our Work with Survivors

  • Beyond Cultural Competence: Anti-racist, Trauma-informed Counseling

  • Beyond Allyship: Anti-racism as Best Practice for Working with Survivors of Color

  • LGBTQ+ 101: Working with Gender and Sexual Minorities (GSM)

  • LGBTQ+ 102: Working with Transgender Clients

  • LGBT Pride: Houston’s History of Gay Rights

  • Trans and Non-binary Allyship

  • Neurobiology of Trauma

  • Compassion Fatigue and Burnout

  • Emotion Coaching as a Skill in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)

FEES + INSURANCE

Below are Candice’s standard rates for each service. We understand these prices may not be accessible to everyone, so if you’d like to work with me but can’t afford it, contact us! We can talk about options including sliding scale (a lower fee based on what you can afford) or referral to lower cost providers.

  • Individual therapy (50 mins) - $150

  • Couples/family therapy (60 mins) - $200

  • Consultation/training - please contact me for rates

Candice is currently in-network with Cigna (Evernorth) and United (Optum).

If you have health insurance through another company, we can provide a superbill for you to submit to them for out-of-network reimbursement. Please contact your insurance company directly to ask if your policy includes reimbursement for outpatient therapy services.