Candace Blackwood is a Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of Valley of Hope Counseling, providing compassionate virtual counseling services to individuals across Alabama. She has worked in the mental health and social services field since 2006 and currently serves as an elementary school counselor.
Candace earned her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in December 2003 and both her master’s degree and Specialist in Education (EdS) in Counseling from Troy University, completing her EdS in December 2024.
Her professional experience includes work in community mental health, social services, school counseling, and family support services. Candace is passionate about helping individuals navigate anxiety, depression, life transitions, parenting challenges, stress, and relationship concerns in a supportive and nonjudgmental environment.
Her counseling approach is warm, compassionate, and client-centered, with a focus on helping clients feel safe, empowered, and hopeful throughout their healing journey.
My Approach
My counseling approach is warm, collaborative, and client-centered. I believe therapy should feel like a safe place where you can be honest, feel supported, and work toward meaningful change without fear of judgment.
I draw from evidence-based approaches tailored to your individual needs while focusing on building self-awareness, emotional resilience, healthy coping skills, and lasting personal growth.
Areas of Focus -Â Alabama Counselor
Anxiety & Stress Â
Constant worry, racing thoughts, feeling overwhelmed, burnout, and difficulty managing daily stress can make life feel exhausting. Together, we will work to better understand your anxiety, develop healthy coping strategies, and create greater emotional balance.
Depression
Depression can impact your energy, motivation, relationships, and sense of hope. Therapy can help you process difficult emotions, reconnect with yourself, and begin moving toward healing one step at a time.
Life Transitions
Major life changes — whether expected or unexpected — can leave you feeling uncertain, stuck, or emotionally drained. I support clients navigating transitions such as career changes, relationship shifts, motherhood, family changes, relocation, and personal growth.
Parenting Challenges
Parenting can be both rewarding and overwhelming. Many women silently carry feelings of guilt, stress, exhaustion, or self-doubt while trying to care for everyone else. Therapy provides a space where you can focus on your own emotional well-being while learning healthier ways to manage the demands of motherhood and parenting.
Career & Workplace Stress
Balancing work responsibilities, personal expectations, and daily life can create significant emotional strain. Together, we can explore ways to manage stress, establish boundaries, improve self-care, and regain a sense of balance.
Military & Family Life
As the spouse of a military veteran, I understand some of the unique emotional and relational challenges military families may face, including transitions, stress, identity shifts, and adjusting to changing family roles.