Candice
Mace
Treats age groups:
I value the time I spend with my clients as we explore and collaborate on our therapeutic journey together.
My lived experiences with grief and loss generated interest in pursuing a career in clinical psychology and grief, loss, and trauma. My areas of speciality are prolonged grief disorder, complex and traumatic grief, and disenfranchised grief -this is an area I am currently researching as part of my DPsych (Clinical) thesis.
My counselling style is gentle and collaborative with the ability to create rapport quickly – I intend to create a safe, supportive and affirming place where the counselling work is empowering and enriching. I use a person-centred and trauma-informed cognitive behavioural approach in my work, which also includes elements of ACT, DBT, Schema and psychodynamic therapies. I see my work as a real honour to work with people, quite often at their most vulnerable, and I really value the time I spend with my clients as we explore and collaborate on our therapy experience together.
Let me guide you through how I can help if you are suffering from:
Please refer below for all the other mental health areas I service.
Other Areas Of Interest:
- Adjustment disorders
- Anger management
- Anxiety disorders
- Assertiveness training
- Behavioural management
- Careers | Study | Life Direction
- Compulsive acquiring | hoarding
- Conflict resolution
- Domestic violence
- Depression
- Emotional eating disorder
- Grief | Loss & bereavement
- Health & Lifestyle issues
- Marriage| Couples counselling
- Mood disorders | Bi-polar
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Phobias
- Relationship issues – INDIVIDUAL
- Self-Esteem & Self-Development
- Sexual assault | Abuse
- Sexual intimacy | Relaxation
- Shyness & Social skills
- Sleeping disorders
- Stress management & Relaxation
- Trauma effects | PTSD
- Victims of Crime
- Weightloss | Body image
- Workplace issues
Our first session will be focused on building comfort and rapport and ensuring collective safety by discussing core concepts of consent, privacy/confidentiality limitations to privacy/confidentiality, and setting clear boundaries on appropriate contact. The remainder of the session will be dedicated to understanding what has brought them to therapy, their history, support networks, and collaborating on therapy goals.
I enjoy travelling, singing and playing guitar/piano/violin, taking my Labrador on adventures, cooking/baking, collecting antique teapots, crafting/crochet/sewing, growing heirloom vegetables/flowers/gardening, drinking tea, rugby union, seeing live bands and musical theatre.
Begin your healing process in three easy steps
Step 1
Book an appointment online or over the phone.
Step 2
Speak with a qualified psychologist or counsellor.
Step 3
Work with me to rediscover the real you!
Candice's areas of specialty
Grief and loss is a deeply personal experience. It can affect us physically, emotionally, spiritually and socially. Loss can be felt due to many events including the death of a loved one (including our pets), the end of a relationship, retirement from a long working career or natural disasters to name a few. I believe in honouring your individual experience while providing the tools and support you need to navigate it. My own experience with bereavement led to a career working with grief and loss and it is my honour to walk beside you, offering a safe place to explore your emotions, process your pain and ultimately find a path forward to healing, renewed hope, and resilience.
Experiencing a loss can often leave us feeling emotional, lonely and lost as our core beliefs about who we are and what we had planned for our life are challenged. Once we have established your specific therapy goals in our first session together, our subsequent sessions will combine teaching you about grief (what is it, how does it affect us, what is “normal”) and exploring many facets of the loss and what that means for you (meaning making). I will also teach you strategies for self-care, ensuring you have enough fuel to carry the heavy weight of your grief. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) elements will be employed to address uncomfortable thoughts/emotions (e.g. guilt, anger or shame) and maladaptive behaviours adopted during the grief process. We will also incorporate acceptance and commitment therapy elements with a focus on our value systems and how this leads to purpose and meaning – ultimately the goal is to empower you with decision-making abilities regarding the restoration and direction of your life post-loss. Through this process, there will be an overarching focus on ensuring your emotional needs are supported whilst nurturing social elements to help you feel less lonely during the grief process. Take the first step and book a session with me today toward a journey of support and healing.
The involuntary effects of trauma and PTSD can feel distressing and the thought of embarking on the journey of healing can be daunting – but you don’t have to navigate it alone. I offer a warm and supportive environment where you can feel heard, understood, and empowered. As a psychologist with specialist training from Phoenix Australia (experts in trauma-related care), I will utilise evidence-based treatments such as psychological first aid/critical incident debriefing, trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and exposure therapy (either imaginal or in vivo) to work collaboratively to address the root causes of your distress and equip you with practical tools to manage symptoms effectively.
During our sessions, we’ll delve into your unique experiences and unravel the complexities of your trauma with sensitivity and compassion. Together, through writing assignments and guided discussions, we will identify, explore, and challenge your thought patterns and beliefs associated with your trauma, which promote cognitive and emotional processing. Gradual and systematic exposure, related to trauma memories, thoughts, and situations may be used to process and desensitise themselves to triggers associated with the trauma, which ultimately reduces your emotional reactivity and distress. Grounding techniques such as deep breathing exercises or focusing on sensory experiences or objects/imagery will be taught to help manage any distress or overwhelming emotions that arise by anchoring yourself in the present moment and connecting to your immediate surroundings. Together, we will explore strategies to enhance your feelings of safety and security such as identifying safe spaces, supportive individuals, coping strategies, and emergency contacts to turn to in times of distress. Overall, my approach is not just about managing symptoms; it’s about fostering profound healing and transformation, empowering you to reclaim agency over your life and rewrite the narrative of your past.
By booking a session with me, you’re taking a courageous step towards reclaiming your well-being and embracing a future filled with hope and possibility. Let’s embark on this journey together, guiding you toward a life free from the constraints of trauma and filled with newfound strength and vitality.
Feelings of anxiety, fear, and intrusive thoughts can feel overwhelming and consuming – the good news is working with a psychologist like me can help you embark on a journey toward peace and contentment. I offer a safe and supportive space and together we work on confronting your fears at your pace and develop effective strategies for managing your symptoms. Using evidence-based treatments like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy, we’ll work collaboratively to identify the underlying causes of your anxiety and cultivate practical tools to help you overcome it.
Whether you’re struggling with generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, adjustment disorders, or social anxiety disorder, I am here to provide personalised guidance and support every step of the way. Together, we’ll identify, challenge and replace negative thought patterns commonly associated with anxiety such as catastrophising, mind reading, fortune telling, and overgeneralisation. We will also highlight the role that selective attention has in increasing anxiety and demonstrate the link between perception/anxiety and bodily sensations with psychoeducation. With phobias, we may also gradually expose you to feared situations in a controlled manner (at your pace), empowering you to confront these fears yourself outside of the therapy space. Integrating relaxation methods like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness can help alleviate anxiety symptoms by decreasing physiological arousal and fostering feelings of tranquillity and ease.
Take the first step towards a life free from the limitations of anxiety – book a session with me today and start your journey towards lasting contentment and well-being.
Feelings of depression and low mood can feel heavy, often meaning moments of joy and contentment become rare, and normative functioning is affected. The good news is that help is available, and a brighter future is possible. As a compassionate psychologist with specialist clinical training in depression and mood disorders, I provide a nurturing and non-judgmental space where you can explore the roots of your depression and low mood and learn effective coping mechanisms. Through evidence-based treatments like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), we’ll work together to untangle the complexities of your feelings and thoughts.
Whether you’re battling feelings of depression, major depressive disorder, or any other mood-related challenges, I am here to offer personalised support tailored to your unique needs. Together, we’ll identify, challenge, and replace negative thought patterns associated with depression such as all-or-nothing thinking, catastrophising, and self-blame. I will also teach you skills to increase engagement in rewarding and pleasurable activities to counteract feelings of lethargy and hopelessness commonly experienced in depression. By planning and structuring daily routines to include meaningful and fulfilling activities, we aim to motivate you and lead to a sense of achievement which will overall enhance your mood and sense of wellbeing. Avoidant behaviour will be challenged by teaching you how to confront these behaviours, in a calculated and gradual way (at your pace). Incorporating relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness will assist to alleviate symptoms of depression by reducing physiological arousal and promoting a sense of calm and relaxation.
Take the courageous step towards reclaiming your happiness and well-being – book a session with me today, and let’s embark on a path of healing and hope together.
