About Me

Heyyyy friend!!!!! I’m Kandice Nelson, founder of BeUChooseU Therapy—and I believe healing starts with honesty. Real honesty. The kind that tells the truth about where you’ve been, what you’ve carried, and how it’s shaped you. Therapy isn’t about pretending to have it all together; it’s about showing up as you are. So before I ask you to trust me with your story, I want you to know mine.

I grew up in a home that was always full—full of people, noise, love, chaos, and survival. As the oldest daughter in a family of ten children, six of whom came to us through the foster care system, I learned responsibility early. I didn’t just grow up alongside my siblings—I helped raise them. I learned how to lead, protect, and hold things together, often before I knew how to do those things for myself. Trauma was present, even when it wasn’t named. Pain existed alongside love. We didn’t talk about healing—we endured. We adapted. We kept going. But endurance has a cost, and over time I learned that surviving isn’t the same as being whole. 

I believe we deserve more than strength born from struggle. We deserve rest, softness, and the freedom to heal without apology. My own healing journey has required me to unlearn what was normalized, confront what was silenced, and challenge patterns passed down for generations. I’ve seen how unspoken pain shows up in our bodies, our relationships, and our choices. Healing, for me, has been about breaking cycles, reclaiming my voice, and choosing myself—again and again. That lived experience is what led me to this work.

 Professionally, I’ve spent years working with children and families impacted by trauma. I’ve supported children finding their voices, walked alongside families in crisis within child welfare systems, and worked with youth involved in the juvenile justice system as they navigated accountability, healing, and change. I don’t just understand trauma from textbooks—I’ve lived close to it, witnessed it, and worked within its systems.

At BeUChooseU Therapy, I create spaces where honesty is welcome, where your story doesn’t need to be softened or explained, and where healing isn’t rushed. My story is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: I am committed to helping people turn pain into power, silence into voice, and survival into something deeper—something that feels like freedom.