Candice Moran, Psy.D., PMH-C

Professional Background

Dr. Candice N. Moran earned their Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and completed their Doctoral Internship at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, working in both the counseling center and the LGBTQ+ Center. Prior to joining CESS, they spent nine years at the University of Central Missouri providing individual, couples, and group therapy to students, and serving as the coordinator of the Safe Zone program, where they offered campus and community-wide consultation on allyship and creating inclusive environments.

As a queer, nonbinary, and AuDHD therapist, Dr. Moran's clinical practice is grounded in an integrative theoretical framework informed by intersectional feminist therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), relational-cultural theory (RCT), and systems theories. They work from a trauma-responsive, strengths-based, and neuro-affirmative perspective and are deeply committed to anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and decolonizing practices.

Clinical Interests & Specialties

• Minoritized gender and sexual identities/expressions
• Neurodivergence and neurodivergent identities
• Intersectional identities & social justice
• Navigating institutional stressors: Addressing the mental health impacts of dysfunctional systems, working to disrupt systemic harm, and cultivating self-advocacy and activism.
• Perinatal & reproductive mental health: Dedicated to supporting individuals and relational partners through the full continuum of reproductive experiences—including family planning, abortion decision-making and post-abortion care, fertility/infertility challenges, pregnancy loss, birth trauma, transition to parenthood, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and supporting birthing persons and non-gestational partners of all genders.
• Healing from relational, systemic, and complex trauma (including PTSD and C-PTSD)
• Identity development & life transitions (e.g., transition to parenthood, academic/career shifts)
• Relationship & sexual intimacy counseling (including couples, polycules, and ENM relationships)
• Campus consultation and community outreach

Specialized Training & Certifications

• Perinatal Mental Health Certified (PMH-C): Dr. Moran pursued this specialization to provide deeply affirming, intersectional support during the complex transition to parenthood. Navigating family-building, pregnancy, and the postpartum period comes with unique joys, traumas, and systemic barriers—especially for LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent individuals. Their goal is to hold a safe, empowering space that honors diverse pathways to parenthood.

• EMDR Trained: Utilizes Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to help clients process distressing memories, resolve lingering fight, flight, freeze, or appease responses, and allow the brain's natural healing processes to resume.

Campus & Community Engagement

In addition to clinical work at CESS, Dr. Moran co-facilitates the KUMC Prism LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group, advocating for enhanced visibility, fostering community, and empowering systemic change. They also provide educational outreach and consultation across campus and in the broader community to improve environments for historically excluded individuals.

In their free time, you’ll often find them doing an art or craft project, tackling a puzzle, watching a movie, building Lego creations, or going on an adventure with their twin kiddos and their partner. They also enjoy audiobooks—which absolutely is a valid form of reading! Dr. Moran has written for the Kansas City queer magazine ROAR, served on the board of various local non-profit organizations, and remains active in volunteering, activism, and advocacy work on local, statewide, and national levels.