Meet the Team
I created Candela because I know what it is like to move between languages, cultures, roles, and expectations. I also know how powerful it can be to enter a space where you do not have to explain every part of yourself before the real work can begin.
I want people to be free. Free from the patterns they had to build to survive. Free to tell the truth about what hurts. Free to rest, choose, connect, create, and become more fully themselves. I believe the world changes when people are able to heal with honesty and live with greater wholeness. Candela is how I am building toward that world, one person, room, resource, and community at a time.
Hilda H. McClure, MA, LPC
Therapist, educator, builder, and advocate creating spaces where people can heal without leaving culture, language, faith, or identity outside the room.
Founder + CEOHilda McClure, MA, LPC, is a therapist, educator, entrepreneur, and advocate dedicated to helping individuals and communities heal, grow, and thrive. A Licensed Professional Counselor trained in EMDR and Somatic Experiencing, she specializes in working with adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, and the lasting impact of childhood experiences.
As the Founder and CEO of Candela, Hilda brings together over a decade of experience in counseling, education, nonprofit leadership, and organizational development. Her work is rooted in the belief that healing happens not only in the therapy room, but also through strong communities, meaningful relationships, and accessible systems of care.
Previously, Hilda served as Chief Operating Officer of Cannenta Center for Healing and Empowerment, where she helped lead the organization's growth from a small counseling practice into a multi-site mental health organization serving communities across Texas. She played a key role in expanding services, strengthening operational infrastructure, developing clinician training programs, and cultivating community partnerships that increased access to culturally responsive mental health care. She also served as a founding board member of the Cannenta Foundation, supporting initiatives focused on reducing barriers to care and strengthening the pipeline of bilingual and culturally responsive mental health professionals.
In addition to her clinical and leadership work, Hilda serves on the Board of Directors for Mental Health America of Greater Dallas, where she has contributed to strategic planning and organizational sustainability efforts during a pivotal period in the organization's history. She is passionate about supporting the next generation of clinicians, advancing mental health equity, and creating pathways for healing that honor culture, community, and lived experience.
An award-winning advocate and published writer, Hilda is the recipient of the Texas Women's Foundation Emerging Leader Award and an OpEd Project Public Voices Fellow. Her writing has been featured in Self-Care for Chingonas, Hispanic Stars Rising, and various media outlets focused on leadership, culture, and mental health. She is also an Adjunct Professor, speaker, and trainer who has educated clinicians, students, and community leaders on topics related to trauma, resilience, leadership, and culturally responsive care.
Whether she is working with clients, mentoring professionals, teaching students, or building organizations, Hilda remains committed to empowering others and creating spaces where healing, growth, and transformation can flourish.
Denise Delgado, LCSW
Bilingual Therapist for Teens and Adults in Mesquite, Texas
Denise Delgado is a bilingual Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing individual counseling in English and Spanish at Candela Counseling’s Mesquite office. With four years of professional experience, Denise offers warm, culturally responsive therapy for teens and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship concerns, stress, grief, family conflict, and major life transitions.
Denise earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington after completing her bachelor’s degree at Texas Tech University. Her professional background includes extensive experience in hospital and medical social work, where she helped patients and families navigate complex healthcare systems, cope with difficult diagnoses and transitions, and advocate for their emotional and practical needs.
Denise has a special passion for supporting first-generation and BIPOC clients who may be navigating cultural expectations, family pressures, relationships, identity development, or the feeling that they must always be “the strong one.” She understands how generational patterns, cultural identity, family values, and personal experiences can influence mental health and emotional well-being.
Her therapeutic style is warm, empowering, and open-minded. Denise creates a welcoming environment where clients can bring their whole selves, explore past experiences, recognize unhealthy patterns, strengthen boundaries, develop effective coping skills, and create meaningful change. Her clinical approaches include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Motivational Interviewing.
Denise provides support for:
Anxiety and depression
Trauma and PTSD
Stress management
Relationship and family concerns
Cultural and ethnic identity
Grief and loss
Women’s issues
Boundaries and family expectations
Healthcare-related and caregiver stress
Major life transitions
Denise is currently accepting new teen and adult clients for individual therapy at Candela Counseling in Mesquite, Texas. She accepts insurance, including Aetna, Ascension, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Carelon Behavioral Health, Cigna, and additional participating insurance plans. Coverage should be verified before scheduling.