About
Leigh Ann Van Dyke, LPCC
Online Trauma Therapist for California and Michigan Residents
Beyond Talk Therapy
Helping You Move Beyond Survival Mode and Into Integrated Healing
I am here to help you move toward real,
sustainable change
Many people arrive at therapy after putting time and effort into understanding themselves. They have read the books, listened to the podcasts, and worked with therapists. Even with insight, something can still feel unresolved.
Stress or emotional patterns may continue to appear in ways that feel out of your control. You might feel overtaken by emotions or alternating between overwhelm and shutdown.
These patterns often live not only in your thoughts, but in how your body responds. This is not a personal failure. It is your nervous system working hard to protect you.
The goal is not to override these responses, but to listen to them, work with them, and allow them to shift over time. I offer a warm, nervous system-informed space where we slow down together, explore what is showing up, and gently rebuild safety in your body.
Our work includes cultivating awareness of your body's signals, supporting regulation through somatic practices, and creating space for lasting change—at a pace that honors your system.
My story
This Work Is Personal and Deeply Meaningful to Me
I have always been drawn to the emotional dimensions of life. I am interested in the hidden struggles and unspoken feelings that shape who we are. I see in them not weakness, but the complexity and courage of being human. This curiosity led me to study psychology, engage deeply in my own therapy, and explore what truly fosters lasting healing and growth.
Even with insight and helpful tools, I found myself stuck in cycles of tension and hypervigilance. My system remained braced, as if it were always preparing for something to go wrong. I now understand this as a nervous system in protective overdrive—not a flaw, but a survival response.
I found ways to respond with care rather than urgency
Things began to shift when I stopped trying to think my way through everything and started connecting with my body. I began to listen more closely to what my nervous system was communicating and found ways to respond with care rather than urgency. That shift opened the door to trauma-focused work, nervous system practices, and a deeper understanding of healing through regulation.
These are the same approaches I now gently incorporate into my work with clients. They have become a meaningful part of how I support others, not only through training but also through ongoing personal exploration. This work continues to shape how I live, how I relate, and how I hold space for the healing process.
There is something profoundly powerful about the moment a client realizes
This is not dysfunction. It’s a survival response rooted in wisdom.
When that understanding begins to take hold, shame starts to lift. The body softens. Healing becomes more possible.
I feel honored to support clients as they:
Each step toward internal regulation and wholeness is a privilege to witness. It is a reminder of the strength and wisdom every person carries, even when it has been hidden by pain or survival responses.
I know this path
Because I Have Walked It Too
My own healing journey has shaped me as much as any professional training
In graduate school, I discovered Internal Family Systems (IFS), which helped me connect with my internal experience with more compassion and clarity. This became a turning point in my own healing and opened the door to deeper work in trauma processing, nervous system healing, and emotional integration.
I started to understand why I felt overwhelmed under stress, why I pushed myself to the point of exhaustion, and why my body reacted even when I cognitively knew I was safe. Learning how trauma impacts the nervous system gave me not only a new language for these experiences but, more importantly, practical tools to begin shifting those patterns.
Today, I draw from this framework in my work with clients to support deeper self-understanding, lasting nervous system change, and a stronger foundation of inner calm and clarity. I understand how frustrating it can feel to do inner work and still feel stuck. And I have seen how meaningful change becomes possible when the nervous system is brought into the healing process.
What You Can Expect in Our Work Together
I offer a calm, grounded space where you can explore what feels stuck without pressure or judgment
My presence is steady, warm, and clear. When it feels right, I bring a thoughtful sense of humor into our work. Many clients tell me they feel safe with me quickly and that our sessions feel both deeply supportive and genuinely real.
Our work will always honor your nervous system’s natural pace. Together, we will gently support your system in shifting out of survival mode and into greater capacity for regulation, connection, and internal safety.
Talking is helpful, but lasting change often happens when the body starts to feel safe too. Many people come to me after realizing that even though they understand their patterns intellectually, they still feel anxious, reactive, or disconnected. That is where nervous system-informed therapy can make a real difference.
What You Can Expect in
Our Work Together
You will be supported in growing a felt sense of safety and capacity so healing can unfold from the inside out.
In our sessions, we will focus on:
My Background and Training
I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan, with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. My career has included work in therapy, education, and student services, with a foundation in neurofeedback, ADHD, executive functioning strategies, and learning disability testing and individualized support.
I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from San Diego State University and my Master of Science in Counseling from California State University, Fresno. I am licensed as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) in California and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan.
In addition to my academic background, I have completed specialized training in relational counseling, trauma-informed therapy, and attachment styles, as well as certification in nervous system regulation. I also have training in neurofeedback, ADHD strategies, executive functioning coaching, and learning disability support. This combination of education, licensure, and advanced training allows me to provide integrative, individualized care that helps clients build resilience, strengthen relationships, and achieve personal growth.
Nervous System Regulation Tools, which help shift chronic stress patterns into more integrated and responsive ways of being
Attachment and Early Relationship Patterns, focusing on how developmental experiences shape our capacity for trust, connection, and emotional safety
Trauma-Informed Care, grounded in deep respect for how the body and mind adapt to survive difficult experiences
My work blends current neuroscience, practical tools, and deep respect for your lived experience. I am here to help you move from survival into a more connected, calm, and embodied way of living.
On a Personal Note
I absolutely love living in Southern California
In my free time, I enjoy traveling and experiencing the world through different cultures and perspectives.
I am also a mother to two wonderful children—a son and a daughter—and share life with my husband and our two dogs, Kai and Benny. If we meet virtually, you may catch a glimpse of the dogs now and then.
They are a beloved part of my world and often a gentle reminder of the importance of connection, presence, and play.
Let's begin
There is a path forward
You do not have to keep pushing through or trying
to think your way into healing
It is possible to feel more calm, more connected, and more at home within yourself. If this approach resonates with you, I would be honored to walk with you.
Schedule your free 20-minute consultation to explore whether this support feels right for you.