Ardella (Della) VanDyke, LICSW

Ardella (Della) VanDyke is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience who helps people cope when life feels overwhelming. She supports individuals facing depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, and stress related to major life changes. Della is based in Minnesota and works in English.

Her sessions are practical and down-to-earth. She listens first, then helps people name what matters to them and take small steps forward. Conversations often focus on improving communication, managing strong emotions, and rebuilding self-worth after loss or difficult choices.

Della draws on several approaches to tailor care to each person. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and move toward a meaningful life, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns, and Client-Centered Therapy to make space for a person’s own insights. She also incorporates tools from Dialectical Behavior Therapy when emotion regulation and distress tolerance are central concerns.

She has worked for many years with people facing caregiver stress, chronic illness and pain, and the isolation that can come with major life shifts. Sessions address practical problems like communication breakdowns, codependency, and substance use alongside deeper themes such as shame, abandonment, and life purpose.

To begin, readers can use the site’s Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability. Cost varies by location and the service uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How Della’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people identify what matters to them and take small, values-driven steps despite difficult thoughts or feelings. It is useful for depression, grief, chronic illness adjustment, and making life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on spotting unhelpful thoughts and testing them with real-life experiments. This approach is often used for anxiety, low mood, and stress-related problems by teaching clear skills to shift thinking and behavior.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes listening, empathy, and supporting a person’s own insights. It is helpful when someone needs a steady, nonjudgmental space to sort through emotions and rebuild self-esteem.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences, and then recommend approaches or combine techniques. This happens collaboratively so plans can be adjusted as progress is made.

Confirm which session formats are offered before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by reducing travel, allowing shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, and offering alternatives when video is not suitable. Talk with the therapist about which format would best fit your routine and the issues you want to address.