Ardella (Della) VanDyke

Warm, experienced LICSW guiding practical change

LICSW Minnesota

Experience: 25 years in practice
Focus areas: Addictions, Relationship, Grief
Approaches: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages: English

About Ardella

Ardella (Della) VanDyke brings 25 years of experience as a Minnesota-licensed therapist to people facing a wide range of emotional and life challenges. She focuses on helping clients cope with depression, anxiety, grief, addiction-related concerns, and stress tied to major life transitions.

Background and approach

Della emphasizes building self-esteem, improving communication, and working through feelings of guilt, shame, and isolation while supporting practical change and personal growth. Her practice blends several evidence-informed methods, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), client-centered techniques, and existential perspectives.

Those approaches are used to help clients identify unhelpful patterns, clarify values, and develop skills for managing emotions and relationships. Della aims to create a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where clients can explore their concerns, strengthen resilience, and work toward clearer purpose and healthier coping.

Based in Minnesota and licensed as an LICSW, she works with a broad set of issues such as relationship struggles, parenting challenges, chronic illness or pain, caregiver stress, and substance use concerns. Sessions blend practical skill-building with reflective exploration to meet each person’s individual needs.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Ardella (Della) VanDyke integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy among her primary approaches. CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression and to improve everyday functioning. ACT helps people clarify their values, accept difficult internal experiences, and commit to meaningful actions, which can be useful for grief, chronic health challenges, and life transitions.

Finding the right approach is collaborative; Della works with each person to determine which methods fit their goals, preferences, and current needs. She combines practical skill-building with reflective exploration so clients can experiment with different strategies and adjust the plan as progress unfolds.

Online therapy with Della is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which supports flexibility for scheduling and access from varying locations. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care during life transitions, handle ongoing stressors, and engage in brief check-ins or longer sessions depending on what a client needs.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?

She works with an extensive range of issues including addictions, depression, anxiety, grief, stress, relationship and intimacy-related difficulties, parenting, anger, self-esteem, and trauma and abuse.

What is her general therapeutic style?

Her approach is warm and supportive, blending practical skills training with reflective, client-centered exploration to help clients build resilience and improve communication.

How much clinical experience does she have?

She brings 25 years of clinical experience working with diverse mental health and life-transition concerns.

What credentials and location apply to her practice?

She is licensed as an LICSW with Minnesota license number MN LICSW 15683 and practices in Minnesota.

Does she conduct sessions in other languages or accept international clients?

She provides services in English and is not currently accepting international clients.

Which session formats are offered?

Sessions are available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences.

How are fees and subscriptions handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

What steps are needed to begin therapy with her?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

AddictionsRelationship issuesGrief Depression Coping with life changes

Also works with

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteem

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCo-morbidityCodependencyCommunication problemsDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shame Isolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveWomen's issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Existential TherapyNarrative TherapySolution-Focused Therapy

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

Minnesota

Languages

English