Dyan E. Connelly, PhD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist | California: PSY34498
Hello, and welcome!
“We think too much and feel too little”
I’m Dr. Dyan Connelly (she/her), a born and raised New Yorker, and long-suffering Mets fan. I spent 30 years in NY before moving to Berkeley, CA for grad school, and falling completely in love with California. I think I carry both places with me. The directness and the warmth. The grit and the openness. Growing up in a place where the whole world lives side by side shaped how I see people, and it’s still at the center of how I practice.
My work is science-based, but it’s also very human: warm, collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in real connection. I believe therapy works best when the therapeutic relationship itself becomes a safe, honest space to explore new ways of being. My style is affirming and attuned, professional yet relatable, with a bit of humor to make the hard work of growth feel more approachable.
That same care shapes how I show up for every client. Your history, your culture, the ways the world has shaped what safety and vulnerability means for you. All of it matters here, and none of it is ever beside the point.
My Philosophy & Approach
Bridging the Spaces Between
Most of my work happens in what I think of as the spaces between—the subtle but powerful places where real connection can grow, or where fear and disconnection can quietly take over. When we’re present in these spaces, intimacy deepens, trust and confidence build, and we’re able to move toward what matters. When we’re not, we can start to feel stuck, isolated, and distant from ourselves and others.
In our work together, we'll pay attention to what's happening in those gaps. We'll notice the patterns that keep you disconnected, work to shift them, and find new ways to bridge the distance. We'll focus on three specific areas: the space between you and yourself, the space between you and others, and the space between you and the life you want. Here’s how we’ll approach each one:
the space between us & ourselves
Stress, trauma, and daily demands pull us out of our bodies and away from what we value. We stop noticing what we need, what we feel, what actually matters to us. Research shows that rebuilding awareness of our bodies, emotions, and values is essential for resilience and well-being.
We’ll work together to build that awareness by strengthening your connection to your body and emotions through mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and guided attention to what your body is telling you. We’ll explore your identity in ways that honor your culture, your background, your lived experience, and everything that makes you who you are. We’ll also clarify your values so they can help guide your choices and connect you with who you want to become. Over time, you'll feel more present and at home in yourself.
the space between us & others
I believe the space between people is where meaning lives. It’s in the way we listen, care, show up, and engage with one another. Research on attachment, intimacy, and positivity resonance shows that small moments of connection (i.e., eye contact, shared laughter, a pause to really listen) can build closeness and deepen trust.
Our work will focus on communicating vulnerably, managing defensiveness, de-escalating conflict, and building positivity resonance. We'll practice shifting from a “you vs I” stance to a stronger sense of “we” and learn to build relationships where you don't have to lose yourself to stay connected.
At the same time, intimacy requires discernment. We'll fine-tune your "trust detector" so you can recognize when it's safe to lean in and when boundaries are needed.
the space between us & life we want
What often keeps us from the life we want isn’t a lack of knowing. It’s fear and anxiety. Our minds tell us to stay safe, wait until we feel ready, or avoid risk. But avoidance only makes the gap wider.
We'll shift those patterns by clarifying what matters most and taking small, meaningful steps toward it, even when anxiety shows up. We'll work with the thought patterns that keep you stuck: the self-doubt, the "what ifs," the harsh inner voice. We'll build skills to relate to them differently so they don't dictate your choices, using evidence-based approaches like acceptance and commitment therapy, gradual exposure, and behavioral activation. The goal isn’t to eliminate fear, but to change your relationship with it so it no longer runs your life. With practice, the space between where you are and where you want to be begins to close.
Education & Training
I earned my PhD in Clinical Science from the University of California, Berkeley—one of the nation’s leading programs in clinical psychology—where I spent years studying what brings people closer and what pushes them apart: the moments that build trust, and the patterns that create distance.
I completed my predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the VA Greater Los Angeles and VA Long Beach Healthcare Systems, where I received advanced training in evidence-based treatment for trauma, anxiety, insomnia, and the struggles that don’t fit neatly into categories.
I continue my work with Veterans at the West Los Angeles VA, work I care a whole lot about. Many of the Veterans I work with joined the military looking for structure, purpose, or a way forward from difficult beginnings. They know what it means to feel disconnected from a world that kept going while they were away, and they’re willing to do the hard work of finding their way back. They remind me that change is possible, even when everything says it isn’t.
research background
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Where I started
NYU Family Translational Research Group
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Where i got a chance
Yale Social Gerontology and Health Lab
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Where I landed
Berkeley Psychophysiology Laboratory
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Google Scholar
Publications