The Courage to Be Your Real Self – An Interview with Spiritual Coach & Author, Candace van Dell
- Mar 2
- 6 min read
From model and actress to globally recognized spiritual coach, Candace van Dell transformed her own wounds into wisdom. In this powerful interview, she shares how highly sensitive and neurodivergent individuals can heal shame-based identities, break toxic cycles, and awaken to the truth of who they are.
Candace van Dell, Spiritual Coach/ Executive Coach, Author, Speaker
Who is Candace van Dell?
I describe myself as the family scapegoat who became the cycle breaker. I grew up highly sensitive, and my differences became obvious early in school. I was diagnosed with ADHD at age seven, and in the 1980s, I was the only student in my school with that diagnosis.
From a young age, I asked deeper questions, which led me to discover my spiritual gifts and a passion to study universal laws. At age 16, I had an out-of-body experience that was also my Spiritual awakening. I came into understandings of my life, my path and why I was born perfect for my purpose. Bringing the awakening back into the real world posed challenges to stay connected to my true self in a world that did not reflect this. After years of self-doubt and trying to prove my worth through modeling and acting, I entered a deep healing journey with my inner child. I went to school to get my Master's in Spiritual Psychology, and this is when I stepped into my higher purpose as a healer and coach for others on the path of awakening.
Without a guide, I used my own experiences and insights to understand my abilities. I discovered that our differences are actually the power we hold to make a difference, to see the world from a new perspective, and bring forward new insights. I coach people from all walks of life who have emotional wounds to heal from being too conscious for the dysfunctional systems they were born into. My struggles were what brought me into my bigger purpose. Highly sensitive people. Neurodivergent people don’t have an accurate mirror. We fall into disempowerment, but we are also the ones who need to be empowered to lead a new consciousness. The wounds look like self-doubt, autoimmune, toxic relationship dynamics, and more.
These insights led me to create online courses, a membership community, and an international coaching practice I’m deeply proud of. I also host retreats around the world and run a popular YouTube channel and podcast.
This April, my book is being released. It tells the story of being too conscious for this world, how being highly sensitive and neurodivergent carries a calling to elevate consciousness by first awakening to our true nature.
What inspired you to shift from modeling and acting into spiritual coaching and healing?
As a teenager, I knew I wanted to be a spiritual psychologist. That field didn’t exist yet, but I understood there were deeper root causes behind emotional pain and the symptoms it creates in our lives and bodies.
Since that major wasn’t available, I followed my dream of modeling and acting. The week I graduated high school, I flew to Tokyo for my first major modeling contract. I completed college online while traveling and lived in Japan, Germany, Greece, New Zealand, and many other places over a decade.
Eventually, I settled in Los Angeles and worked as an actress as well. Around the Saturn Return period – ages 28 to 32 – when many people are called into deeper healing and realignment, I discovered a master’s program in Spiritual Psychology. That’s when my true purpose work began.
How do you define the transformation you help your clients achieve?
I guide clients to remove emotional blocks, heal wounds, and step into the truth of who they are. This dissolves the shame-based identity and replaces it with the understanding that we are born perfect for our purpose.
Rather than searching the outside world for validation, I teach people how to anchor a secure sense of self so they move through life with steady confidence. When this happens, purpose naturally unfolds because they’re living as their authentic self. I also teach people how to stop praying to false idols in the form of praying to the God of opinions, status, beautiful, achievement. The real idol is found in a connection to God. Once we recognize that society is not God, we can then come home to empowering the authentic self and living our true purpose.
I also help clients break toxic relationship cycles and stop self-abandonment. Everything is interconnected. When we are not yet available to the deepest level of ourselves, we can not attract a mirror that is fully available. My shadow work courses and worthiness courses are designed to integrate the inner child and no longer attract or be attracted to toxic cycles. This is all about building the secure attachment to self.
What are the core emotional or spiritual wounds you help people heal most often?
The most common wounds include:
Identity struggles, anchoring self-worth
Family and relationship toxicity, scapegoat, feeling different than the tribe
Self-abandonment and self-sabotage
Trauma bonds and withdrawal, avoidant partners
Being highly sensitive in an emotionally unconscious world. Finding purpose and making money
We often attract unavailable partners until we become fully available to ourselves. Healing happens when we claim every part of our truth and stop abandoning the self. As we come into our true identity, we also attract true abundance.
How does your soul-centered coaching differ from traditional therapy or self-help?
I don’t diagnose. I work with what I call spiritual “dis-ease” – emotional wounds that manifest physically in the body.
Somatic release is a major part of the process. As emotional healing occurs, physical symptoms often improve. Subconscious beliefs drive our patterns until we bring awareness to triggers and consciously upgrade them.
What does living in alignment with your true self look like in everyday life?
Living in alignment feels like grace and ease. It’s no longer protecting the heart but allowing life to flow in.
Our ability to manifest and experience synchronicity is directly tied to emotional openness. When we avoid painful feelings, we also block abundance.
Money and love carry the same energetic frequency. When someone is in survival mode – financially or emotionally – they’re disconnected from the self. When flow and healthy relationships return, alignment is restored.
What are the biggest misconceptions about spiritual healing and inner work?
Many people think it’s “woo-woo.” My work is actually very grounded and practical. I break complex ideas into simple, relatable concepts.
Another fear is facing painful emotions. I remind clients that what they fear discovering about themselves is usually the biggest lie they carry. Most people fear they’re not enough – when the truth is they are worthy beyond measure.
How do you help clients break patterns like self-abandonment, toxic relationships, and codependency?
It begins with understanding early attachment wounds. When someone grows up with inconsistent emotional mirroring, they develop an uncertain identity and seek validation from unavailable sources.
I call this “depending on the undependable.”
Through emotional validation, inner child healing, and aligned action steps, clients rebuild trust with themselves. Once that happens, toxic relationships naturally fall away.
Can you share a powerful client breakthrough?
One client came to me after struggling with chronic fatigue for 30 years. Her body had learned to shut down as a way to avoid emotional pain and feeling unseen.
As we worked together, she reclaimed her truth, healed family dynamics, and stopped scapegoating herself. Her energy returned, and her life transformed.
After decades of being nearly bedridden, she traveled thousands of miles to attend my retreat in the Caribbean. Today, she’s thriving in every area of her life.
What tools do you teach to help people access and trust their inner wisdom?
Inner child integration is the foundation of my work. Many people talk about it, but don’t know how to truly implement it.
In my programs, I guide clients step by step through healing specific ages and emotional wounds. This often brings forward what I call “melting memories,” where past experiences resurface to be integrated in an empowered way.
How can someone know if they’re ready for deeper healing or which program to start with?
If someone recognizes patterns, emotional struggles, or a desire for purpose, they’re ready.
I usually recommend starting with my Truth Room membership to experience live coaching and community healing. From there, people often move into group inner work or one-on-one sessions.
I also offer self-guided courses – Emotional Rehab, Shadow Work, and I Am Worthy – which many clients love.
What’s the first step someone should take to begin their healing journey with you?
Start with the Truth Room membership for a month and see how it resonates. From there, a one-on-one session can help determine the best next step.
I also offer free resources through YouTube, my masterclass, and daily Instagram content.
My upcoming book will dive deeply into this journey as well. After 13 years of coaching thousands of clients worldwide, my life has become the curriculum I teach, and nothing brings me more joy than watching people thrive.
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