My Story
Hi, I’m Steiger
PhD Human Attention and Perception,
PCC ICF Professional Certified Coach
I have spent much of my life trying to understand why people do what they do—and why understanding ourselves does not always make change easier.
That curiosity led me into research on human perception and attention, a career in artificial intelligence, and eventually into coaching.
Along the way, I discovered that the mind can know we are safe while the body is still preparing for danger. Insight can explain a pattern without changing what happens in the moments that matter. That gap between understanding and lived change became the center of my work.
Understanding was how I learned to feel safe
Growing up, I often felt different and unsure of where I belonged. Being gay was part of that experience, but the feeling was broader. Other people seemed to understand rules about belonging that I had somehow missed.
Science gave me structure. Achievement gave me a sense of worth. Understanding other people helped me anticipate what they might want.
These strategies served me well—but they did not always help me understand myself, say no, or remain grounded when someone was disappointed in me.
My coaching grew from that realization: insight matters, but lasting change also requires safety, practice, trust, and new experiences.
Steiger Bryke, PhD Human Attention and Perception,
PCC ICF Professional Certified Coach
What shaped my approach
Mind and perception
Systems and complexity
My academic research focused on human perception and attention—how our minds decide what to notice, what to filter out, and how to interpret incomplete information. This helps me understand how expectations, stress, and past experiences shape what feels true in the present.
Body and emotion
Before becoming a coach, I worked as an AI/ML researcher, engineering manager, solutions architect, and product manager. That work trained me to recognize patterns, stay with complexity, and translate insight into practical action—without reducing human problems to formulas.
Through more than 2,500 hours of coaching and training in somatic, mindfulness, and emotional-regulation practices, I learned that change is not only cognitive. Our work can include thoughts, emotions, physical reactions, and real situations from your life.
Additional Training
My work is supported by ongoing study and integration of diverse perspectives on human growth and well-being.
- NLP Master Certification, iNLP Center
- Somatic and body-awareness practices
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Emotional-regulation practices
- Parts-oriented approaches
- Yoga and movement practices