Alison Miller is a psychotherapist at Wildflower. In her clinical practice, Alison, draws on Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, EMDR, culturally sensitive approaches (e.g. the exploration of existentialism, the dualities of identity in lieu of the social, racial, cultural spheres of your human experience); I also have clinical training in Psychodynamic Theory, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Mindfulness-meditation, Trauma informed therapy, Relational exposure therapy, Solution Focused Behavioral Therapy, Person centered therapy and Strengths-based modalities Alison works with adolescents, adults, couples, and family structures experiencing stressful transitions including the transition to parenthood, grief/loss, trauma, sexual challenges, and relationships. Alison has experience in addressing anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia co-occurring conditions, and substance abuse. Alison is also a trauma-informed EMDR Trained therapist. She obtained her master’s degree at The University of Chicago. Read Alison’s full bio here.
What inspired you to pursue a career as a psychotherapist?
I enjoy learning about what makes each person unique and about the varying life-experiences that have shaped their internal world (e.g. thoughts, emotions, and behavior). I also enjoy helping others and being a part of their healing journey.
As a psychotherapist, what part of your job is most satisfying?
I enjoy seeing clients’ growth, change, and healing unfold over time.
How would you describe your therapeutic approach?
Person-centered, compassionate care, focused on client’s strengths
Why do you believe that psychotherapy can help?
It can take time to understand ourselves and sometimes there are vulnerable parts of ourselves that we are not quite ready to face alone. It can help to face these parts of ourselves with someone who is safe, who we trust, and who can help us heal.
What are some of your specialties and what drew you to them?
Mindfulness-meditation, Somatic Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy; EMDR; T-CBT (trauma informed CBT). I feel that I can integrate the therapeutic approaches above seamlessly into my practice; I notice that when integrating these approaches, clients often see more improvement in their treatment progress over time
What is one thing about psychotherapy you wish everyone knew?
It is therapy for the mind the same way that there is therapy for the body. The body and mind are interconnected, when there is a problem with the mind it can manifest in the body and when there is a problem that occurs with our mind it can appear in our body. Stress and other mental health problems can also show up in our body (“the body keeps the score”). If you neglect either your body or mind, you cannot expect your whole well-being or health to be intact.
What is your motto or personal mantra?
Not everything needs an answer right away. Sometimes answers come much later, after we have sat with ourselves or experienced life.
What are your favorite self-care activities?
Playing with my dog, watching anime, exercising, and baking.
