KY A. MILLER, MSW, LCSW

---

 Hey,  hey - thank you for stopping by to learn a little bit more about what  you might experience working with me.  Overall, my approach is  intentional toward transforming the way we relate with ourselves and  others, as opposed to teaching clients merely how to cope. Coping skills  can be live-saving; however, we truly can transform our psyche to  create more compassionate internal systems. 

My  primary clinical focus is working with clients who endure challenges in  self-concept (think self-worth, self-esteem, sense of self,  relationship with self), relationships with others, and rediscovering  ourselves after enduring trauma (developmental, sexual, relational, and  more!). 

Many  people who seek my services say that they recognize relational or  behavioral patterns they would like to change, have challenges with  self-esteem, or areas in which they are "stuck." I am an inclusive and  comprehensive practitioner, celebrating the unique attributes of each  individual, guiding toward reduction of inner conflict/turmoil while  supporting discovery of our most authentic selves.

• attachment-focused and trauma-informed
• family systems, including the acknowledgement of intergenerational trauma
• psychodynamic (how the past impacts the present)
• IFS/parts work, EMDR, with traces of CBT/DBT and bibliotherapy

*I am not accepting clients who solely seek letter-writing services.

I work with teens, young adults, and adults (plus their family members!) who experience:

• anxiety
• low self-esteem, negative self-talk, lack of confidence
• childhood trauma (physical/emotional/sexual abuse)
• relational/attachment trauma (changes in caregivers, divorce,  emotionally absent parents, break-ups with significant others, betrayal)
• traits consistent with Borderline Personality Disorder 

                      (this is relational/attachment/developmental trauma)

• sleep disturbances/insomnia
• those who experience challenges with family relationships/social   pressures and/or lack of inclusion related to their gender identity  and/or sexual orientation

LGBTQ+ affirming, competent, and experienced space! 

Enhancing self esteem

• correct negative self-talk
• build a stronger sense of/relationship with self
• improve confidence

Healthy relationships/cycle-breaking

• identify key pillars of relational health
• explore your attachment style and repair
• explore your boundary style and move toward establishing healthier boundaries 
• enhance effective communication 
• understand safe/unsafe relationships

Family functionality and parenting support

• help family members understand needs behind behaviors
• effective behavior management strategies
• communication, boundaries, and building healthy relationships that last across the lifespan
• explore family values 

Also,  let's consider how neurodivergence (ND) might manifest in your world,  possibly impacting mental health, well-being, and overall function. ND  affirming and competent. 

As the Director of Community Impact, Ky provides direction to the Light Source therapist collective by upholding the key social work principle to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all  people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people  who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s dual  focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of  society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental  forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.

In order to build stronger communities and improve the quality of life for the people living in them, Ky is focused on community impact through community-based needs assessments, educational initiatives, supporting those in helping professions, and advocacy. Other projects include suicide prevention, opioid remediation/risk reduction, and mental health conference planning.

For more information about education, consultation, or training, please visit the ALIGN page.

Ky earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications at California State University, Bakersfield and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Boston University. Ky holds independent licensure in Missouri (LCSW 202301268), and in Illinois (LCSW 149.025630).

Ky completed an advanced clinical practicum in a sexual trauma specialty program. Through this program, Ky worked extensively with clients who had experienced severe relational, developmental, and sexual trauma. 

Working through psychodynamic, attachment/relational, and trauma-informed approaches, Ky conceptualizes relational challenges through a trauma-informed lens allowing for intergenerational healing to occur. Ky believes that because trauma occurs within relationships, trauma can be healed through relationships. Whether that is relationship with a spouse, your parent, or your therapist, we will also examine relationship with self, nutrition, sleep, and many other things. 

Ky's areas of specialization include relational/developmental complex trauma, which lends well to parenting and family systems work.