Meet Alec Miller, Trauma Therapist in Salt Lake City, Utah
Alec's Story
I’ve always been fascinated by the mind. When I helped my best friend survive a mental health crisis at age 19, I became determined to understand what had gone wrong. I earned an undergraduate degree in neuroscience in 2009 and went on to work in the clinical mental health field.
I later returned to school in 2017 to earn a master’s degree after experiencing trauma of my own. Working with several exceptional therapists who used EMDR and IFS helped me restore my inner peace. That healing showed me the immense power of good therapy, and I knew there was nothing more meaningful I could dedicate my life to.
Being a therapist is deeply important to me. When I get to know someone on a deep level, I’m able to understand what they’re experiencing and where they’re getting stuck. It’s a profound honor to work with each and every person and to help them create the lives they want to live.
Outside the office you'll find me trail running with my GSP puppy dog, trying to get better at golf, and going to classical music concerts (I love anything with the cello!).
Professional Highlights
I have had many formative experiences as a therapist. They have shaped my understanding of the mind and helped me develop a powerful skill set for alleviating suffering.
Most recently, I spent three years as a primary therapist working with first responders with PTSD. Most days, I ran three-hour trauma-processing groups with 8–12 clients, helping them find the courage to face what they have been through. I loved working in intensive treatment, but I was often challenged to find competent therapists to refer graduating clients to. This is part of why I established my own outpatient therapy practice.
Before that, I worked at a residential treatment program that specialized in helping non-binary and trans folks heal from the trauma and discrimination they had faced. Helping people become who they are meant to be was incredibly powerful. A huge part of my work there was helping folks release the deep shame they had carried about who they are and what had happened to them.
A third formative experience was my time working as a wilderness therapy field instructor in Southern Utah. Guiding groups through the elements, cooking dinner over fires we made from sticks, and being away from it all so we could truly be with ourselves taught me a lot about what it means to really be in it together.
Trainings & Certifications
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Advanced IFS Training 2024
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IFS Informed Therapist 2023
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ART Trained Clinician 2022
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EMDR Trained Clinician 2021
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Nationally Certified Counselor 2019
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Utah Licensed CMHC 2020
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Washington Licensed LMHC 2019
Clinical Experience
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Trauma Therapist at Deer Hollow Recovery for First Responders with PTSD
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Residential Treatment Primary Therapist for Corner Canyon Health Center
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Outpatient Mental Health Counselor for Catholic Community Services
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Wilderness Therapy Field Instructor for Evoke
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Homeless Youth Advocate for Volunteers of America
Education
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Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Bastyr University 2019
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Graduate Internship with Catholic Community Services of Western Washington 2018
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Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Neuroscience from UC San Diego 2009
Want to know more about me? Just ask!
It's the very fact that I've entered and emerged from my own darkness that allows me to guide you through yours.
