Amber Miller

My Story

Hi, I’m Amber. I started out my professional career as a high school teacher, believing that I could have a significant impact on the lives of my students. After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri, I taught Language Arts on the high school level for two years. As a teacher, the limits of the classroom environment prevented me from reaching many of my troubled students. Not feeling settled with this situation, I pursued a graduate degree from Loyola University Chicago in Community Counseling.
Subsequent to earning my degree, I spent nearly six years working in nonprofit before transitioning to higher education. Having worked at such places as Uhlich Children’s Advantage Network (UCAN), Columbia College Chicago and Loyola University Chicago, I have found an incredible amount of success and satisfaction working with teens and young adults confronted with a wide range of issues. Though some clients come in seeking support with anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, and life changes, among other issues, they all have sought acceptance and understanding as an initial building block for our work together. I believe that trusting, reciprocal relationships become the foundation for change. Once that safety is in place, an individual can begin to reflect upon, and understand, how their own feelings, choices and behaviors have impacted their situation and those around them. This process can look very different for a child vs a teen vs an adult. Positive change then becomes a result of taking this awareness and utilizing one’s own strengths to recognize options available to them and achieve a balance that allows for personal growth and healing.