Jonathan G. Miller, M.A.

Registered Psychological Associate

CA Reg: 94027982

Supervisor: Deborah R. Bates, Psy.D.

Treatment Specialties & Clinical Interests

Jonathan provides psychotherapeutic and assessment services for children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. In psychotherapy, he utilizes the integration of systems and psychodynamic perspectives to understand three interdependent factors that he believes primarily influence people: their internal dynamics, their ways of relating to others, and socio-cultural impacts (often including worldview and religious traditions). These are the frameworks within which he has predominantly sought training throughout his coursework and clinical rotations in terms of helping people heal and become who they desire to be. The integration of these modalities fits well with who he is as he considers it important to make meaning of the diversity of experiences and in-depth processes that shape our lives. He believes that each person has values and strengths to be identified and capitalized on to enact the desired change each person comes to therapy for. Jonathan also integrates a variety of techniques into treatment to help people function in the ways that they desire.

For Jonathan, the treatment process begins with building rapport to make each person feel deeply understood and safe in the therapeutic relationship while constructing an understanding of the goals and objectives for treatment. After treatment has begun, his focus is to instill trust through a collaborative process while developing an efficient yet thorough understanding of biopsychosocial factors that contribute to the presenting problem. In this process, he believes that considering underlying internal dynamics in treatment means uncovering together how each person has come to uniquely experience their world and how they have adaptively protected themselves from painful emotions, thoughts, memories, and experiences that may contribute to their presenting issues. This also includes considering the biological, hereditary, and physiological influences sustaining each person’s concerns. Interpersonally, he is informed by theory that holds the view that each person’s deep desire is to maintain a relational connection with others. Lastly, he often utilizes a family systems approach to understand how overlapping systems influence and impact each person’s mental health.

Jonathan has a special interest in working with chronic relationship problems among individuals and couples. He also has a deep interest in working with issues related to identity construction and religious and spiritual concerns in psychotherapy.

Education & Experience

Jonathan received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Northwestern, St. Paul. He received his Master’s degree in clinical psychology in 2022, and he is currently working toward his Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University. He is currently applying for his predoctoral internship to fulfill his final year of doctoral education. He has completed clinical training rotations for community mental health, public schools, university counseling, and psychiatric hospitals for both assessment and psychotherapy. He has also received supplemental training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, other trauma-informed modalities sand tray and play therapy for children, emotion-focused therapy for couples, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Faith and Spirituality

Jonathan is a Christian and attends a church and small group with his wife. He believes religious, existential, and spiritual traditions to be important aspects of each person’s identity to be respected in psychotherapeutic work. He also recognizes that religion and spirituality are aspects of diversity for each person and uniquely inform mental health for each person. Therefore, he works from a culturally sensitive position when addressing religion and spirituality in treatment. In psychotherapy specifically, he follows the wishes of each client throughout the process of therapy of whether they would like to have this facet of their experience of the world brought into treatment. He maintains a sensitive, yet curious, stance toward the diversity of experiences each person may have in their relationship to their spiritual, existential, or religious tradition. For those who wish to have this facet of their lived experience brought into therapy, Jonathan works integratively with the psychological and spiritual facets of the human experience while conducting psychotherapy with clients who have a deep commitment to their tradition.