Joy Miller

PhD, LCPC, MAC

Joy Miller

Joy Erlichman Miller, Ph.D., is an internationally known licensed psychotherapist, professional trainer and author. Miller is the founder and director of Joy Miller & Associates in Peoria, Illinois. Dr. Miller is an Illinois state Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, as well as a Certified Master Addictions Counselor. Additionally, Dr. Miller has been a part-time instructor at Bradley University and was a faculty member and mentor at Walden University's doctoral psychology program.

A leading authority on relationship issues and Holocaust studies, Dr. Miller has participated in over 150 conferences internationally and has worked with over 15,000 participants in the past twenty years. Miller has been a longtime professional trainer for Health Communications, Inc. (the Chicken Soup publisher), and her professional expertise, energy, enthusiasm and humor has made her a speaker in high demand throughout the country.

A frequent expert on national syndicated television, Dr. Miller has appeared on the Sally Jessy Raphael, Oprah Winfrey, Jenny Jones, Montel Williams and Geraldo Rivera shows. Her works have been featured in various national magazines and over 40 newspapers around the country. Dr. Miller hosted her own radio show for five years on a CBS affiliate radio station (WMBD 1470) and had a weekly mental health segment on the local CBS television station (WMBD-31) from 19991-2008. In 2009, Miller joined the "Central Illinois Home Team" by moving to Peoria's number one television station WEEK-25. Dr. Miller does a weekly segment on Live at Five on Wednesdays, and has hosted health specials and her own interview segment during the noon news on WEEK-TV. The "Ask Dr Joy" segment on NBC-WEEK25 is extremely popular and focuses on mental health issues, with a special emphasis on a fun-filled, highly anticipated segment on Happiness every other week. Miller was also a columnist for the Peoria Times-Observer newspaper, writing a weekly mental health column. She also writes guest columns for the Peoria Woman and Arts & Society.

In 1996, Dr. Miller was presented with the Harold Hodgkinson Dissertation Award for her doctoral dissertation entitled "The Coping Strategies and Adaptation Mechanisms Utilized by Female Holocaust Survivors from the Auschwitz Concentration Camp". Dr. Miller has also been the recipient of the Harold Baer Award and the Outstanding Alumni Award from Bradley University, as well as the Peg Burke Award from the Mental Health Association of Illinois Valley. She has also received the National Association of Social Workers' "Citizen of the Year Award", the Center for the Prevention of Abuse's "Peace Award for Individual Achievement", the YMCA Leadership Award, the 1st annual Outstanding Alumni Award from Walden University, the Peg Burke Award from the Mental Health Association of Illinois Valley, Bradley University ELH Outstanding Alumni Award, an award from the Cancer Center for Healthy Living and numerous other awards.

Miller is the author of seven published books, which include, Following the Yellow Brick Road: The Adult Child's Personal Journey Through Oz; My Holding You Up is Holding Me Back: Over-Responsibility and Shame; Celebrations for Your Inner Child; Addictive Relationships: Reclaiming Your Boundaries; and Love Carried Me Home: Women Surviving Auschwitz, which is an in-depth look at the resilient struggle of 16 women during the Holocaust. All proceeds from the work are donated to the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum. Her latest publications include Cancer: Here's How YOU Can Help ME Cope and Survive, and "I Still See Her Haunting Eyes," the story of a hidden child during the Holocaust. Both the cancer book and the newest Holocaust book were published through BF Press, in which Dr. Miller was a co-owner.

Currently, Dr. Miller is active in numerous projects focused at ending prejudice, intolerance and hatred in our country, including chairing the Button Project, which created a glass memorial to honor the 11 million victims (6 million Jews and the 5 million "other enemies of the state") of the Holocaust, which was written up in USA Today. This unique Peoria Holocaust Memorial has been viewed by over 400,000 individuals throughout the past 10 years.

Dr. Miller also has served on numerous central Illinois boards of directors, including the Mental Health Association, the Junior League, the Center for the Prevention of Abuse, Women's Health Network at Methodist Hospital, Peoria Area Red Cross, the Advisory Board of ELH Education Department / Bradley University and the Children's Hospital of Illinois. Miller was named to the national advisory board of the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center in Baltimore, MD. She was also the co-founder of "Peoria's Teen Crisis Line," which has been in existence for over 30 years serving the Peoria Tri-County Area.

Dr. Miller was the clinical supervisor of the sexual assault department at the Center for the Prevention of Abuse. She is also the co-promoter and co-owner of the Women's Lifestyle Show, which celebrates the power of women, and currently celebrated its 23rd year. Last year the Women's Lifestyle Show brought over 14,000 women to the show, making it the largest women's event in Illinois by empowering women in all facets of their life.

Dr. Miller enjoys photography (check out the photographs that grace the waiting room and building), traveling with her husband and playing with their 5 dogs.