Courtney Miller, PsyD, Licensed Christian Psychologist

As Executive Pastor, I serve as a primary operational and pastoral leader, working alongside my husband to translate vision into consistent, healthy, and effective ministry execution. My role centers on strengthening the church from the ground up—shepherding leaders, developing systems, and ensuring that what God reveals at the leadership level is faithfully implemented in the life of the church. I oversee ministry departments and provide coaching, support, and accountability to leaders across teams. Through structured rhythms, leadership development, and operational oversight, I help ensure that each department is aligned, resourced, and moving forward with clarity and excellence. Key areas of focus include: • Leadership development and coaching across departments • Operational systems, planning, and execution • Ministry health, engagement, and performance tracking • Sunday service and event execution • Culture building, alignment, and team accountability • Strategic partnership with senior leadership This role requires both spiritual discernment and practical leadership—holding the tension of shepherding people while building systems that support long-term impact. At the core of my work is a commitment to developing healthy leaders, sustainable ministries, and a church culture rooted in faith, excellence, and transformation.

I serve as Director of Belonging at Encounter Church, overseeing eGroups, the Care Team, the Connect Team, and the Mental Health Team. In this role, I lead the development of systems and teams that foster connection, discipleship, and holistic care, helping individuals move from first-time guests to engaged members of the church community. I collaborate with pastoral leadership to integrate mental health support, strengthen volunteer leadership, and cultivate a culture of belonging.

Thrive Christian Psychological Services is a California-based telehealth psychology practice providing Christian therapy for adults, with a focus on women, couples, and ministry leaders navigating emotionally and spiritually demanding seasons of life. Founded by Dr. Courtney Miller, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, the practice was created from a deep conviction that emotional healing and spiritual growth belong together. TCPS exists to support individuals who are capable, faithful, and responsible yet overwhelmed, burned out, or quietly struggling under the weight of anxiety, relationship stress, leadership fatigue, perfectionism, and identity transitions. My work centers on helping clients: • Move through anxiety, burnout, and emotional overload • Navigate relationship challenges and life transitions • Build healthier emotional, relational, and spiritual foundations • Develop sustainable rhythms for life, leadership, and family Clinical care at TCPS integrates evidence-based psychological treatment (including CBT, psychodynamic, narrative, and relational approaches) with Christian counseling, when requested. Faith integration is always optional, collaborative, and client-directed, and may include prayer, Scripture, and spiritual reflection alongside psychological care. Thrive Christian Psychological Services offers private-pay psychotherapy in a confidential, supportive setting and welcomes professional referrals from clinicians, pastors, and ministry leaders. 🔗 www.thrivechristiantherapy.com

Thrive Collective equips Christian women and professionals to build purpose-driven, sustainable lives, businesses, and ministries. Founded by Dr. Courtney Miller, Thrive bridges psychology, faith, and strategy to help women move from feeling stuck to taking clear, consistent action in what God has called them to build. Through faith-rooted coaching, live workshops, and community-based programs, Thrive provides the clarity, structure, and support needed to grow with intention, without burnout or striving. Our work integrates: • Biblical wisdom • Psychological insight • Practical systems and strategy Thrive serves women who are: • Clarifying their calling and direction • Building businesses, ministries, or creative work • Seeking sustainable rhythms for long-term growth • Desiring alignment between faith, purpose, and daily life In addition, Dr. Miller provides professional development training for psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows, equipping early-career clinicians to build sustainable, values-aligned practices that support both professional excellence and personal well-being. Through workshops, trainings, and community experiences, Thrive helps individuals: • Clarify vision and mission • Build aligned offers and work • Develop systems, rhythms, and boundaries • Grow with clarity, confidence, and consistency At Thrive, success is not measured by productivity alone, but by living with peace, purpose, and alignment with God’s calling. Speaking & Training Dr. Miller partners with churches, organizations, and clinical training programs to deliver workshops and trainings on: • Faith, mindset, and purpose • Emotional health and burnout prevention • Building sustainable, values-aligned work and leadership • Integrating faith and psychology in practice For speaking or training inquiries, connect via LinkedIn or email to discuss your event or team’s needs.

Provide organizational consulting to non-profits around Culture Assessment, Strategic Planning and Program Development. Coach over 100 urban, low-income young adults between the ages of 21-35 on transforming their physical, mental, emotional, financial, and spiritual well-being to create a well-balanced individual Develop and implement comprehensive curriculums that teach skills such as goal planning, financial planning and budgeting, and nutrition to equip clients towards creating and committing to goal-oriented action plans Manage all social media marketing to attract new business and promote events successfully increasing client base by 100% Established solid foundation of community and relationship building to increase our impact to over 100 people Successfully assisted over 10 clients in launching new businesses ranging from creative arts (dance, acting, music, art), writers, consultants, teachers, and more Facilitate bi-weekly client sessions over the phone and in-person to review and track progress towards achieving their personal and professional goals Organize and host monthly events ranging from expert panels, social mixers, financial workshops, seminars and more to increase brand awareness, local engagement and provide resources for the community

A community mental health agency providing mental health services to Medi- Cal recipients in Alameda County primarily supporting children ages 4 to 21 years and their families impacted by the Child Welfare System or in foster care. Therapy modalities include: play therapy; child and adolescent therapy; family therapy; parent and other caregiver guidance; psychodiagnostics and therapeutic collaborative assessment. Provide long term, trauma-informed and team-based individual child therapy in various community and clinic settings. Engage in weekly collateral work with caregivers. Conduct therapeutic collaborative assessments with children addressing a range of concerns including Autism and trauma-differential diagnoses. Design assessment batteries, write reports and feedback letters to address family’s referral questions and optimize therapeutic benefit of assessment. Partner with other social service and mental health care providers, educators, and families to ensure a youth’s emotional and mental well-being in all settings. Supervise a first-year practicum student on a weekly basis in partnership with local Bay Area practicum training programs. Participate in weekly trainings in therapeutic collaborative assessment, various clinical topics including play therapy, early childhood development, and decolonizing wellness.

Welcome and provide support and resources to doctoral students, including incoming first-year students. Initiate phone and/or zoom contact with students via the Liaison (peer support) program. Plan and conduct training to provide support for fellow Liaison group. Develop and host outreach programming for the incoming cohort. Plan and participate in orientation activities.

Supported doctoral students in learning administration, scoring and interpretation procedures. Facilitated “hands on” practice of administration and scoring in lab. Acquainted students with test materials and scoring forms/software. Provided a place for students to check in about their progress on assignments. Reviewed course material for exams. Checked student scoring of test protocols, consulting with faculty as needed for support. Reviewed/commented on student papers when requested by faculty. Referred students to the appropriate texts or manuals. Met with students individually to provide extra support.

Provided individual, long-term, weekly psychotherapy to adults and couples between 18-65 years of age from diverse racial, ethnic, sexual, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Used a psychodynamic approach, incorporating family systems, trauma-informed, multicultural, emotionally focused, and relational modalities as indicated. Completed bi-monthly, semi-structured intake interviews with new clients. Administered psychological assessment measures: the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Rotter Incomplete Sentence Blank (RIS-B). Interpreted and provided integrated intake reports incorporating psychological assessment results. Administered and maintained proper client documentation, including progress and process notes, treatment plans, financial documentation, and quarterly treatment summaries. Trained in Medi-Cal documentation. Received weekly group and individual supervision and attend Dr. Alan Kubler’s didactic course on Comparative Psychoanalytic Theories.

Reviewed and evaluated prospective students’ applications to the Clinical Psychology program. Facilitated monthly meetings to plan new student orientation programming. Participated in new student outreach by assisting in open houses and interview days.

Provided individual and family therapy for children from diverse backgrounds between 5-16 years of ag with moderate-severe emotional difficulties. Incorporated an integrative approach including techniques and formulation from attachment theory, narrative, family systems, CBT, relational, and social justice frameworks. Worked collaboratively with other agencies, psychiatric evaluation and medication services, intake coordinators, and information and referral services to support client care. Supported children’s treatment plans by incorporating collateral consultation with parents. Consulted within and across disciplines including with psychiatrists, doctors, support staff, social workers, network providers, Child and Family Services (CFS), and teachers. Conducted weekly two-hour long intakes with families to determine if children met medical necessity criteria. Utilized the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-35) and Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) during intake assessments. Worked closely with interpreter services to provide coordination of services. Completed required MediCal billing, record-keeping and progress notes through Epic/ccLink. Participated in weekly case conference, individual and group supervision. Conducted psychological evaluations for children using a collaborative-therapeutic approach. Scored and interpreted measures including WISC-V, Roberts-2, MACI-II, HTP, Trail Making Test, TSCC, Rorschach Inkblot Test, and Sentence Completion Test. Provided feedback session.

• Handle financial posting of therapy sessions to insurance companies • Input new patient information into data system • Prepare doctors' patient files for the following day • Manage 3 different psychiatrists' patients, including scheduling, billing, and prescription refills • Process prior authorizations through insurance companies who might not want to provide financial coverage for specific medication • Maintain familiarity with ICD10 codes • Retain knowledge of HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices in order to protect patient information

I graduated with a major of Psychology and minor in Ethnic Studies.