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Dr. Delyana Miller, C. Psych.

Dr. Miller’s theoretical orientation integrates interpersonal, cognitive behavioural, schema-focused and mindfulness-based approaches in helping clients develop an increased awareness of the factors that cause and maintain their difficulties. She guides them towards achieving their goals and making positive changes in their lives. Dr. Miller works collaboratively with clients in establishing therapeutic goals and tailoring individualized treatments that best suit her clients’ needs. During both assessment and intervention, she pays a special attention to identifying her clients’ strengths and emphasizes these when helping them develop new ways of coping with the challenges they are facing.


Dr. Miller completed her Honours B.A. with specialization in Psychology and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa. Her clinical training included clinical and neuropsychological training in in-patient and out-patient settings in various hospitals including the Ottawa Hospital, the Royal Ottawa Hospital, CHEO, and the Elmgrove Acute Mental Health Clinic in Brockville. Dr. Miller completed her predoctoral residency in Clinical Neuropsychology at the Ottawa Hospital where she gained experience in acute care and the rehabilitation of patients with various neurological and psychological conditions. Her residency training also included helping people with brain injury adjust to their daily lives and optimize their potential. During her doctoral training, Dr. Miller was awarded several scholarships including NSERC industrial graduate scholarship, Naomi Grigg Award for research in Gerontology and the University of Ottawa’s Dean’s scholarship for her graduate studies.


Dr. Miller is a registered member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario. She also maintains membership with the Canadian Psychological Association, the National Academy of Neuropsychology and the Ottawa Academy of Psychology. These associations have the mandate of promoting and encouraging scientific pursuit in the area of psychology and advocating for better quality of mental health services for the public. To ensure her continued competence as a psychologist, Dr. Miller regularly attends conferences and workshops, and keeps current with new psychological research.

Psychologist Expertise

Dr. Miller provides psychotherapy and psychological assessment services to adults and seniors. In addition, Dr. Miller provides neuropsychological assessment services to adults, seniors, children and adolescents with acute and chronic neurological conditions. In her practice, she assesses and treats clients with a variety of psychological difficulties including:

Addictions

02 Aug, 2022
An addiction refers to having a dependency on a substance or a process. An example of a substance dependency is alcoholism. Examples of process addictions include having a gambling or an Internet addiction. Addictions involve compulsive, self-defeating behaviour that continues in spite of negative consequences. Stopping the behaviour results in extreme physical and mental discomfort, which tends to contribute to people returning to their addiction. Many psychologists are experts in helping people recover from their addictions and live successful and more comfortable lives.

Anger Management

31 Jul, 2022
While everyone gets angry from time to time, some people have rage reactions or explosive outbursts which emotionally or even physically hurt other people in their surroundings. Even the intense direct expression of anger can be problematic if people do not control where and when they express anger. These days, tolerance for intense, angry behaviour is low, even if expressed only in words. Angry outbursts can be considered abusive and can result in reprimands in the work place or fines and charges in public places.
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Anxiety

29 Jul, 2022
Anxiety has been frequently described as feelings of fright, flight or freeze. This means that people experiencing anxiety have both the mental and the physical, visceral feelings of wanting to escape the situation, fight what is challenging or simply cannot move in any direction to deal with what is troubling them.

Assessments

27 Jul, 2022
Psychological Assessments are used by psychologists to help determine a diagnosis and inform the course of treatment. There are many different components to these assessments such as different tests, interviews, school and medical records, medical information, and observation.

Bipolar Disorder

23 Jul, 2022
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that can cause significant shifts in mood and energy, including depressive lows and manic highs. Bipolar symptoms usually become apparent during late adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms can be triggered by events, as well, such as pregnancy and childbirth.

Borderline Personality Disorder

21 Jul, 2022
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is essentially a disorder of emotional dysregulation and those of us who are experts in the field would like to see it renamed as such. Those at risk for developing BPD are genetically and neurologically predisposed to a greater sensitivity to life events, particularly interpersonal events. If this greater sensitivity is combined with an early invalidating or abusive family environment, the person is at higher risk of developing the disorder. Alternatively, if the family cannot teach the sensitive child to manage or regulate his or her emotions, general life experience may also foster the development of BPD or BPD traits.
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Burnout

19 Jul, 2022
Burnout is a condition in which the individual feels completely overwhelmed from an increasing inability to cope with a build-up of stressors considered within the normal range of human experiences. Many of the symptoms are common to depression, including diminished interest and enjoyment of work and personal life.
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Childhood Trauma

17 Jul, 2022
Childhood trauma refers to when a child experiences a traumatic event that results in negative and pervasive physical, psychological and cognitive effects.
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

13 Jul, 2022
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that focuses on reframing harmful or painful thoughts and behaviours. This form of therapy is often used to treat anxiety and depression but can be helpful with many different mental and physical challenges.

Cultural Adaptation

05 Jul, 2022
Cultural adaptation is the ability of individuals to overcome changes in their natural and social environments. It is common for individuals to experience certain challenges following relocating from regions or countries with cultures different from where they are from or used to.
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Depression

03 Jul, 2022
Depression is a state of low mood in which people feel helpless, hopeless, worthless, lethargic and unable to enjoy the things that used to give them pleasure. People who are depressed are often irritable or pessimistic. Their low mood goes beyond having “the blues” or being sad. Even people who are grieving usually do not sink into depression. People diagnosed with a Major Depressive Disorder cannot just “pull up their socks” to get better. They require professional help. Psychologists use a variety of scientifically based psychotherapeutic approaches to help people recover from depression.

Dialectic Behavioural Therapy (DBT)

01 Jul, 2022
Dialectic Behavioural Therapy (DBT) is a form of talk therapy that is particularly helpful for individuals experiencing very intense emotions and can be used to treat mood disorders and interpersonal conflicts. It focuses on accepting feelings and thoughts. DBT addresses feelings directly through techniques focused on emotional regulation and distress tolerance.

Geriatric Issues

19 Jun, 2022
As individuals age, their physical and mental capacity gradually decrease and the risk of disease and death increases. Aging individuals often face significant physical changes such as reduction in vision and hearing, chronic pain, and other illnesses. As well, aging also brings other significant transitions in life such as retirement, moving into housing with more assistance, and the death of peers.

Grief & Bereavement Counselling

17 Jun, 2022
Grief is the emotional response to the loss of someone, something or some place of emotional significance to the person. Grief is a normal emotion which has impact on people’s physical, mental, behavioural and social states. People who are grieving usually experience fatigue and find that everything takes more effort.
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Health, Migraines & Chronic Illness

15 Jun, 2022
Chronic pain and mental health disorders often occur together. In fact, research suggests that chronic pain and mental health problems can contribute to and exacerbate each other.
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Identity Issues

11 Jun, 2022
Identity relates to an individual’s sense of self that is built through experiences, relationships, beliefs, values, and memories. This sense of self stays mostly consistent regardless of any aspects of the self that develop or strengthen as time progresses. Certain factors or events might contribute to an overall sense of uncertainty regarding one or more areas of an individual’s identity, including career aspirations, sexual and gender orientation, social circles, values, and behaviour.

Learning Disabilities

05 Jun, 2022
Learning disabilities cause a child to experience difficulty achieving academically to the level that would be expected given the child’s general intellectual ability. There are different types of learning disabilities which affect achievement in different ways and which require different forms of intervention.Psychologists can assist parents in planning for their child’s education by providing a psychoeducational assessment. These assessments provide clarification as to the nature of the child’s disability and provide recommendations for interventions which can help the child to achieve their academic potential. Such assessments also help parents to be aware of the type of post-secondary educational programs in which their child is likely to achieve success in future.

Life Transitions

03 Jun, 2022
A life transition can be any change or adjustment that impacts your life in a significant way. We all experience transitions throughout our lives — big and small, planned and unplanned, easy and difficult.

Mindfulness

28 May, 2022
Mindfulness is the ability to be aware of present thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and the surrounding environment and label them from an objective viewpoint, without judgment.

Neuropsychology

24 May, 2022
Neuropsychology is the study of the relationship between the brain and behaviour. The evaluations are comprehensive and address both cognitive and character-related aspects of an individual. Assessments provide a diagnosis regarding the individual’s level of cognitive and emotional function and a medical-legal opinion regarding SABS (Statutory Accident Benefits), long-term disability and specific legal questions.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

16 May, 2022
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can follow the experiencing or witnessing of a severe trauma involving the actual or threat of death or serious injury to the self or others. The traumatized person has typically reacted to the trauma with intense fear, helplessness or horror. Alternatively, an accumulation of less intensely damaging situations (‘small ‘t’ traumas’) can over time also lead to PTSD.
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Self-Esteem Issues

06 May, 2022
Self-esteem refers to the perception of oneself (values, abilities, self-worth, etc.). It impacts one’s relationships, mental health, and achievement. For instance, negative self-regard can lead to mood disturbances, anxiety, and loneliness; It can increase the likelihood of conflict in relationships and increase vulnerability to substance abuse. On the other hand, individuals with positive self-views are generally more likely to maintain positive relationships, maintain a positive outlook on life, and achieve success.
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Stress Management

24 Apr, 2022
It is important to look at the effect or impact that stress and anxiety has on your work and home life. A professional therapist – psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker or counsellor can assist in the stress management process.

Vocational & Career Counselling

20 Apr, 2022
Sometimes we need to talk to someone about finding a job or what type of job might suit best, or when considering a change in career or when needing to figure out how to stop feeling stagnant and how to re-vitalize ourselves so that we feel good again about our work. Making a living, doing well at work, and feeling satisfied and fulfilled in what we do is important not just in wanting to move ahead and earn to our potential but also in developing and maintaining a positive self-image.

Contact

To reach Dr. Delyana Miller directly, please phone 613-230-4709 ext. 143.

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