Riley Miller
My mission is to help an audience realize that when you own your story it will no longer own you. You have to feel to heal. When I truly felt, I could break my trauma's power over me and I could heal.
In early 2025, Riley Miller is publishing her book, "The Credential of Being Human." This is a memoir about how Riley's lived experience with childhood trauma and addiction qualifies her to tell her story, not the credentials behind her name. Every person has a story to tell and Riley speaks about the importance of owning your story so it no longer owns you. Riley has experienced 10 out of 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences and she shares how her resilience came from feeling the deep pain and allowing herself to be fully seen. Once she told her story and was finally "held" in her vulnerability, Riley began to move mountains. But this took time and hard work. Riley struggled with addiction as an adolescent and when she was 21 she finally freed herself from the shackles of her substance use disorder. Now at age 31, she has been in recovery for almost 10 years and encourages young people that they can choose a healthy lifestyle for themselves too.
Riley began her graduate degree in Prevention Science at Colorado State University in 2016 and dropped out multiple times due to severe depression. This is when she named her book, "The Credential of Being Human," realizing she had been chasing credentials, letting this define her worth. She is currently finishing her Master's Degree, but after doing the deep work knows that her achievements are not what make her worthy - she has worth by just being her.
While at Colorado State University, Riley founded a Collegiate Recovery Program, Ram Recovery. As a recent college graduate living with little financial means, she funded her way to a conference with the Association of Recovery in Higher Education, to learn how to start a recovery program from scratch. Ram Recovery is a program that encourages students that they belong no matter what recovery path they are on. It is accepting of students on all paths and in all phases of recovery. Riley mentored over one hundred students that came through the program during the time that she spearheaded this group. Riley spoke to students, staff, and professors across campus to reduce stigma around substance use disorder in students. She was and continues to be a fierce advocate for young people that struggle with substance use disorder, mental health, or have co-occurring disorders.
Riley has worked with several non-profits over the years, mostly with the mission of reducing stigma around substance use disorder and mental health. For three years, she led a campaign that collected and shared inspirational stories of people in recovery. But what she has realized is most important is that whether you are in recovery or not, you are worthy of love and respect. Riley will be your biggest champion in knowing you are a worthy human being. After Riley got sober, she realized there was a lot of pain she hadn't dealt with from her childhood trauma. Sitting with this pain and letting herself be fully seen and loved by a few people was key to her healing. Riley teaches that you too can find healing if you haven't yet and to not ever give up hope. Riley is living proof that you can overcome the hardest moments with a little vulnerability and self-compassion.
In early 2025, Riley Miller is publishing her book, "The Credential of Being Human." This is a memoir about how Riley's lived experience with childhood trauma and addiction qualifies her to tell her story, not the credentials behind her name. Every person has a story to tell and Riley speaks about the importance of owning your story so it no longer owns you. Riley has experienced 10 out of 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences and she shares how her resilience came from feeling the deep pain and allowing herself to be fully seen. Once she told her story and was finally "held" in her vulnerability, Riley began to move mountains. But this took time and hard work. Riley struggled with addiction as an adolescent and when she was 21 she finally freed herself from the shackles of her substance use disorder. Now at age 31, she has been in recovery for almost 10 years and encourages young people that they can choose a healthy lifestyle for themselves too.
Riley began her graduate degree in Prevention Science at Colorado State University in 2016 and dropped out multiple times due to severe depression. This is when she named her book, "The Credential of Being Human," realizing she had been chasing credentials, letting this define her worth. She is currently finishing her Master's Degree, but after doing the deep work knows that her achievements are not what make her worthy - she has worth by just being her.
While at Colorado State University, Riley founded a Collegiate Recovery Program, Ram Recovery. As a recent college graduate living with little financial means, she funded her way to a conference with the Association of Recovery in Higher Education, to learn how to start a recovery program from scratch. Ram Recovery is a program that encourages students that they belong no matter what recovery path they are on. It is accepting of students on all paths and in all phases of recovery. Riley mentored over one hundred students that came through the program during the time that she spearheaded this group. Riley spoke to students, staff, and professors across campus to reduce stigma around substance use disorder in students. She was and continues to be a fierce advocate for young people that struggle with substance use disorder, mental health, or have co-occurring disorders.
Riley has worked with several non-profits over the years, mostly with the mission of reducing stigma around substance use disorder and mental health. For three years, she led a campaign that collected and shared inspirational stories of people in recovery. But what she has realized is most important is that whether you are in recovery or not, you are worthy of love and respect. Riley will be your biggest champion in knowing you are a worthy human being. After Riley got sober, she realized there was a lot of pain she hadn't dealt with from her childhood trauma. Sitting with this pain and letting herself be fully seen and loved by a few people was key to her healing. Riley teaches that you too can find healing if you haven't yet and to not ever give up hope. Riley is living proof that you can overcome the hardest moments with a little vulnerability and self-compassion.
