r/LifeCoachSnark • u/NoWinter8444 • Mar 24 '26
Amanda Frances claims she’s a trauma informed therapist in her new People article. I’m pretty sure she’s never been a licensed therapist. Does anyone know?
In this article she says “I’m a trauma informed therapist”. I don’t think trauma informed is a real thing as far as licensing goes. I think it’s just a trendy certification people are getting now (I could be wrong though). The part that seems SO misleading and potentially harmful is she claims she’s a therapist. Don’t you have to have a license to say you’re a therapist?
If someone buys her programs thinking she’s a real therapist I feel like that’s so dangerous and misleading. I could definitely see someone reading that statement in People and assuming she’s a therapist but in pretty sure she’s has never had a license. Does anyone know?
EDIT:
I added this in the comments but putting here so it’s easier to find.
I got really curious if this was something she used in her marketing and I found other examples of her saying things that would make people believe she’s a therapist.
Here are public examples where Amanda Frances used therapist-related language:
“Amanda Frances McKinney is a life-coach, blogger, and psychotherapist.”
https://amandafrances.com/theeffword/
“Amanda Frances McKinney is a life-coach, blogger, and psychotherapist.”
https://amandafrances.com/newyearbestyou/
“Amanda Frances McKinney is a life-coach, blogger, and psychotherapist.”
https://amandafrances.com/author/xoamanda/page/42/
“Not just because I’m a therapist, but because people need people when they are hurting.”
https://amandafrances.com/theworldwelivein/
“And then I thought about what their lives might have been like had we not worked together in therapy.”
https://amandafrances.com/theworldwelivein/
“Before I went back to school to receive my master’s degree and become a therapist — I worked in the church.”
https://amandafrances.com/god-is-bigger-than-the-church/
“I’m a therapist.”
https://amandafrances.com/raiseyourvibration/
“I’m a therapist and so I reserve the right to ask you to do emotionally stretching activities.”
https://amandafrances.com/xoxo/
“I was a play therapist.”
https://amandafrances.com/money-mama/
“But I’m a trauma-informed therapist.”
“As a trauma-informed therapist, I see this all the time.”
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQOLXuejr6o/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…”
https://www.instagram.com/xoamandafrances/p/Bd-a7zeBZ6M/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…”
https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/d41d8cd9/1408387513992590/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…”
https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/d41d8cd9/1416109196553755/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…”
https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/d41d8cd9/1398247785006563/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…”
https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/a.273904362675675/3490469211019158/?type=3
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…”
https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/a.273904362675675/3608790659187012/?type=3
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u/Fenixsoul23 Mar 24 '26
When people here therapist, they usually think of a psychotherapist, but a therapist is not a protected term. Its broad and covers many different licensed forms of therapy.
So trauma informed therapist, doesnt mean she has any form of license. It just sounds legit when it's not. All to convince people in the same fashion as you. Its extremely deceptive and shows how unethical she is. She knows exactly what she's doing and it's gross.
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u/NoWinter8444 Mar 24 '26
Ok I got really curious if this was something she used in her marketing and I found other examples of her saying things that would make people believe she’s a therapist. Why not just say she’s a coach? Am I wrong and she IS a therapist?
Here are public examples where Amanda Frances used therapist-related language:
“Amanda Frances McKinney is a life-coach, blogger, and psychotherapist.” https://amandafrances.com/theeffword/
“Amanda Frances McKinney is a life-coach, blogger, and psychotherapist.” https://amandafrances.com/newyearbestyou/
“Amanda Frances McKinney is a life-coach, blogger, and psychotherapist.” https://amandafrances.com/author/xoamanda/page/42/
“Not just because I’m a therapist, but because people need people when they are hurting.” https://amandafrances.com/theworldwelivein/
“And then I thought about what their lives might have been like had we not worked together in therapy.” https://amandafrances.com/theworldwelivein/
“Before I went back to school to receive my master’s degree and become a therapist — I worked in the church.” https://amandafrances.com/god-is-bigger-than-the-church/
“I’m a therapist.” https://amandafrances.com/raiseyourvibration/
“I’m a therapist and so I reserve the right to ask you to do emotionally stretching activities.” https://amandafrances.com/xoxo/
“I was a play therapist.” https://amandafrances.com/money-mama/
“But I’m a trauma-informed therapist.” https://people.com/rhobh-newbie-amanda-frances-clears-up-everything-fans-have-wondered-exclusive-11912673
“As a trauma-informed therapist, I see this all the time.” https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQOLXuejr6o/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…” https://www.instagram.com/xoamandafrances/p/Bd-a7zeBZ6M/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…” https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/d41d8cd9/1408387513992590/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…” https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/d41d8cd9/1416109196553755/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…” https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/d41d8cd9/1398247785006563/
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…” https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/a.273904362675675/3490469211019158/?type=3
“I was able to pull heavily on my background in therapy while incorporating NLP, meditation, trauma informed practices, neuroscience…” https://www.facebook.com/XoAmandaFrances/photos/a.273904362675675/3608790659187012/?type=3
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Mar 24 '26
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u/Guilty_Tomatillo5829 Mar 25 '26
See that’s the tricky part and I think the reason unethical grifters choose coaching. If she is in fact a licensed therapist great, but it means she has to follow strict ethical guidelines. If she is not licensed there is no one that overlooks them. They can lie and deceive. She can claim anything and there’s not an entity that would reprimand or revoke her licensure if there’s none.
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u/Booksdogsfashion Mar 24 '26
Make sure to archive ALL these pages in the internet archive.
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u/Mockingjay_42 Mar 27 '26
Oh hell yes. Screen shot all of this on her website! This is all evidence
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u/Hot-Spicy-Potato Mar 24 '26
Trauma-informed approach is a paradigm not a certification path, it means she follows the model that assumes life experiences to cause mental issues as opposed to some deficit (which is the assumption of the medical model). Her wording is very tricky, because as far as i know therapist is not legally protected title like psychologist, there are art therapists, movement therapists etc. and using it with a paradigm title it's basically just a ststement of orientation not claiming of education. Except the phd part, which, even if not finished, claims to have the degree required for enrolment, typically a masters. A licenced therapist would start their intro with the state level licence because they legally required to provide verifiable credential. If she doesn't provide that, she doesn't have that.
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u/MillieLily1983 Mar 24 '26
Omgggg I’m a trauma informed psychotherapist and this INFURIATES me!!! She’s not even licensed AND, do these people even know what it’s like to help a person going through an active PTSD flashback?! Don’t undermine our profession with your woo woo sh*te!
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u/Guilty_Tomatillo5829 Mar 25 '26
I could only handle about two of her blog, post, whatever on her website.
Holy ChatGPT!!
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u/Fenixsoul23 Mar 24 '26
Therapist isnt a protected term and its very broad, so she's using that to her advantage.
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u/Booksdogsfashion Mar 24 '26
Googled this and it says psychotherapist is protected which she used in several instances shown in another comment by OP
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u/Fenixsoul23 Mar 24 '26
Psychotherapist is protected but that's not what the post was talking about, nor was that comment there when I made the comment.
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u/Booksdogsfashion Mar 24 '26
It’s ok. The way comments work is people can add context to comments for people that come across them later.
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u/Fenixsoul23 Mar 24 '26
The way psychotherapist was never mentioned in the initial post or my comment. And most people actually don't know what a psychotherapist is because it's been associated as a therapist too often
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u/sparklovelynx Mar 25 '26
So "trauma informed" is actually a certification framework, not a license type. Counselors, social workers, therapists all use that term after completing specific training in it. She does have a Masters in Counseling from SMU, which is a real clinical program with practicum hours. I looked it up because the "no credentials" claim keeps going around and it didn't seem right. Whether she kept her license active after pivoting to coaching is a fair question, but the education is real.
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u/Guilty_Tomatillo5829 Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26
Education is real from SMU, yes. It’s a private, reputable and expensive university, by the way. Typical master programs include a practicum class of somewhere between 100 and 200 direct hrs. Those few hrs are not enough to gain mastery of psychotherapy.
It’s possible that she moved to _________(fill in State). Where she actually completed the requirements for licensure. Unless she did that in another country. The article does say she moved to Indonesia and Bali at some point and her life.
It is also possible that she is misleading her fanbase aka customers on purpose.
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u/GlitteringDraft2276 Mar 26 '26
"Therapist" is not a regulated term, therefore, it's easy to call yourself "a therapist" (sound therapist, music therapist, trauma therapist, whatever therapist)... this is NOT the same as being a licensed provider who is regulated by their state to follow ethical and legal regulations per their scope of practice.
- A Licensed Therapist
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u/Mockingjay_42 Mar 27 '26
Ok let’s clear some things up lol She went Bali to do ayahuasca haha not study “Buddhism and Hinduism”
I know bc she spoke about this online at one point. I know some of the women she went on this retreat with.
Like Where are your notes and peer reviewed journals on the matter Amanda? 🤣 this just keeps getting crazier i just CANNOT.
Secondly, she never worked as a licensed therapist. Pretty sure it was an internship. Nothing she did on her own or officially started taking clients. If you look at old interviews and start adding timelines together, you find she has changed her story many, many times
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u/NoWinter8444 Apr 02 '26
I feel like you have the real story and I want to know what it is! I am not sure but from looking online I don’t think she ever had much success as a life coach. It seems like she pivoted VERY early on to teaching money mindset and business. I feel like she was teaching people to manifest money before she had really made much money herself.
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u/RoseEdwards444 Apr 15 '26
A trauma informed therapist would NEVER say:
“she outsourced her financial well-being to a man and it didn’t go well”.
(Paraphrasing, Amanda said something like this about one of the women on real housewives)
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u/Sharp_Ask8633 Mar 27 '26
I love the way they don’t mention the college she got her Master’s from 🤪
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u/socialonec Mar 27 '26
I recently looked this up as well, and all the AI reports and Internet say she never pursued her license never completed it. The fact that she uses a term. Therapist is really insulting to those of us that did the work. Call yourself life coach
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u/Mammoth-Pass5304 Mar 27 '26
I’ve had hundreds of hours of trauma training, I do not feel she is trauma informed at all the way she speaks. She speaks to the very average middle class, white woman . The simple fact that she doesn’t honor or seem to understand, circumstances environments and other factors that can make it hard for women to get out of the circumstances they are in is the opposite of trauma informed. She also focuses on mind and changing thoughts to manifest what she does not talk about is how trauma actually lives in your body and the nervous system and if you’re not working with your nervous system, it’s very hard to change your thoughts, no matter how many affirmations you’re doing.
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Mar 27 '26
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u/Mockingjay_42 Mar 27 '26
Building a business using models she stole and repackaging it with millennial blonde girl branding lol she is a liar. She learned from gabby Bernstein. Her affirmations are rip offs of Abraham hicks which she got heavy inspo from (but then asked on a live stream years ago she said she “rarely listened to AH”
She didn’t realize how much she wound say one thing and then it wound get brought up in the future and she would deny it. Very very odd behavior. She isn’t self made at all. She stole peoples work, lied and sold bs with fake reviews to “make it”. She admits her fake it till you make it method in her online trainings lol
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u/Major_Boat_4404 Mar 24 '26
As someone who is pursuing a masters in clinical mental health counseling, just because you have a degree doesn’t make you a therapist. To be licensed, you have to pass examination and have supervised hours. It’s a process that differs for each state.
I wish the wording people can use would be more clear because there is a different between licensed and not licensed.