05/28/2026
This!!!
Is Coach Cheyenne Bryant alone in her “Dr.” misrepresentation?
The Answer: No!
The conversation isn’t about one person—it’s about transparency, ethics, and how professional titles are represented to the public.
Many of us know honorary doctors in the influencer community and beyond who down play academic education and earned credentials, but gladly promote “Dr.” in their promotional bios and services without informing the public that they did not earn their degree through formal education.
Some ride the title of honorary “Dr” which is a great accomplishment based on their body of work, but misleading individuals and capitalizing financially off of their lack of understanding is no different than Coach Cheyenne Bryant.
Honorary titles, earned academic degrees, clinical licensure, and professional certifications are not the same—and the public deserves clarity.
An honorary doctorate is symbolic recognition, not the same as:
* an earned PhD / PsyD / EdD / DSW / MD
* clinical licensure (e.g., LCSW-C, psychologist, psychiatrist)
* board certification
* regulated professional qualification
We love and cherish honorary recipients such as Maya Angelou, John Lewis, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Denzel Washington and many more.
But let’s be clear…most recipients do not use the title “Dr.” in professional credentialing contexts solely based on an honorary degree, especially in healthcare, mental health, or academic practice where public confusion could create ethical concerns.
The biggest concern is not honorary recognition itself—it’s ambiguity when the public assumes expertise that was never formally trained, supervised, licensed, or earned.
