Amanda Ann Gregory - Trauma Therapist

06/18/2026

Forgiveness is widely recognized as a means to achieve emotional peace. If I didn’t forgive my parents, would I be denying myself peace?

A licensed trauma psychotherapist, Amanda explores how forgiveness can harm victims as she chooses her own journey through trauma recovery.

06/16/2026

I was so honored to be interviewed by The Independent about family estrangement, the focus of my second book.

Zahara Jolie-Pitt is the latest of Brad Pitt’s children to distance herself from her father. Ellie Muir speaks to people who have legally removed an estranged parent’s name about why they made their decision

03/17/2026

Forgiveness may bring about reconciliation in family estrangement, but not always.

Esteangement is about creating distance, not promoting unforgiveness. Reconciliation may end family estrangement, but it’s not the best option for everyone. There are family estrangements that should remain in place to provide safety and opportunities to thrive.

In family estrangement, you can forgive without reconciling, and you can reconcile without forgiving. And neither are required.

03/12/2026

📚 Big news! My book You Don’t Need to Forgive: Trauma Recovery on Your Own Terms is currently on sale for just $6 on Amazon.

I wrote this book because so many people are told that forgiveness is the only path to healing. But for many survivors, that message can feel invalidating or even harmful. In You Don’t Need to Forgive, I explore an alternative: a trauma-informed approach to recovery that centers personal autonomy, boundaries, and the right to heal without pressure to reconcile or forgive.

If you’ve ever struggled with the cultural expectation to “forgive and move on,” this book was written with you in mind. Your healing gets to happen on your own terms.

If you’ve been thinking about picking it up, now is a great time—grab a copy while the $6 sale is available.

02/27/2026

Free virtual event: Mar 15, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM EDT
During this 90 minute session we will exore the entangled dynamics between estrangement and forgiveness which include practical skills and a robust Q&A.

RSVP here: https://www.togetherestranged.org/event-details/concepts-talk-with-complex-trauma-psychotherapist-author-amanda-ann-gregory

11/17/2025

It’s common for trauma therapy and chosen family estrangement to go hand-in-hand. Some trauma survivors begin therapy already estranged from family; others choose estrangement during or after treatment. Estrangement may be brief, longer term, or permanent. Regardless of duration, trauma therapists frequently work with survivors who choose estrangement so frequently that anti-estrangement advocates often claim therapy causes estrangement.

This allegation isn’t true as the goal of trauma therapy is to treat trauma, not to initiate family estrangement. Yet, trauma therapy also does not seek to end estrangements or prevent them from occurring. In fact, several aspects of trauma treatment naturally support survivors in making decisions, including family estrangement, that prioritize their safety and well-being.

Once trauma survivors gain clarity about what keeps them safe, nurtures them, and aligns with their worth, family estrangement may be needed.

11/13/2025

Sign up for my course!

In trauma work, forgiveness often comes up with clients. They’ve heard things like “you need to forgive to heal.”

If you’re like most therapists you’re not sure there’s even a clear definition of forgiveness – or what role if any it should play in treatment.

Here’s the thing. If you get forgiveness in therapy wrong you can do a lot of damage … especially if clients think you’re asking them to “let it go”, make peace with an abuser, or that forgiveness is some kind of “required step” on the journey to trauma recovery.

But when explored gently and on the client’s terms – forgiveness can become a powerful tool. The key is knowing if, when, and how to bring it into the work.

Now with this one-day training Amanda Ann Gregory, author of You Don’t Need to Forgive: Trauma Recovery on Your Own Terms will help make it all clear with the clinical insights and practical strategies you need to navigate forgiveness in a way that supports, rather than derails, your clients’ healing.

When you register, you’ll get

A clear understanding of what forgiveness is – and what it’s not – in trauma therapy
The latest research on forgiveness, where it helps and where it harms
Guidance on if, when and how forgiveness should even be explored with your client
Strategies that welcome anger and embrace appropriate blame
Forgiveness interventions that are client-led and never forced or premature
Forgiveness will come up in therapy, and you can’t afford to get it wrong.

With this one-day training Amanda Ann Gregory, author of You Don’t Need to Forgive: Trauma Recovery on Your Own Terms will help make it all clear with the clinical insights and practical strategies yo