About Kelly McDaniel, LPC, NCC

Mother Hunger is my second book, and was much harder to write than the first one. 

My greatest fear was that I might somehow contribute to the impossible load mothers carry every day. Each word took immeasurable attention and love.

Since publishing the Mother Hunger book, our world is dealing with a global pandemic, climate concerns, and political changes threatening women. Like many of you, I’m trying to find small moments of joy and peace each day to mitigate fear and anxiety. 

Time in nature and with friends nourishes the little girl inside me who didn’t enjoy life very much while I was writing. She is tired of the computer.

I am so very grateful that the Mother Hunger book is finding the daughters who need it. 

Kelly McDaniel on Red Table Talk

Source: Red Table Talk

Speaking and Teaching

Kelly McDaniel | Red Table Talk
Kelly McDaniel | TN Living
Kelly McDaniel | Telus Talks
Kelly McDaniel Therapy

“Thank you for an amazing, life-changing night.”
– Ami McConnell, Happy Women Dinners

I am available to speak and offer limited workshops on Mother Hunger, targeting the hidden heartbreak behind relationship dissatisfaction, absent life goals, and mood regulation difficulties. Click to inquire about my upcoming availability or subscribe to my newsletter for information on upcoming events near you. 

Curriculum Vitae | Resume

LPC, NCC, CSAT

Kelly McDaniel developed the term “Mother Hunger” in her first book Ready to Heal, identifying the attachment trauma between mother and daughter that creates an environment ripe for love addiction. Part educator, part clinician, McDaniel also illuminates the cultural bind for women who are healing from addictive relational patterns in her book Ready to Heal: Women facing love, sex and relationship addiction, and her contribution to Making Advances; A Comprehensive Guide for Treating Female Sex and Love Addicts.
  • 1991: MA: English Literature; Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  • 2004: MA: Counseling; St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas
  • 2005: Licensed Professional Counselor
  • 2005: National Certified Counselor
  • 2002-Fall Intensive: Wellesley Stone Center for Research
  • 2003-Harvard Medical Series: Trauma and Attachment
  • 2005-Certified Sex Addiction Therapist: Patrick Carnes and IITAP
  • 2005-Post Induction Training: Pia Mellody and The Meadows
  • 2010-Emotional Focused Therapy: Dr. Sue Johnson
  • 2010-Imago training with Harville Hendrix, Ph.D.
  • 2013-EMDR I and II
  • 2017-Constellation Therapy: Inherited Family Trauma: Hellinger Institute

2006: Sexual abuse and sexual addiction. 10 hour workshop for LCDC candidates. University of Texas, Recovery Center.
2005-2007: What is sex and love addiction? Presentation for MA students in Counseling/Psychology. Webster University, San Antonio, Texas.
2007: Healthy Sexuality and Parenting. Presentation for Moms of Multiples, a nationally organized group supporting mothers with twins or more.
2007: Sexual abuse and sexual addiction. Presentation for Rape Crisis Center, San Antonio, TX.
2008: Author Ready to Heal: Women Facing Love, Sex, and Relationship Addiction. Published by Gentle Path Press.
2008: Women’s Summit at Life Healing Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
2008: Presentation for the Meadows. Healing Addictive Relationships.
2008: Presentation Santé Center for Healing with clinical director Ron Arrington. Sex and Love Addiction: His, Hers, and Theirs
2009: Workshop for City Services, New York, New York: Healing Mother wounding and inherited sexual beliefs for women.
2009: International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals: Panel discussion for the treatment of women and compulsive romantic activity
2009: Presentation sponsored by Santé Center for Healing. Identifying and Treating Sex and Love addiction.
2009: Presentation for Army Family Life Advocacy Conference: Louisville, Kentucky. Women, Sex, and Addiction
2009: Presentation for Society of Advancement of Sexual Health: 1⁄2 Day Pre-Conference training for clinicians. San Diego, CA.
2009: September issue Glamour: Quoted in Sex with a Stranger
2012: Author Ready to Heal, Breaking Free of Addictive Relationships, Ed. 2.
2012: Contributing author Making Advances, A Comprehensive Guide for Treating Female Sex and Love Addicts, Edited M. Ferree.
2012: Faculty for Society for Advancement Sexual Health: Training in Problematic Sexual Behavior: Women’s track.
2013: Presentation for the Meadows: “Unable to Attach, The Legacy of Sex and Love Addiction.” Austin, Texas
2016: Faculty for Society of Advancement Sexual Health: Training in Problematic Sexual Behavior: Women’s track.
2017: Presentation for Ken Adams: “Mother Hunger: Understanding Women and Addiction.” Detroit, Michigan
2017: Workshop for Ken Adams: “Mother Hunger: How your Mother’s love runs your romantic choices”Detroit, Michigan
2017: Presentation for SASH: “Healing Mother Hunger: Helping Women Integrate the Divided Self.” Salt Lake City, Utah
2018: Presentation for Santé Center for Healing and Society for Advancement of Sexual Health: “Women and Attachment; Integrating the Divided Self.” Argyle, Texas
2019: Webinar Presentation for IITAP: “Mother Hunger Wisdom: A Trauma Informed Model to Help Women Heal Addictive Love, Relational Betrayal and Compulsive Habits.” Nashville, Tennessee
2019: Presentation for 14th Annual IITAP Symposium: “He Said, She Said: How do we define ‘consent’ in an ever changing socioculture landscape?”, Discussion, Phoenix, Arizona

2019: Webinar Presentation for IITAP: “Mother Hunger Wisdom: A Trauma Informed Model to Help Women Heal Addictive Love, Relational Betrayal and Compulsive Habits.” Nashville, Tennessee

Media Kit

Access Kelly’s official bio and approved photos/images below.