Amber Portwood Announces Her Post-‘Teen Mom’ Career Plans: The Internet Has Concerns
MTV has not yet announced if Teen Mom: The Next Chapter will continue, but we do know that if it does return, it will do so without Amber Portwood. The infamous reality TV star claims she left the franchise because her storyline with Leah Shirley became too personal and too raw. Since then, Portwood has been mostly sitting on the couch and going live on TikTok. She recently took to the platform to inform her fans that she has big plans for the future; she wants to become a therapist. The revelation is pretty shocking, and the internet has some serious concerns.
Amber Portwood says she wants to become a therapist
Amber Portwood’s reality TV career is over, and she seems perfectly OK with that. The mother of two has been keeping herself busy on TikTok since allegedly walking away from the Teen Mom franchise, and now she’s planning her next move. The controversial mother of two used TikTok to announce that she plans to become a therapist.
During an October 2025 Live, Portwood said that she’s been thinking about becoming a therapist hanks to TikTok. She says she’s been helping people for years, but has to preface it by saying she’s not a therapist. Because she’s reaching more people now, she claims, it got her thinking about getting licensed to actually help people. She went on to muse that she’d like to offer online therapy to people from across the globe, but wasn’t sure how licensing for something like that worked.
How long would it take her to become a mental health expert?
While Amber Portwood could, theoretically, enroll in school and become a therapist eventually, fans aren’t convinced it is the right career path for her. She is prone to violent rages and has had some serious legal troubles over the years. Portwood has been arrested more than once for domestic violence, and continues to crash out regularly on TikTok. She’s also had issues with drugs. Fans were quick to question if Portwood should really consider such a career path. They pointed out that she has failed to manage her own emotions well, especially in recent years.
While Portwood claims it’s the path for her, it will be years before it’s even a possibility. The mother of two doesn’t currently have much college experience. She earned her GED while appearing on Teen Mom, but did not pursue higher education at that time. According to the Ashley Reality Roundup Group, she later enrolled in Purdue Global to pursue a degree in applied psychology. It’s unclear how many classes she actually completed. She’d likely need to start from scratch or close to it to make her dream happen.
In order to become a mental health counselor, Portwood would need to first earn a bachelor’s degree. While the field of study isn’t overly important, a degree in psychology, sociology, or social work would be best. After earning her bachelor’s degree, she’d need to pursue a master’s degree. That degree would be in either clinical mental health counseling, marriage & family therapy, counseling psychology, or social work, depending on which field interests her most. Portwood would then need to complete supervised clinical hours before she could attempt to be licensed by the state. It would take her between seven and nine years to achieve the goal. Rules and licensing requirements vary by state.
