Utah County life coach waives hearing

PROVO — After being rescheduled three times, a preliminary hearing for a popular relationship lecturer from Cedar Hills won't happen after all.

Instead, Donna Weighill has chosen to go straight to trial on five felony counts of unlawful conduct of practicing without a license.

Weighill waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Monday before 4th District Judge Samuel McVey. An arraignment was set for Aug. 11. Weighill's defense attorney said waiving the preliminary hearing allows the defense to continue to seek a deal.

According to a cease-and-desist order issued by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing, Weighill met with a couple in 2007 and provided therapy and devised a treatment plan for the husband, who had a drinking problem. The order stated she told the couple her therapy was "coaching," because her license from Arizona wasn't valid in Utah.

According to DOPL, Weighill admitted that she told the couple she was licensed to practice in Arizona, however records from the Board of Behavioral Health in Arizona show that she was denied such a license after applying in 2004.

Weighill's curriculum vitae on her Web site states she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Brigham Young University, a master's degree from Appalachian State University and a doctorate from online Rio Verde University.

Weighill has been a motivational speaker at BYU's Education Week and has lectured to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in several Western states.

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