I am an incoming graduate student in the George Mason University Counseling and Development program for the Fall of 2015. I have spent 16 years previously working in Human Resources and Recruiting, and have spent the past few years working very hard to prepare for a career change. Part of my career goal is to obtain the LPC in Virginia and to practice as a licensed therapist for women in need. Should the proposed requirement for CACREP accredidation for educational programs in Virginia pass, the goals that I have been working toward for many years as a working parent of two young children would not come to realization. I chose George Mason for its rigorous program in clinical counseling, and for its reputation in the counselng community. Many LPC's and alumni of the program that I have spoken to have attested to its quality and strong reputation, and the fact that the program prepared them for licensure in the state of VA. 

Despite not having CACREP, George Mason University has received the 2013 Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) Outstanding Master’s Degree Program award and continues to pride themselves on training excellent counselors, many of whom are licensed and hold state leadership positions in Virginia. There are many other universities in similar positions to George Mason University. Thus we at George Mason strongly believe that requiring accreditation as part of state licensure policy is highly inappropriate and has serious negative ramifications for both Virginia and the field of counseling.  In fact states such as New Jersey rejected a similar proposal based on the same concerns being voiced in this letter. 

In summary I am strongly opposed to this legislation and speak on behalf of many of my colleagues at George Mason University as well as colleagues from across the country who have written to the Governor (approximately 100 letters from colleagues at major universities across the United States have been sent in the past several months). We and others across the nation are highly concerned about the danger of state licensure boards joining accreditation agencies to formulate policy and regulations.

Sincerely,

Shirley C. Golub

George Mason University