As a licensed professional counselor in the state of Virginia, I strongly support the proposed requirement for CACREP/CORE accreditation.

I believe this new requirement is necessary to ensure a measurable standard of care to clients, as reflected in the quality of training professional counselors have received to prepare them for licensure as an LPC in Virginia.  I find the proposed grandparenting period of 7 years to be generous and beyond adequate for those not yet licensed in Virginia.  Counseling or Clinical Psychology masters programs have a reasonable choice to make: to pursue CACREP accreditation of their program in order to prepare their graduates for LPC licensure, or pursue APA to ensure a path for a proper credential for masters-level counseling psychology graduates to practice in the field.

More broadly, I view the proposed requirement of CACREP/CORE accreditation of the master’s degree to be a significant step forward in establishing our professional identity as counselors.  Counselors have been overlooked and undervalued in significant ways over the years compared to other mental health professionals (e.g. social workers, psychologists), and I would love to see us take this important step forward in Virginia toward strengthening our standards and professional identity.