I am writing in opposition to the proposed CACREP regulatory action.  I am a board certified art therapist and certified trauma therapist in Virginia and am concerned that art therpists, who have dual academic training in the theories and techniques of counseling psychotherapy and also in the theory, methods and clinical practice of art therapy, will be excluded from persuing licensure.  The Board has long recognized our training as meeting the academic and experience requirements for the LPC license.  The proposed amendment would disqualify many similar clinically trained and ethical professionals from licensure and eliminate both diversity and availability of counseling services going forward.  

Virginia has a critical need for qualified mental health professionals to address not only the needs of its large military population, but the diverse needs of growing numbers of children, adolescents, adults and seniors with serious physical, mental and emotional conditions and disabilities.  It makes no sense to restrict licensure to only a segment of the state’s counseling profession and exclude many highly qualified and needed mental health professionals.

The Board of Counseling has always welcomed diversity in mental health counseling education.  I urge the Board to reject the change in rulemaking and retain current counselor degree program licensing requirements.