I wholeheartedly support this petition. However, as I read through the comments, I found myself becoming extremely appalled. When my wife brought this petition to my attention, I was immediately intrigued to learn more about this debate from professionals in the field, through their postings online. I expected a healthy, intelligent, productive discussion. Instead, what I observed was a clear lack of compassion, understanding, intellectual reasoning, and general common sense. I find this to be very troublesome given that this debate is taking place amongst mental health professionals. I found the comments from some of the “supervisors” quite disturbing, in particular. This perception, from the alleged mentors in your field, that residents are immature, irresponsible, inexperienced adults is unbelievably unacceptable. I am a scientist who spent 10 years in undergraduate and graduate education and am now applying those skills as a researcher. I have never witnessed colleagues, in what should be a respectable profession, being treated in such a demeaning manner at so many levels. Residents should be, and are, the colleagues of LPCs and their respective supervisors. There is a very mutual, professional, and business relationship that exists between the resident and supervisor. When I see the amount of energy being focused on attacking the character of residents instead of actually understanding the purpose of the petition, the rules that already exist in the state of Virginia (A RESIDENT IS ALLOWED TO HAVE A PRIVATE PRACTICE), and putting together incoherent rebuttals to the idea of residents directly billing clients, it makes it very clear that this entire debate is about money and competition. THIS is why a stigma remains draped all over, not only, mental health but all STEM fields. Should Virginia citizens (your clients) read these comments, some of which may have already experienced this level of greed from a therapist themselves, will undoubtedly see this as a case where money and profit are more important than building a force of specialized human beings that can create a safe place for them to address their struggles. As a consumer of these therapeutic services myself and one who has relationships with other consumers of these services, I can tell you that the comparison to the medical industry is an issue that is heavily discussed. That is NOT a good thing. It’s one thing for a shoe salesperson to have a debate over potential profit gains and losses BUT it is NOT ok for a system that requires residents to accumulate a certain number of hours under SUPERVISION, which they have to pay for. Nor is it ok to have its supervisors angrily oppose, not only something that is already allowed but to also attempt to restrict the potential financial growth of residents. To the consumer, it looks very distasteful and untrustworthy. How about, as mental health professionals and mentors, there be some level of assumption that everyone is a decent person and that grown, educated adults who share a common passion will most likely, in a professional setting, make the best decisions for the sustainment of their career, as well as for the customer, client, stakeholder, patient, etc., and NOT assume that residents are irresponsible, untrusting, immature people.