...now is NOT the time. Other commenters have raised valuable points against the merits of CACREP accreditation. To reiterate some, there is little research suggesting that CACREP accreditated counselors provide better care than non-accreditated counselors; CACREP's standards seem arbitrary and are hard to justify; CACREP does not recognize the value of counseling psychology. However, I'd like to emphasize a different aspect. During this difficult post-pandemic time, mental health practitioners are in high demand and many clinics have long waiting lists. The state of Virginia itself has a shortage of mental health providers (see here, here, here) According to NAMI, 22% of Virginians were unable to receive mental health care in February 2021. 56% of children 12-17 with depression were unable to receive treatment as well over the past year.  By requiring CACREP accreditation, these numbers are sure to increase. Any additional protection to the public that CACREP accreditation purports is likely to be canceled out by the damage of restricting the number of therapists.