Virginia Regulatory Town Hall
Agency
Department of Health Professions
 
Board
Board of Counseling
 
chapter
Regulations Governing the Practice of Professional Counseling [18 VAC 115 ‑ 20]
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10/23/24  11:47 am
Commenter: Patricia Kimball

Lets Keep Counselor Identity Clear
 

I want to voice my opposition to this change.  As a profession, counselors have been battling forming a clear identity where clients, communities and other professionals can distinguish them from Psychologist and Social Workers.  This identity is philosophically different than these two other helping professionals and practice of being a Professional Counselor is in practice different than the practice of being a Psychologist and a Clinical Social Worker.  Allowing these two helping professionals to gain a Professional Counseling License without going through the supervision process where they learn what it means to be a Professional Counselor will chip away at the identity that Counselors have been working to establish and maintain. 

 

I have a very specific education and time/focus of supervision that has allowed me to become a Licensed Counselor.  Allowing others who do not have the clear professional identity that is needed to be a Professional Counselor will have a negative impact on the profession overall.

 

In addition, as a Licensed Professional Counselor, I would never be allowed to use my counseling experience to gain a License as a Psychologist or Clinical Social Worker.  When these two helping professions allow me to gain their license in the same way they are requesting they gain my license, then I will support this idea.  Until then, I am strongly opposed to this plan.

CommentID: 228183