I entered the Clinical Psychology Program at Radford in 2006 and graduated in 2008, fully expecting to be able to get licensed in VA.  The 2009 change in the Board’s policy was unexpected and puzzling.  The Clinical Psychology program has not changed; Radford is still educating future competent clinicians, and it does not seem ethical for the Board to make this change.  I also believe that even if it were decided that future graduates were not eligible for their LPC, that past graduates should be grandfathered in, as we had no way of knowing that this policy change would happen upon entering the program.

Upon graduating from Radford, I went to Capella University to take 4 courses missing to be eligible for licensure in DC.  The licensing board in DC recognized my degree and gave me credit for every course I took and had no problem with the fact that my degree was in clinical psychology! So, I’m confused by the fact that in VA, it is unethical to grant me my LPC when in DC it is not unethical.  Does ethicality really vary by state? If neither DC, other states, or Capella consider it unethical, surely the reason graduates from psychology programs are being rejected as nothing to do with “ethics” as this policy change claims.

Many of the people who opposed the petition have talked about protection of the public. I have read comments such as “Ethically, it would be erroneous and dangerous to public welfare to issue LPC credentials to people who do not hold counseling master’s degrees”.  DC certainly does not seem to agree with the position that licensing someone who graduated from a clinical or counseling psychology program would cause danger to the public. I am currently a Clinical Supervisor for an ACT team, supervising 8 case managers, at a mental health agency in DC and have my LPC in DC.  We work with clients who require the most intensive outpatient care in the city.  It’s not an easy job, but I’m able to do it, in part due to the training and education I received through the Clinical Psychology program at Radford! Clearly, DC doesn’t consider me a danger to the public, so why does VA?   If DC doesn’t view protection of the public as the issue, why would VA?

 Lastly, I am a VA resident and was trained by a state university in VA, but am unable to work in VA because of this distinction that the Virginia Board seems to draw between psychologists and counselors that many other states do not think is an important distinction.  Therefore, it seems that the Board is trying to protect its guild rather than providing mental health services that are so desperately needed to the citizens of VA.

Thank you,

Alyson Woleslagle, LPC