I fully support the petition as proposed by Dr. Chase. I hold an MS in clinical psychology, am a lifelong Virginia resident, and spent the entirety of my academic career attempting to become a practitioner that could serve the mental health needs of Southwest Virginia residents. There are many under-served communities all across the state, and in rural areas especially. As the current interpretation of the board regarding my fitness to be a licensed counselor prevents me from even taking the licensure exam, I have had to watch counseling positions in my area remain unfilled. I have also been told that my skills and passion for counseling would be a welcome addition to several private and public providers, but because I am not LPC eligible would have to be under direct supervision working at the same positions I could have with only an undergraduate degree. Because of this, I switched career paths and am no longer in the mental health field in any capacity. While I certainly have my own personal dissatisfaction with this, I also believe that it is a serious disservice to the people of Virginia who need timely, competent mental health care. The lack of clarity by the board on exactly WHY clinical psychology students are not considered competent to be counselors gives the impression that it is primarily a glorified turf war, and the "us vs. them" tone of many opposing comments seems to support this interpretation.  In reality, psychologists and counselors can easily coexist and provide mental health care to those in need. My personal experience with peers, colleagues, supervisors, and mentors has lead me to strongly believe that clinical psychology Master's holders are absolutely qualified for the LPC licensure and make competent, effective practitioners, and such people are desperately needed in Virginia's mental health system. I strongly urge the consideration of this petition and an objective review of the competencies gained in a Master's level clinical psychology program.