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]
Previous Comment     Next Comment     Back to List of Comments
9/4/18  6:11 pm
Commenter: Catherine A. Fiorello, Coordinator of Counseling Program, Temple University

Strongly opposed to CACREP-only legislation
 

I am strongly opposed to legislation restricting counselor training, supervision, or licensure to CACREP-approved programs. Although counseling is a profession, it has roots in psychology--counseling psychology being one of the three original specialty areas in psychology. Limiting training and supervision to professionals approved by a specific accrediting agency, rather than allowing for a wide range of mental health professionals with relevant expertise to teach and supervise counseling students, unnecessarily limits the number of providers available to the people of Virginia. Psychologists, social workers, marriage and family counselors, school counselors, and professional counselors all have expertise and competence that is of benefit when training professional counselors. I would not want to tell the graduates of my program that they are unable to practice in Virginia because some of their training was conducted by counseling, clinical, and school psychologists, when those professionals have much to offer our students.

CommentID: 66985