I strongly support state licensure for music therapists in Virginia.. I’m new to the profession of music therapy, I received my board certification last year from CBMT. I appreciate the efforts of CBMT to ensure standards of quality care and evidenced based practices for board certified music therapists. However board certification does not offer the same legal protections and legal definitions of music therapy that state licensure would. Anyone claiming to practice music therapy without the proper training and clinical experience required for state licensure can cause real harm. Music therapists work in such a wide variety of settings, I personally work in an acute psychiatric hospital. It takes years of training and education to learn how to assess and counsel someone experiencing mania or psychosis. Music therapists deserve to be held to the same standards as other professions such as social work or psychology.