I am in support of this petition. I believe an individuals competence in the field should be the determining factor of whether they are able to become licensed. I have personally been affect by this. My options as a young professional are to move out of state to become licensed, or take a job in a field outside of my degree if I desire a livable salary. I know numerous others who have had to face this same situation. In the end it is the citizens of Virginia who are losing out. By restricting who is able to become licensed the board is actively passing up many young mental health professionals due to a matter of syntax, not because they are unfit to become licensed.