I am a retired Air Force Colonel with 26 years of active duty service. Following retirement I continue to serve as a mental health counselor licensed in Maryland and Virginia. I have received training at the Beck Institute, the Ellis Institute, the Gottman Institute, and the Baltimore-Washington Center for EFT. However, CACREP was not widely available, nor required, when I received my counseling degree. With the shortage of mental health counselors in the USA, I find it sad that competency is being judged based on the political pundants cry for a relatively new accreditation program that discriminates against highly skilled counselors. I understand the drive for improving the perception of the profession, but portability should not be the tool used to push it. Let the professional organizations work that out with NBCC. Virginia should stay out of the politics and maximize availability to mental health practitioners by supporting counselor portability for those licensed in other states. Let reasoned thought win the day. Thank you.