ACA Responds to APA's Recommendations for Training, Licensure and Regulations for Masters-Degree Psychology Professionals

In response to the American Psychological Association’s efforts to advance accreditation and licensure for master’s-level Health Service Psychology (HSP) professionals — to include counseling, clinical and school psychology — ACA’s Governing Council submitted a public statement to APA’s “Proposed Title and Draft Scope of Practice” during the comment period, which ended on November 24, 2024.

In the statement, ACA leaders opposed any efforts toward the licensure of master's-level psychology graduates as professional counselors and supported the development of master’s-level psychology licensure that is distinct and separate from that of professional counselors.

Read ACA’s full statement to APA below:

“We appreciate the opportunity to provide the American Psychological Association (APA) feedback on master's degree psychology professionals' training, licensure, and regulations.

As noted in the APA's Frequently Asked Questions document, multiple professions allow those with master's degrees to provide mental health treatment services to the public. Our primary concern is that there be separate licensure for graduates of master's programs in psychology or health services psychology (HSP) separate from counseling licensure.

We believe it is critical to distinguish between those who graduate from master's degree psychology programs taught by psychology professors and those who graduate from master's degree counselor education and counseling programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The two professions - counseling and psychology - have unique histories, philosophies, and legislative contexts, and it would be unhelpful to confuse the public by conflating our licensure laws.

Professional counseling was established as a distinct profession by case law in 1976, and the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (recognized by CHEA) has been accrediting professional counselor education programs at the master's level since 1981. Further, the federal Office of Personnel Management has recognized professional counseling as an "occupation" distinct from psychology.

We oppose any efforts to have master's level psychology graduates become licensed as professional counselors. In some states (approximately 20), psychologists can become licensed as counselors, creating confusion for the public and stakeholders. We believe it is in the public's best interest to have a clear demarcation between professional counselors and psychologists.

To that end, we support APA for proposing a license for graduates of master's level psychology or health services psychology (HSP) programs, distinct from professional counseling and based on educational standards for training psychologists at the master's level. We support APA in developing independent licensure laws that allow for their master's level professionals to practice.”