those damn rent seeking psychologists!

psychologists, although typically against corporate welfare and for easy access to mental health services, are lobbying for their own kind of protectionism in the form of stricter licensing laws. this is frustrating because licensing just raises the price of receiving treatment (by reducing the number of those practicing). one psychologist has a good point about the petition.
not only does the petition stifle competition, it proposes unrealistic and unnecessary requirements. for example, it states that all psychologists must have "diversity training," something many likely don’t need due to their own varied experiences, or will not need in practice. it also suggests that all psychologists receive training in the "full range of psychopathology and how neurobiological processes," which, again, seems impractical and unnecessary. a general therapist should have little need for such knowledge. these stipulations would just be annoying and silly if there weren’t real stakes – but there are. people don’t get treatment - people are forced to stay sick when they wish to be well - because of special interests like this one forcing states to create unnecessary protections over “public’s right to have competent mental health care.”

Labels: misc. psych