Kathleens LPC Board Comments Jan 2025
I’m Kathleen Mills LPC-S and co-creator of AMHP, the Association for Mental Health Professionals.
Kathleens LPC Board Comments Jan 2025
Our profession is deeply divided right now thanks almost entirely to our academic output of the last twenty years and there is plenty of evidence to support that. I am a highly competent therapist and I resent anyone telling me otherwise or redefining the term based on an agenda. I am not against diversity as a concept I just happen to believe it should be based on merit not handouts. I don’t hate anyone, and I am tired of being publicly libeled for having different views about my profession of more than 34 years.
The BHEC Proposal
First, I want to thank Robert Romig and his staff for executing the Quadrennial Review in such a professional and organized manner. The re-wording language Robert proposed to the MFT board last week is very acceptable to me and our organization and I assume that is what he will be proposing later today for the LPC rulebook as well. I do think you should consider giving the requirement a name that is more descriptive of its intent though, since almost anything I take now satisfies this requirement. Something like “Professional Development” but then again, every ce I take is about professional development, so put some thought into that.
A Profession Divided
Now let’s talk about professional decorum. I understand people have a right to say whatever they want to but there is a line you don’t cross and professionalism demands an additional layer of control. I also understand that it’s not BHEC or the Board’s duty to regulate free speech, I get that but there has to be a line we don’t cross and a penalty to pay for doing so. For example…
Last Sunday a counselor from a very large N. TX FB Group viewed our petition to remove the Cultural Diversity requirement, shared it, and the group went nuts. What ensued was several hours of the most childish, mean-girl posts you can imagine.
I can handle the personal attacks and insults, the innuendos and unhinged comments. I’m a big girl and I’ve been through worse than they can dish out, but here’s the thing; my associates and employees get wind of this stuff and now you have my attention. Fortunately, my associates recognize “emotionally unregulated” when they see it and I’m able to turn all of this into an object lesson in how not to act as a professional. But it never fails to make them question their career choice. We have the privilege of talking with counselors across the country daily and I can tell you without reservation that this is far, far from an isolated incident.
The Public Doesn't Trust Us
The larger facet of this unprofessional behavior is public perception. The public doesn’t trust us and these counselors have figured that out. They’re wondering online if they should remove “LGBTQ+” from their websites or replace other verbiage with “Care Providers”. The changes they’re discussing are all about how to work around the new Federal and State laws so they can keep doing what they’re doing.
I’m asking you to accept BHEC’s proposed re-wording of the Cultural Diversity rule, give it a more accurate name, and let’s think seriously about how we can hold our licensees to a much higher level of professionalism, then act on it.
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About the Author
Kathleen Mills is a fire-breathing, 33+ year veteran of the counseling world. People react in one of two ways when evil touches their lives: some retreat in fear, and some advance without pause to engage it. Kathleen falls firmly in the latter group. She owns and operates Life Tree Counseling in Frisco, TX, possesses a tireless work-ethic, and eagerly awaits your arrival into her growing army of warriors.
