Does Linda McMahon Decide if You're a Professional?

Do you remember the day you got your graduate degree?

At the end of our graduation ceremony, after we had all listened for our names, walked across the stage, and shook hands with our mentors, we returned to our seats for a declaration: 

“You are now conferred the degree of Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, with all the privileges and responsibilities thereof.”

I’m sure the dean said some other stuff that was like “congratulations” or whatever, but that declaration hit me like a ton of bricks. 

“You are now conferred the degree of Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy, with all the privileges and responsibilities thereof.”

I, like my peers, were equally as focused on survival as we were on developing a professional identity. Everyone in my cohort was working extremely hard and still needed financial aid to afford school. (It was nearly 4 years into the Great Recession.)

In grad school, I had been so focused on navigating the systems, following the path, tracking all the hours and requirements, I hadn’t really wrestled with the idea of claiming a new role that had rights and responsibilities of its own. 

But then, I got that degree, and they told me I now had responsibilities...and PRIVILEGES... Huh!

[And this is what the thousands of associate hours, multiple exams, and years of experience are to teach us, right?]

Fast forward to this week: news broke that the Department of Education might reclassify certain degrees, and no longer count them as “professional degrees,” including nurses, counselors, and social workers. 

Obviously, this felt pretty insulting to people who do this professional work every single day (the nurses are pisssssssed, ya’ll…). 

But it was also unclear what practical impact such reclassification could have and when it would hit. 

According to Snopes, there may be some limits on student loan borrowing as early as next year. Unless the cost of graduate school magically drops, this lost financial aid will also result in restricted access to those degrees. We could see reduced staffing in already strained healthcare settings. 

Never underestimate billionaire Secretary of Education and former professional wrestler Linda McMahon. This could get bad, it’s just too early to tell what’s happening exactly. 

I know it’s hard to stay focused in times like these. Just remember: 

Being a professional isn’t about branding, personality, or performing respectibility.

Being a professional is about accessing the privileges you’ve earned, and taking care of the responsibilities you’ve committed to. 

And if those two things are at risk, it’s our time to defend them.

Since the rules are still being discussed, this is a ABSOLUTE BEST TIME to advocate for yourself, and nudge your professional associations to lobby on your behalf. 

Here is a quick way to reach your representatives. 

Here is a list of the policy pages for our biggest mental health professional associations. 

American Psychological Association (APA)

https://www.apaservices.org/advocacy/get-involved

National Association of Social Workers (NASW)

https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy

American Psychiatric Association (APA)

https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/advocacy/advocacy-action-center

American Counseling Association (ACA)

https://www.counseling.org/advocacy/about-our-advocacy

American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)

https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/Advocacy/Federal.aspx

American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)

https://www.amhca.org/about/contactus

American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA)

http://apna.org/mental-health-advocacy/

National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)

https://www.nasponline.org/research-and-policy

NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals

https://www.naadac.org/take-action

American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA)

https://apsa.org/contact

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

https://nbcc.org/govtaffairs 

Contact your representatives and ask them how they will make it easier for new therapists to join us in the field. 

If you are a dues-paying member of any of these associations, write to them and remind them that they work for us, and that we expect them to defend our profession passionately on the state and federal levels.

Like most professionals, our training doesn’t end after getting a degree. We maintain expensive licensure and continuing education. We sink our own funds into self-employment (and most of us do it without access to the same small business loans available to other types of work). 

Therapists carve out time for pro-bono, advocacy, and non-profit work.

So…it looks to me like we’re taking our professional responsibilities quite seriously! 

Let’s act to protect our privileges as well. Privileges like:

• Being treated like a professional

• Getting help on our way into the field

• Being paid like other people who have 8-10 years of school and training AFTER high school, and

• To not be burned out because we're propping up underresourced hospitals, agencies, and communities.

Make one phone call. Write one email. Let's have each others' backs on this.

P.S., Need a script? Here you go!

Hi! I’m [Name], a [Profession] in [City, State]. I’ve worked very hard to maintain a professional degree, professional license, and a positive impact in my community. 

I’ve learned that a major reclassification of my degree is coming from the Department of Education.

Are you looking into the impact of this and have you contacted the Department of Education on behalf of [your constituents/members]?

What do you plan to do to protect the status of our training in 2026 and beyond?

Thank you, 

[Name]