Court Opinion

ID: 9853783
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:54:27.267602+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:06.066302
License: Public Domain

JACKSON, Judge,
dissenting.
For the reasons stated below, I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion.
As noted correctly by the majority, “[t]he primary rule of statutory construction is that the intent of the legislature controls the interpretation of a statute.” Stevenson v. City of Durham, 281 N.C. 300, 303, 188 S.E.2d 281, 283 (1972). As such, this Court must give clear and unambiguous statutory language “ ‘its natural and ordinary meaning unless the context requires otherwise.’ ” Spruill v. Lake Phelps Vol. Fire Dep’t, Inc., 351 N.C. 318, 320, 523 S.E.2d 672, 674 (2000) (quoting Turlington v. McLeod, 323 N.C. 591, 594, 374 S.E.2d 394, 397 (1988)). “If the language is ambiguous or unclear, the reviewing court must construe the statute in an attempt not to ‘defeat or impair the object of the statute ... if that can reasonably be done without doing violence to the legislative language.’ ” Carolina Power & Light Co. v. City of Asheville, 358 N.C. 512, 518, 597 S.E.2d 717, 722 (2004) (quoting North Carolina Baptist Hosp., Inc. v. Mitchell, 323 N.C. 528, 532, 374 S.E.2d 844, 846 (1988)). In so doing,
a court may look to other indicia of legislative will, including: the purposes appearing from the statute taken as a whole, the phrase*126ology, the words ordinary or technical, the law as it prevailed before the statute, the mischief to be remedied, the remedy, the end to be accomplished, statutes in pari materia, the preamble, the title, and other like means .... Statutory provisions must be read in context[,] [and those] dealing with the same subject matter must be construed in pari materia, as together constituting one law and harmonized to give effect to each.
Proposed Assessments of Additional Sales & Use Tax v. Jefferson-Pilot Ins. Co., 161 N.C. App. 558, 560, 589 S.E.2d 179, 181 (2003) (internal citations and quotation marks omitted). With respect to the Psychology Practice Act, it also is notable that the Act is in derogation of the common law and is penal in nature, and therefore, it must be strictly construed. Elliott v. N.C. Psychology Bd., 348 N.C. 230, 235, 498 S.E.2d 616, 619 (1998).
Petitioner’s practice of psychology is governed by the Psychology Practice Act. The Psychology Board, created pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes, section 90-270.6 (2003), regulates the practice of psychology in North Carolina for the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.1 (2003). The practice of psychology is defined, in relevant part, as the modification of human behavior through psychological principles “for the purpose of preventing or eliminating symptomatic, maladaptive, or undesired behavior. . . .” N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-272.2(8) (2003). Among other things, counseling and psychotherapy expressly are included in the definition of the practice of psychology, see id., and supervision is required for any LPA when engaging in such activities. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.5(e) (2003). However, “qualified members of other professional groups . . . rendering services consistent with their professional training and code of ethics” are exempt, “provided they do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description stating or implying that they are psychologists or are licensed, certified, or registered to practice psychology.” N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-270.4(e) (2003). Nonetheless, North Carolina General Statutes, section 90-270.4(g) provides that, “[ejxcept as otherwise provided in [the Psychology Practice Act], ... a person [who is or becomes licensed by the Psychology Board must] comply with all conditions, requirements, and obligations imposed by Board rules or by statute upon all other psychologists licensed under [the Psychology Practice Act]” even if that person otherwise would be “exempt from the provisions of [the Psychology Practice Act] and [is] not required to be licensed under [the Psychology Practice Act].” (Emphasis added.)
*127The Licensed Professional Counselors Act governs Petitioner’s practice of counseling. The North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, created pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes, section 90-333, regulates counseling services in North Carolina for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare. See N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-329 (2003). Counseling is defined, in relevant part, as the use of the counseling relationship and psychothera-peutic techniques to treat mental disorders and other conditions. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-330 (2003). Just as with the Psychology Practice Act, these types of activities performed by petitioner fall within the purview of counseling. Id. However, in contrast to the Psychology Practice Act, supervision is not a requirement for LPC’s when counseling clients and they are exempt “from rules pertaining to counseling adopted by other occupational licensing boards” if “licensed under [the Licensed Professional Counselors Act]....” N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-332.1(c) (2003).
Necessarily, there will be individuals, such as petitioner in the instant case, who choose licensure under both schemes. In such cases, we must harmonize the two statutes. Read together, these statutory schemes lead to several conclusions. First, nothing in the record indicates petitioner’s activities in his separate LPA and LPC practices fall outside of the contemplated purview of both the Psychology Practice Act and the Licensed Professional Counselors Act; therefore, petitioner would be permitted to engage in such therapeutic work as either a LPC or a LPA. Next, if petitioner were licensed solely as a LPC, North Carolina General Statutes, section 90-332.1(c) would deny the Psychology Board the authority to adopt rules governing petitioner’s counseling practice because the Licensed Professional Counselor’s Act contains a provision that specifically exempts LPC’s from regulation under the Psychology Practice Act. North Carolina General Statutes, section 90-270.5(e) of the Psychology Practice Act permits petitioner’s rendering of counseling services, were he solely licensed as a LPC, so long as he abstained from holding himself out to the public as a psychologist, or as one licensed, certified, or registered to practice psychology. In addition, because petitioner is not solely a LPC, but also is licensed by the Psychology Board, North Carolina General Statutes, section 90-270.4(g) operates ás a bar to the general exemptions of North Carolina General Statutes, sections 90-332.1(c) and 90-270.4(e) and requires that petitioner also comply with Psychology Board rules and statutes applicable to other licensed psychologists under the Psychology Practice Act. Moreover, North Carolina General Statutes, section 90-270.4(g) *128explicitly provides that “if a person exempt from the provisions of [the Psychology Practice Act] and not required to be licensed under [the Psychology Practice Act] is or becomes licensed under [the Psychology Practice Act], he or she shall be required to comply with all conditions, requirements, and obligations imposed by Board rules or by statute upon all other psychologists licensed under [the Psychology Practice Act].” Therefore, it is clear that petitioner was on notice that he was required to comply with the supervision requirements of the Psychology Practice Act.
Accordingly, it is not sufficient for petitioner to show his activities fall within the purview of the Professional Counselors Act under the statutory provisions harmonized herein; he also, must show that his activities fall outside the purview — and regulation- — of the Psychology Practice Act. Because his activities do not, I would overrule these assignments of error and affirm the decision of the trial court.