Counseling

‘Personal is Political’ – some of your mental un-wellness and life challenges are perhaps caused (or at least intensified) by social and systemic circumstances.
Anti-oppressive practice-based therapy and counselling approach carefully explores the roots of each person’s surfacing struggles from psychotherapeutic and social-structural perspectives.
It can take us to the core of the recurring negative patterns in interpersonal relationships and life in general. We can explore various ways beyond just ‘changing myself’ and get closer to a more authentic positive self and a fulfilling way of living.
With the increasing global instability, new infectious diseases coming one after the other, and the rising housing and food prices… maintaining mental and physical wellness is an urgent yet complex goal for us all.

Please don’t be too patient and don’t worry alone!
Applying various therapy and counselling approaches and a critical social work perspective on systemic oppression, I’m here to support you in overcoming trauma, life challenges, interpersonal conflict, and so forth.

Narrative Therapy as a Social Justice, Anti-oppressive and Decolonizing approach

Narrative Therapists believe that the root cause of life difficulties lies in the distortions in a person’s unique worldview and self-perception that have accumulated and formed over the course of one’s life. Through dialogue with the therapist, clients reconstruct new stories and meanings of their lives.
Narrative therapy as a Social Justice, Anti-oppressive and Decolonizing approach leads to the liberation from unconsciously dominant narratives which are often internalized as the personal core belief, and nature is the birth of positive and authentic narratives.

*PTSD：Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)

Through interviews with a therapist, ‘emotion coaching’ is carried out to learn to make decisions and choices such as “Which emotions do I need to focus on and follow? Which emotions are better to regulate or transform?”
EFT is widely practiced in both individual and couples/ family counselling. EFT is recognized for its significant effect in reducing and preventing depression and improving self-esteem. Releasing one’s emotions in the safe space of therapy and then learning to make intentional choices can reduce various symptoms and difficulties in life.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Based on the concept of mindfulness (a state of concentrated awareness of the ‘here and now’), this therapy restores and maintains mental health through psychological flexibility. As the name suggests, this therapy method emphasizes taking action.
In ACT, emotions are understood as something to be accepted rather than controlled or eliminated. Instead of trying to counteract or overcome negative emotions, one accepts one’s thoughts and feelings for what they are. After accepting emotions without resistance, then one can come up with and decide on ‘actions’ and ‘commitments (decisions and promises to oneself)’ that will bring him/her/them closer to a better future.

Critical Multicultural counselling

Critical multicultural counselling is a therapy approach that focuses on and tries to build an appropriate understanding of the client’s racial, ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, as well as gender and sexuality.
I utilize this approach to gain a holistic understanding of the complex identities of clients.

Multicultural and multilingual couples counselling

It is a beautiful and enriching mix when two people from different countries, cultures and language backgrounds become and live as couples. On the other hand, cultural gaps, miscommunication, and differences in social norms and common sense can be obstacles to understanding each other. This is not a unique challenge for cross-cultural couples; every couple can benefit from learning about each other on a deeper level.
In my couples counselling, I focus on the (in)balance of power within the couple dynamics that may come from the gender, sexuality, language skills, race, immigration status and other identities each person brings to relationships.
The critical and macro social work perspective may help open our eyes to the underlying conditions that perpetuate the recurring conflicts and difficulties in couples.
Let’s work together toward more satisfying relationship experiences— beyond about changing your partner or changing yourself.

Support for Hikikomori and School Refusal

Hikikomori (Japanese term for withdrawal from society) and school refusal reduce social connections and opportunities for education and employment and create long-term difficulties for individuals and families. In some cases, undiagnosed developmental, learning or mental disorders may be hidden as underlying causes. Involving external supporters can provide a safe and non-judgmental space where individuals and families can talk about their fear, anger, frustration, sadness and other difficult feelings.

I received training to support children and young people experiencing hikikomori and school refusal in the Japanese Cabinet Office Outreach Support program (2017&2018). The goal of the treatment does not always have to be about going back to school or increasing social participation.
Slow and steady progress can go a long way for individuals and families with hikikomori and school refusal issues. I would be happy to support that process as a therapist.