Types of Therapy I Provide
Individual Therapy for Adolescents and Adults
Individual psychotherapy sessions can be a powerful tool for teenagers and adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, or other challenges in their lives. I have decades of experience working with international school students and adults in Tokyo. I'm a long-term expat myself. I'm famliiar with the problems you encounter when you live in another country, far from your family and friends. I'm also an experienced clinician: I spent the first part of my career working in public schools and psychiatric hospitals in Southern California.
If you're dealing with overwhelming thoughts and feelings, struggling in your relationships, or having a tough time at school or work, psychotherapy can help. Through our work together, you can learn more about yourself and develop new ways of coping and responding. The goal is more fulfillment and less stress, at home and at work. (I understand why many people cite "happiness" as the goal of therapy, but I find that pretty vague and idealistic. As Sigmund Freud once said, "much is gained if we succeed in transforming hysterical misery into common unhappiness."🙂)
Therapy for Couples and Families
Couples and families fight about sorts of things, but the most intense and painful conflicts are always, ultimately, about the bond between you. Beneath the harsh words and the emotional injuries is the question: "Are you there for me?" My work with couples and families is informed by my training in attachment theory, family systems, and Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy. Instead of trying to quell your emotions, I try to help you use your emotional interactions to trust and understand each other better.
Insight and understanding can certainly help, but as Frieda Fromm-Reichmann so famously put it: "People don't come to therapy for explanations; they come for experience." When I work with couples and families, I try to keep things active. (Sometimes, when I'm coaxing couples to speak to each other in different ways, I feel more like a movie director or a sports coach than a therapist.) My goal is to help you interact differently with your loved ones during our sessions, so that you can continue to do so during the rest of your lives.
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Every relationship is unique. I tailor my approach to meet the specific needs of each couple and family. My goal is to help you build a stronger, more satisfying relationship that can withstand the challenges of life.
Clinical Supervision
Practicing psychotherapy is tough. I think it's one of the most rewarding jobs in the world, but let's face it: if you're doing real, deep, long-term therapy with people, you're going to get worn down. It's a big responsibility. You'll feel frustrated. You'll doubt yourself. You'll worry about mistakes. You'll feel lost much of the time. You'll feel pressure to help your clients feel better now, not tomorrow or next month or next year.
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At least, I hope you'll experience these things. Have you ever met a clinician who is blithely confident, who doesn't give their work a second thought? Who's positive that they're doing a great job with all of their clients, all of the time? Who doesn't understand why they'd ever need to pay for their own therapy, much less for clinicasl supervision?
If you know what I'm talking about, then you know how important it is to have regular, high-quality consultation with experienced colleagues. We are at risk of missing important things when we practice alone, in a professional vacuum.
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Supervision is essential for your professional development, not to mention your personal well-being. It's a vital part of ethical practice. It helps prevent burnout, enhances your skills, and increases your confidence.
I offer clinical supervision to mental health professionals of varying backgrounds and experience, in Japan and around the world.
My supervision style is collaborative, supportive, and respectful. I create a safe and confidential space where you can talk openly about your cases, your challenges, and your successes. I use a systemic and integrative approach, which means that I consider the context and the complexity of each case, and I draw from different models and techniques to help you find the best way to help your clients. I also help you reflect on your own personal and professional issues, and how they may affect your work. I encourage you to develop your own voice and style as a therapist, and I support you in achieving your supervision goals.