Yoshimi TAKADA
Advisor, Special Counseling Room for Gender and Sexuality; ICU graduate (1985)
[The article below is the same as the article that appears in the eighteenth issue of the CGS Newsletter.]
The Special Counseling Room for Gender and Sexuality fi¬rst opened its doors at ICU in December 2013. The advisor, Yoshimi Takada, is a clinical psychologist who majored in gender and sexuality studies at university. She outlines the services provided, which include consultations as well as liaising with other institutions both on and off campus.
The Special Counseling Room for Gender and Sexuality is open to all ICU students, staff, and faculty (regardless of employment category). When we first started in December 2013, we were only open once a fortnight, but since April 2014 we have been open every Tuesday from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. In 2014 we opened on 41 days and received 74 visits from 29 people.
As a certified clinical psychologist who specializes in gender and sexuality, I can advise on all kinds of issues pertaining to gender and sexuality, such as discrimination or harassment, coming out, sexual health, pregnancy, childbirth and child rearing, and femininity and masculinity. Each consultation lasts roughly 50 minutes. After listening to your concerns, I can help you to sort out your thoughts and feelings before offering any advice. Alternatively, I could refer you to other advisory services on campus such as the Human Rights Committee or the Counseling Center, or provide information on external institutions like hospitals or NGOs.
It is rare for Japanese universities to have a special counseling room like this one. It is hoped that all university counseling/consultation centers are able to address gender and sexuality issues, and I am sure that many are striving to do so. However, a specialized service like ours has the advantage of being easy to approach for those who feel hesitant or uncomfortable going to a more general counseling service, thinking that they might not be understood or might be treated as freaks. They could have concerns about their gender identity, sexuality (e.g. feelings of attraction to the same sex, problems with a same-sex partner), or what may be perceived as deviant sexual preferences. That is why I think this new initiative at ICU is so significant.
Many of those who have come to the counseling room had not utilized any CGS services before, but their visit served as a catalyst for them to start participating in CGS activities. Although there is a great deal of general information about gender and sexuality on the internet and through the grapevine, I think it is important for individuals to first articulate their concerns in their own words. Then, speaking one on one with an advisor can help them to sort out their ideas and feelings until they eventually figure out the next step for themselves.
Consultations are held in Room 318 of ERB-I. As appointments are prioritized, please make an appointment by emailing your name, contact details, and preferred time to gscounselingATicu.ac.jp. You are also welcome to drop in without an appointment during consultation hours - if I have no other appointments at the time I will be at the CGS office nearby, so please feel free to come and find me there.