Pediatric psychology group

Wednesday and Thursday, March 20 and 21

     Wednesday was Win's Seminar, the purpose of which was to provide group supervision to a small group of graduate students.  Two cases were presented, both very difficult, suicidal patients.  Win did a great job encouraging discussion, often a challenging undertaking in a Japanese classroom.  Of course, the students had a much harder job in that presenting cases in English is a huge and exhausting effort!  The Japanese way of approaching treatment seems more subtle and subjective than our own...My seminar was for the students who have an interest in pediatric psychology (for which there is not a special course of study).  I gave a talk on "Child Psychiatry in the US,"  and then a fascinating case of a boy with psychogenic vomiting was presented by Nozomi Sato.  Again a lovely and intimate way of working with a very ill patient.  There was a good discussion of the differences between a western approach to "formulation" and the Japanese way of describing a case called "mitate."  The latter being more subjective, internal, connected to the therapist's own responses (if I understand this concept at all).
     While our seminars were going on, there was a two day Symposium on Education with foreign visitors, presentations of student research etc.  This allowed us to participate in several buffet meals and see the research posters, a few of which were in English.  Last night we returned to the little sushi restaurant in the neighborhood of the machiya we rented last April.  We were warmly greeted by the owner and waiter who had remembered us!  That was fun.  Now we have one short  week to socialize with old and revisit some of our favorite places.

Lots of love to all