Why Japanese Psychologists are Smarter!

(Note: This post is about educational topics and Japan)

In America, psychology is straightforward and to the point: People would rather treat the disease than the person. This makes people wary about the American psychology treatment system.

Japanese psychologist, Naoto Kawabata, is working on the front lines of the Fukushima disaster, helping people adjust to the circumstances of the disaster. He's risking his life to help people that need it the most. Many people consider him a hero.

He's both a psychologist and a psychoanalyst which is interesting because he uses the Freudian theory! I've never heard of a Japanese psychologist using Freudian theory before. And, surprisingly, he is able to use it skillfully to help trauma victims.

His theory is called a "systemic-psychodynamic" model of trauma disaster aid. Instead of only treating people for the trauma of the disaster, he sought to treat past traumas as well, convinced that any weak areas in their psyche would could cause breakdowns in the future. For example, if you had family troubles before the disaster and later had a breakdown from the disaster, there's a good chance that those family issues were the root of the problem, and not the disaster itself.

There's a lot to learn from his method of helping... Instead of just fixing the short term problems, people can instead choose to delve in deeper to find the root of the problem and solve the long term problems that may arise. This way people are treated like humans instead of like insignificant patients with immediate circumstances.

Naoto Kawabata, thank you for making a difference in the world and "helping others" in their time of need!