by Jen Ruhl and Antoine Grady
Now that you've all settled in, and perhaps have most of your "business" questions answered, we'd like to taket he opportunity to explain the "counseling" side of the Prefectural Advisor (PA) position. If you're having trouble with something, or just feel like you need someone to talk to, Jen and Antoine are here to help!
First things first - confidentiality. If you are having a problem and want to talk to one of us, please rest assured that we will keep it between you and whichever of us you call. (This comes with the obvious exception that if you are planning ot hurt yourself or someone else, we will contact professionals to help us out. Otherwise, we will ask your permission before telling anyone about your issue.)
While we're on the subject of confidentiality, we'd like to give a warning about the Japanese definition of the word. In Japan, if you tell something to a co-worker, the general rule is that it will be kept within the office. This is sometimes interpreted by JETs as "gossip" (which yes, sometimes it is). If you want to tell a co-worker something in confidence, make sure you clarify that the information should not be shared with anyone else.
As PAs who also have our own schools to attend, we are counting on the help of other ALTs in Kanagawa to make sure we can help anyone who needs it. Please keep an eye on your friends, especially around the holidays in November and December. It is quite common for JETs to suffer form some kind of depression, whether brought on by culture shock or not.
Look for: dramatic changes in behavior (positive and negative), significant weight change, change in sleeping patterns, or any of the signs described on this site.
Jen and Antoine have lots of other resources for answering your questions. Call Jen on her keitai and be sure to leave a message if she doesn't answer. For everyday matters, Antoine can be reached at his home phone number. Please call his keitai only during an emergency.
Are you uncomfortable talking to Jen or Antoine? There are several resources available to you that have nothing to do with anyone in Kanagawa. If you just want someone to listen to you vent, call the Peer Support Group Listening Line at 0120-437-725 (toll free, 8pm-8am daily).
If your native language is not English, please call Shirley Flores (Spanish) at 089-948-6872, Sarah Stark (German) at 029-745-1111, or Sebastien Lacroix (French) at 026-273-1111 ext. 5331.
More serious problems can be directed to the Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) at 03-5774-0992 (9am-11pm daily). Logging on to imhpj.org will give you a list of mental health professionals in Japan who meet certain training criteria (not all Japanese psychologists have clinical counseling licenses).