Lack of PTSD specialists in Japan raises worries about a mental health crisis

Commonly practiced in Europe and the United States, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy is said to help patients work through traumatic memories. During treatment, a patient recalls an experience while the therapist waves his or her finger in front of the patient from side to side like a windscreen wiper. However, there are fewer than 20 EMDR specialists available in Tohoku, according to Masaya Ichii, a professor at the Center for Research on Human Development and Clinical Psychology at Hyogo University of Teacher Education.

This kind of psychotherapy is not common in Japan because therapists do not receive much compensation. (Excerpt)

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Tokyo. (2011, May 5). Lack of PTSD specialists in Japan raises worries about a mental health crisis. Tokyo, Japan: The Yomiuri Shimbun