JAFARECYesterday was the general meeting of the Men’s Counseling Association. The association is a private organization with more than 20 members, a small group, but…it’s been more than a decade since its establishment, and we’ve run a series of courses four times a year and an annual Japan Men’s Conference without a break.
The term “Men’s counseling” does not refer to therapy of the men, by the men, for the men, but rather to therapy based on Men’s studies. Both therapists and clients can be of any gender.
But the concept is too advanced and rejects existing power and authority, so it’s not easily understood or enlightened because it doesn’t fit with the values of the world that believes in authority and power.
So, how did the Men’s Counseling Association’s general meeting go… Most of the members delegated their participation to the meeting, and the total number of those who attended was seven, including those who participated via Skype. As a formality, we presented the business report, income and expenditure, financial statements, etc., and after getting the approval, we had a discussion about future projects. We talked about the possibility of starting a hotline for domestic violence and moral abuse in the middle of next year. For that purpose, we need to train counselors.
We’re planning to hold a course once a month from January to August of next year to train counselors and open a hotline from September. The cost is about 20,000 yen for the whole course. Anyone interested in supporting domestic violence, regardless of gender, is welcome to attend. I’m sure you’ll learn about the most advanced domestic violence support practices in Japan. This is a great opportunity for you!
Originally posted on October 12, 2020
English text translated with DeepL (Japanese to English) and checked by Mina.
