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International Students
Michiko (Miko) Ishibashi
Master’s Program in Counseling PsychologyDepartment of Applied Psychology
After several years of working as a counselor, I decided to shift my professional focus from counseling women to counseling children. My two years of undergraduate education in the U.S. helped me to get a counseling position in an extremely competitive job market in Japan. Counseling education has recently become popular in Japan, and I believe that in the next twenty years or so, counseling services will become more widely used.
Since many social services in Japan are based on American models, I decided to return here for graduate school. Antioch University New England caught my attention because of its practice-oriented education, and I thought the small classroom size was a setting that would enable me to establish good communications with faculty and peers.
As a minority and international student, I believe extensive classroom discussions at ANE have helped me understand socio-cultural aspects of the U.S. and Japan. Communication is very important here, and it has served me well. Most of my classmates have experience working in human services, and they contribute a variety of viewpoints to our discussions.
One of the most important things I’ve learned in my first year at ANE is that I need to understand myself first in order to be an effective therapist. I’ve become aware of my own attitudes toward diverse aspects of individuals and cultures, and I’ve been able to share my ideas as well as listening to others’. It also seems to me that the awareness and flexibility ANE students bring away from their training here is valued by potential employers.
My goal is to constantly grow as a counselor and to serve my clients in the best possible way when I return to Japan. My experience at ANE is preparing me well to achieve my goals. I also believe that my presence on campus as an international student has allowed me to contribute to culture and diversity here.
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