Founded in 1997, International Mental Health Professionals Japan (IMHPJ) is a non-profit accrediting body and interdisciplinary network of vetted, qualified, and insured mental health practitioners serving the international and multicultural community in Japan.
Through ongoing credential review, education opportunities, and professional accountability, our organization supports the delivery of mental health services that are safe, effective, and culturally-informed. IMHPJ sets and upholds clear standards of practice and ethical conduct to protect the public, foster confidence in mental health care practice, and set a benchmark for excellence for mental health services in Japan.
IMHPJ's objective is to advance the ethical and effective practice of counseling and psychotherapy amongst qualified mental health practitioners working our international and multicultural communities by:
- Maintaining rigorous eligibility criteria for membership through verification of professional credentials, to ensure that all members are vetted and appropriately qualified to safely work as mental health professionals in Japan.
- Upholding a formal Code of Ethics and convening ethics panels, with the aim of safeguarding both client welfare and public trust in the mental health care field in Japan.
- Providing continuing education across multiple formats, in order to support Members' professional development and expansion of clinical practice.
- Facilitating peer consultation groups, case discussion, and supervision opportunities for Members.
- Promoting adoption of professional liability insurance among Members as a means of safeguarding clinical practice, supporting accountability, and protecting both clients and practitioners.
- Maintaining an accurate and transparent public registry of Members, along with individual profile pages to increase client access to qualified practitioners.
- Serving as a platform for coordinated responses to major community emergencies, and contributing to public education and mental health advocacy during times of need.
Further details regarding our Mission and Objectives are contained in the IMHPJ Constitution.