Supporting lives through psychotherapy, Dohsa-hou

Clinical Dohsa-hou, also called Dohsa-hou, is a Japanese psychotherapy that explores the mind-body connection. Associate Professor Reika Nomura has worked as a clinical psychologist on the front lines of care both in hospitals and disaster-affected areas, where the gravity of human life is deeply felt. Motivated by her own experience of hospitalization and supporting a family member living with illness, she has demonstrated integrated engagement across clinical practice, research, and education. We interviewed her about Dohsa-hou and her hopes for the next generation of psychological professionals. She also shared her views on what it means to offer sincere support.

Clinical practice and research: inseparable and interconnected

- Could you tell us about your research?

In the Ito Campus, Kyushu University has the Center for Clinical Psychology and Human Development, a research center as well as a counseling center for regional residents. Clients with various backgrounds visit the center every day.

The center serves a wide range of clients, including children experiencing school refusal or difficulties in forming friendships, individuals with developmental conditions such as ASD and ADHD, and people with physical disabilities, including cerebral palsy. Adults may reflect their difficulties through dialogue. In contrast, the center staff sometimes interact with children or people who have difficulty expressing their emotions in words, using toys or physical movements instead.

For example, we work with people with physical paralysis to develop approaches that enable them to move their arms more easily. We support a process in which children release their emotional conflicts through play. “Clinical practice” refers to these daily interactions with people. “Research” is the process of questioning “how they can live better as they are” during the interactions, accumulating the data based on the question, and then exploring a better supporting style for them. Facing each client in practice and pursuing academic inquiry are inseparable and interconnected.

Discovering bedside care through listening

- What inspired you to become a psychologist?

To be honest, I had little interest in psychology when I was in high school. At that time, all I wanted was to go to Germany simply because my favorite pop idol had talked about it. Looking back, it was a rather naïve motivation.

What changed my mind was the injury during my basketball club practices. I was hospitalized in the ward of the orthopedic department after severing a ligament. My room accommodated 6 people, but the other members were older ladies except me. I remember that, as a young person, it was lively and enjoyable to stay in the hospital and chat with them. When I left the hospital, I looked up at a clear, cloudless blue sky. Without knowing why, I felt tears welling up.

I realized how constrained my situation was during just ten days of hospitalization. Simultaneously, a thought came to mind. Who is going to listen to the older ladies remaining in the room? Without me, no one would be there to listen. Then, I started looking for bedside work centered on listening. It marked my turning point and the beginning of my career as a psychologist.

- Did you experience inner conflict during your clinical practice at the hospital?

Just after finishing graduate school, I worked in the hematology department of a general hospital. It was bedside work centered on listening, which is exactly what I hoped for.

However, I soon realized that reality was not so simple. There were many patients waiting for bone marrow transplantation, and despite their efforts to survive, many passed away. “I cannot provide any medical treatment. All I can do is listen to patients. What does that mean?” The question often left me overwhelmed by a profound sense of helplessness as a psychologist.

A few years later, when my father was suffering from leukemia, I had him admitted to the hospital where I worked. At that time, my colleagues listened to me as a family member of the patient. That experience made me realize how listening can deeply heal people’s emotional distress. When we are urged to make a difficult decision as a family member, someone simply holds their anxiety. Even if no concrete solution is available, simply listening can give people in distress the strength to go on living. This demonstrated the exact value of psychological support.

Resilience of the people affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake

- You have been involved in disaster relief for many years, correct?

Yes. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, I entered Iwate Prefecture on March 22, 2011. At the time, I was in Okinawa. I flew to Fukuoka, then drove for 24 hours heading for the disaster-affected areas. What I saw there was the town's devastated landscape, marked by unimaginable scars left by the tsunami.

I went around the evacuation shelters and listened to many people’s stories. At the time, I was deeply impressed by people's psychological resilience. Even under severe circumstances, people can recover mentally. I still visit these areas at least once a year, even 15 years after the earthquake. Although the town has reshaped much of its landscape, some people are still on the path to psychological recovery. One of my key themes is continuous support for these people.

Background support from our colleagues enabled us to carry out relief operations in the disaster-affected areas. During the relief efforts, I received a letter from an evacuee I had met. The letter expressed gratitude to all those who stayed behind at their workplaces while disaster relief workers were deployed. Despite their situation following the disaster, local residents still looked beyond their own difficulties and expressed gratitude to those who remained at their posts and supported the relief effort from afar. This experience taught me that relief aid is not a one-way act, but a collective effort made possible through collaboration among many people.

Professional humility: What I want to share with students

- What do you keep in mind when mentoring or working with your students?

My motto is “Never be too quick to think you understand.” This is what my mentor also taught me. People’s minds are so complicated that it is impossible to fully understand them. Once people have gained expert knowledge, they tend to convince themselves that their case fits neatly into theoretical frameworks. However, human minds do not always follow theories. I always tell students, “Stay humble, stay curious, and stay engaged.”

- What kind of psychologist do you hope your students will become?

It is not necessarily required to aim for my style. There should be various types of psychologists. Some people are action-oriented thinkers like me, and others are good at systematic, step-by-step thinking. Clients who come to consult have different concerns and backgrounds. In that sense, those who provide support can be diverse as well.

In addition, psychologists are individuals. No value judgments are placed on their emerging emotions. Even if they feel uneasy or irritated, those feelings are acceptable. What is important is not only to suppress the feelings but also to honestly admit and analyze why you feel that way.

I also hope that students remain committed to learning. For example, online counseling had not proliferated before the COVID-19 pandemic, but has rapidly spread since then. This makes it possible to extend support to underserved populations in remote islands and rural areas. Over time, social issues will change, and support styles will too. I would be pleased if my students refined their expertise while embracing change and maintaining their intellectual curiosity.

Dohsa-hou: psychotherapy through dialogue between mind and body

- Could you explain Dohsa-hou, psychotherapy?

Dohsa-hou is a Japanese psychotherapy. Gosaku Naruse, an Emeritus Professor at Kyushu University, developed the method to improve physical coordination through movement training for children with physical disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy. The method has evolved and been applied to mental health support.

A key feature of this method is its emphasis on both spoken communication and bodily movements in interactions. For instance, people under severe anxiety and stress are often unaware of their own stress, even when instructed to feel relaxed. In this situation, the clinical psychologist and client move together, for example, by intentionally lifting their shoulders. During the process of alternating intentional tensing and relaxing, clients try to gain control over physical and mental tension.

Regaining the sense of self-regulation, that is, the sense of controlling their own body as they wish, leads to their mental recovery and stability. This approach is effective for children with difficulties in expressing their feelings and people with physical disabilities. It also works well as mental and physical health support for older adults in local communities.

Nomura’s future vision: contributing to Okinawa and local communities in Japan

- Could you share your vision or goals for the future?

At present, I have two major themes. Firstly, I aim to extend Dohsa-hou from the Center for Clinical Psychology and Human Development at Kyushu University to local communities. In 2025, the center launched a fundraising project with the members, including Associate Professor Satoshi Koga and me. To promote Dohsa-hou, we have just begun visiting local communities such as Itoshima City with students to invigorate people’s minds and bodies.

Secondly, I would like to give back to my hometown, Okinawa. Even now, people in Okinawa have long struggled with deep-rooted issues: a high birth rate among teenagers, consistently high divorce rates across all age groups, and exposure to poverty or abuse. These days, I maintain regular contact with mental health professionals in Okinawa through supervision and case conferences. As a professional clinical psychologist, I hope to develop a framework to make local communities in Okinawa more inclusive and vibrant in the future.

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For more information on the fundraising project: PDF
Advancing well-being in mind and body at Kyushu University’s Center for Clinical Psychology and Human Development

Visit Nomura’s Researcher Profile to learn more about her research.

About Kyushu University 
Founded in 1911, Kyushu University is one of Japan's leading research-oriented institutions of higher education, consistently ranking as one of the top ten Japanese universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the QS World Rankings. Located in Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu—the most southwestern of Japan’s four main islands—Kyushu U sits in a coastal metropolis frequently ranked among the world’s most livable cities and historically known as Japan’s gateway to Asia. Its multiple campuses are home to around 19,000 students and 8,000 faculty and staff. Through its VISION 2030, Kyushu U will “drive social change with integrative knowledge.” By fusing the spectrum of knowledge, from the humanities and arts to engineering and medical sciences, Kyushu U will strengthen its research in the key areas of decarbonization, medicine and health, and environment and food, to tackle society’s most pressing issues.