Wow! Eleven Years...

Wow!! I cannot believe that I have been here in the US for almost 11 years... It’s been so fast even though I have faced and struggled with so many challenges. I really thank God, my family, co-workers, and friends here and in Japan for their support and guidance. Here are some comments from my professor, supervisor, and now mentor, Dr. Cynthia Reynolds who is also a president of Ohio Association for Play Therapy in the newsletter.

OAPT President’s Comments

It is always a pleasure to welcome new members and to watch their development as play therapists. Eleven years ago, Masaki Kawakami came to the United States to better learn English. As part of an assignment for his English course, he read a book that propelled him to become interested in becoming a child counselor. He enrolled in the Community Counseling program at the University of Akron, and I met him for the first time in my Counseling Children class. I was impressed by his passion for learning, and his courage to pursue a degree in another language. Several years after he graduated, I heard about his desire to become a play therapist from other members of OAPT.

Masaki became a member of APT and attended national and state conferences, as well as numerous trainings and supervision sessions. He made many play therapy friends both in Ohio and across the country. He has been a practicing therapist in Marietta, Ohio and has achieved PCC-S and RPT-S status. He is leaving in July to return to Japan taking all of his talents, learnings, wisdom (and toys) with him. It has been a delight to learn from Masaki and witness his process of becoming a very natural and gifted play therapist. We will miss his joy of learning, his thoughtful questions, his willingness to help others, his sense of humor, and his superb cooking!

Arigato gozaimas, Masaki for enriching our lives, and best wishes for the future.