This article was written by Ms. Haruka Kokaze, a JMSA member and recipient of the 2024 Mitsui USA Foundation and JMSA Scholarship.

The Japanese Medical Society of America is pleased to announce the launch of the Japanese Speaking Mental Health Providers List, a new resource created to help Japanese and Japanese American individuals and families more easily connect with mental health support in the United States.

This directory is intended to reduce language barriers and improve access to mental health care in the United States by providing a centralized list of Japanese speaking clinicians across a range of specialties. Providers included in the list offer services such as psychiatry, psychotherapy, and social work. Many also provide telehealth options and hold licenses across multiple states.

To support visitors in selecting the most appropriate provider, the page also includes brief explanations of common professional roles, including psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed mental health counselors, and licensed clinical social workers, in both English and Japanese.

This directory will continue to grow over time under the leadership of Ms. Haruka Kokaze, in collaboration with JMSA community members. JMSA plans to update the list regularly to ensure accuracy and maintain trust.

This resource was developed through the dedicated leadership of Dr. Maki Kano-Lueckerath and Haruka, and in collaboration with Dr. Hiroe Hu, whose 2021 scholarship project focused on building a Japanese speaking mental health provider listserv.

Please note that this directory is provided as a resource for our community and that inclusion in the list does not constitute an endorsement by JMSA of any mental health provider.

We hope this new resource will serve as a meaningful step toward strengthening mental health support and improving access to care across our community.