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Riku is an INTJ-T.

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Riku

1. 52 years old

2. Male

3. Japanese

4. Bisexual (newly exploring his sexuality)

5. Upper class

6. Moved to Chicago from Tokyo

7. His company recently offered him an opportunity to transfer to one of their Chicago offices---but his new role has not felt fulfilling. He previously worked as a software engineer and has now been promoted into a managerial position. His new role pays more and offers more flexibility, but he finds himself disappointed by the reduction in hands-on work, and feels disinterested in managing office politics.

8. Shinto Buddhist

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1. Specific issues/Symptoms

Feelings of isolation and depression, lack of interest in activities outside of work, lack of motivation and enjoyment of his new position

2. Length of time/Duration

Feelings of depression began 6 months prior to moving, around the time his divorce was finalized. Total time of noticeable feelings of depression is now 8 months.

3. Frequency

Feelings of depression and loneliness every day

4. Intensity

Feelings of depression and loneliness have intensified in the last month after a brief period of relief right after his move. Now that he has settled in, the feelings of depression, loneliness, and isolation have come back full force and increased in intensity.

5. History of presenting problem?

Riku has experienced depression in the past throughout his separation and divorce proceedings with his wife, but the feelings increased in intensity when his divorce was finalized 8 months ago. During the divorce proceedings, he began to explore his sexual orientation and realized he is bisexual. He has not shared this orientation with anyone, which led to feelings of isolation while he was still living in Japan. He hoped that by taking this new job in Chicago, he would be able to express himself more freely and live more authentically, but he has struggled to find community since moving here. Although he experienced a brief period of excitement and relief upon his arrival in Chicago, his depression quickly returned as he settled into his new routine. He finds himself not wanting to go to work, struggling to connect with those he now supervises in the office, and experiencing boredom and lack of purpose. He wants to find ways to engage with community in Chicago, but finds himself sitting in his apartment most days after work and sleeping through much of the day during the weekends. He thinks his new managerial role is contributing to his depression, but his visa that allows him to stay in the US is provided by this job.

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1. Feelings of misalignment with his current role; feels unfulfilled and unmotivated

2. Enjoys living in the states, but fears that if he leaves his job, he will lose his work visa

3. Unsure of what his next steps should be, and is coming to counseling with the goal of finding clarity

4. Scared to leave his current job, but craves one that aligns with his values and interests

5. Family pressure to stay in high-paying job; financial success is highly valued by family and the need to be able to take care of his parents in their retirement is a value as the oldest sibling.

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Riku didn’t expect the move from Japan to Chicago to be easy, but he didn’t think it would feel this lonely. Back home, Riku often visited the local shrine, saw familiar faces at community festivals, and practiced a variety of Shinto and Buddhist traditions that made him feel connected to his Japanese culture. Since moving, He’s searched for places of worship or gathering, but Shinto-Buddhist temples are hard to find in Chicago, and the few that do exist don’t quite reflect the practices he grew up with. This has deepened his feelings of isolation, and has created extensive pressure to adapt while holding onto his identity. These experiences have made it hard for him to feel truly at home.

With this, Riku has been facing racism in his workplace, where coworkers often comment on his English proficiency with remarks like, "Wow! I didn’t expect your English to be so good!" and frequently make subtle comments about his identity.

Riku has not come out to anyone as bisexual, even though living more openly and authentically was a goal of his move. He has not made a strong enough connection with anyone to feel comfortable enough coming out.

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Who do you admire?

I admire Takuya Matsuyama, a famous software developer. He created his own app and has had great success.

I also admire my uncle, who started a business the year after he graduated from college, sold the business several years later, and now owns several restaurants in Tokyo. He is very dedicated to his work and also to his family.

Who would you pattern your life after?

I would love to have a path like my uncle's. I attended the same university that he did in the hopes of achieving some similar success. Although I could have used his connections to work in his former company, I wanted to achieve something on my own. I admire that he achieved success and then moved to a completely different sector to follow a passion.

Who did you admire growing up? How are you like/different from this person?

I loved Ichiro Suzuki, the famous MLB player, as a child. I grew up watching him play and after watching his success in the US after playing in Japan, I always wanted the opportunity to live in the United States myself. I am similar to Ichiro because I have also now moved to the US. Like him, I am hard working (although he is an athlete and I am a software developer) and I strive to be the best at what I do. We are different because Ichiro is more a people-person than I am. I enjoy working on my own more frequently while he is famously a team player.

Do you read magazines regularly? Which ones?

I don't read magazines regularly, but I do keep up with international news with publications like The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, and the Yomiuri Shumbun. I find it important to stay politically informed, although I myself am not very active in politics.

What do you like to do in your free time?

When I lived in Japan, I often spent time with my temple community. I worked as a mentor for a boys' youth group tutoring young men who were preparing to take the college entrance exam. I was a part of this group when I was young and made many of my close friends in my temple.

I enjoy watching NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball). My favorite team is the Yomiuri Giants. It is difficult to follow them from Chicago, but I enjoy watching recaps of the games.

I also enjoy spending time outdoors and swimming.

Do you have a favorite motto or saying?

猿も木から落ちる (saru mo ki kara ochiru) English Translation: “Even monkeys fall from trees.”

I remember my grandmother saying this to me when I was little. At the time she was probably saying it when I literally fell out of a tree but I remembered it throughout my education and early career whenever I made a mistake.

What were your least/most favorite subjects in school?

My favorite subjects in school were math and computer science, which I also studied at university. My least favorite subject while I was in school was history because I did not enjoy memorizing the names and dates.

What is your earliest recollection?

I remember playing with my cousin in the dining room of one of my uncle's restaurant while my father and my uncle had a meeting. We were sitting underneath the table and I remember thinking how big their shoes looked.

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What are the traits, ways of coping, values, world views, immigration stories, and occupational history of parents and grandparents?

Respect for generational hierarchies, politeness, and a strong work ethic are characteristics heavily valued by Riku's family members. Because his parents have retired, Riku feels responsible to financially provide for both them and his younger brother, Hinata, who physically cares for them at their home in Tokyo.

His mother used to be a university professor and his father used to have a career as a manager at one of his uncle's restaurants, but they are now both retired. They were born and raised in rural Japan and currently live on the outskirts of Tokyo.

Is there intergenerational trauma?

Riku's parents, having grown up during WWII, have a level of anti-American sentiment which has complicated Riku's decision to move to Chicago. Riku has unconsciously internalized some of these sentiments, but is also curious to explore his identity in a new context---he feels conflicted.

What are coping mechanisms of previous generation?

Previous generations largely internalized their struggles due to the stigma around mental illness/health in Japanese culture. They frequently threw themselves into their work to distract from distressing feelings and emotions.

Manages emotions privately to avoid burdening others.

Heavily relies and leans on family, religion and community for support.

Gaman- Gaman is a Japanese value that emphasizes facing difficult situations with patience and self-control. This is a concept that highlights someone's resilience and protects their identity.

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We would focus on the Introversion vs Extroversion scale. As an introvert, it makes sense that Riku is having difficulty in this new managerial role that is more people-facing.

Questions we would ask Riku to help develop preferred narrative about introversion:

When in your life have you successfully used extroversion?

When in your life do you tend do use introversion?

When does extroversion feel easy? When does it feel hard? What about introversion?

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In his personal life, Riku has shown that he has a hard time being vulnerable and experiences self-doubt. Although he has been vulnerable with us by disclosing that he is bisexual, he may find it difficult to discuss areas that he feels are shortcomings.

We will work through this by attempting to externalize those problems -- they are not things that are inherently wrong with Riku, but they are challenges that he is working with. For example, his difficulty with interpersonal work in the office. How is leadership creating difficulties for him at work? Rather than him considering himself a poor leader.

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Family genogram

Because Riku is Japanese, his family values and world view may be unfamiliar to us. It will be important to give Riku the chance to process his family's story, particularly around employment. How does his uncle's success color his expectations of his own success? How does the pressure to take care of his parents in their old age manifest in his career decisions?

Externalization

Riku struggles with some self-doubt and self-judgment around the fact that he is not succeeding in his new role as much as he would like to. We will work with Riku to help re-conceptualize his struggles in his new job as external to him.

Framing of distress

Riku frames his lack of motivation and lack of energy at his job as his main area of distress. He blames his distress primarily on his job. We want to work with Riku to dig more into his divorce, family expectations, and lack of community here in Chicago. These are areas that may be causing him more distress than he is aware of, and becoming more aware of them may allow him to begin to address them.

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Riku would be interested in the MBTI because he is very analytical. He is motivated to make his job work better for him and recognizes that if he wants to stay in the US and build a new life here, his current job (and attending salary) is the most practical option. This motivation and openness makes him more likely to be able to integrate the knowledge he gains from the MBTI into his work life.

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We would want to avoid discouraging Riku's identification with cultural values--especially because of the sudden and large cultural shift that accompanies moving internationally.

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The Japan America Society of Chicago creates and promotes Japanese and American friendships.

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Japan America Society of Chicago – The Japan America Society of Chicago creates and promotes Japanese and American friendships.

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About JASC The Japan America Society of Chicago creates and promotes Japanese and American friendships. We do this through business, social, educational and cultural activities. We are the only organization in Chicago that touches all of these

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JASC Chicago - Japanese American Service Committee

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Community Services JASC provides much needed community services to people of all ages, ethnicities and economic means Learn About Our Services Cultural Programs Preserving the cultural heritage of Japanese Americans through events and education Explore Our Programs Legacy Center Collecting and archiving materials reflecting the

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Home | National Immigrant Justice Center

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Indiana and Chicago immigration lawyers provide legal aid for immigrants and asylum seekers, fight for fair immigration reform and an end to inhumane immigration detention.

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Center on Halsted - Chicago's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Community Center

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Trellus supports immigrants and refugees as they build their lives in Chicago.

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NAMI Chicago refers community members to over 700 resources through our free Helpline, open seven days a week. Below are a handful of resources that we have found helpful to many. This is not an exhaustive list - call us at 833-626-4244 to talk through your needs.

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JCCC | Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago

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What are systemic barriers to career development?

Riku's lack of shared cultural background might make it harder to form informal connections with colleagues

Despite Riku's fluency, he might still face unconscious biases related to his non-native accent, potentially impacting how his ideas are received or his perceived intelligence and credibility.

Limited access to resources

Environments that do not value diversity and differences

Stereotypes and unconscious bias impacting decisions within the workplace

Systemic barriers to personal fulfillment may be impacting career development (connection between mental health and career)

Lack of community connections

Japanese vs American cultural and leadership values

Internalized homophobia/biphobia

Identify one ACA advocacy domain you can use to
assist client.

Individual Client Empowerment

How can you specifically leverage this ACA advocacy
competency to move your work as a counselor out of
the office and assist client?

Provide resources to help Riku to utilize his personality and existing skills within his current role (Harvard Professional Development Workshop)

Increase counselor familiarity with said resources (e.g. visit COH and become familiar with the space and its employees/volunteers, speak to the Workshop organizers, etc.)

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Professional & Executive Development | Harvard DCE

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Introverts as Leaders: Quiet Power as a Leadership Strength - Professional & Executive Development | Harvard DCE

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Challenge the conventional definition of leadership and explore the significant value of introverts as leaders within an organization.