Messages from Alumni

NISHIKAWA Sayaka Admission in 2021, First Semester of Doctoral Program Field of Clinical Psychology Completed

Upon completion of graduate school and looking back on the two years I spent in graduate school, I feel that it was a very fulfilling experience. At the Fukuoka University Graduate School, in addition to on-campus training at the Clinical Psychology Center and the school adjustment support class "Yutoria," I was able to gain a lot of practical learning through off-campus training in the medical, educational, and welfare fields. I was in charge of the interviews, and with the guidance and support of the teachers, I found the time spent carefully confronting the clients about why they are in trouble now and what we can do for them at this place very meaningful. In addition, discussions with professors and graduate students in class exposed me to diverse ways of thinking and allowed me to rethink the interview from perspectives I did not have. I think it was also stimulating to learn how graduate students deal with and respond to their clients. I was very busy with classes, practical training, TA work, and writing my master's thesis, but the time I spent with my classmates, seniors, and juniors laughing and going through trial and error under the guidance of reliable professors was invaluable. I will continue to do my best, cherishing what I have learned and felt during my time in graduate school.

Clinical Psychologist and Certified Psychologist, Horikawa Hospital SUGIYAMA Maki Admission in 2020, First Semester of Doctoral Program Field of Clinical Psychology Completed

My interest in the psychology profession was ignited when I had the opportunity to meet a graduate student in psychology while I was in high school. I also wanted to work in a job that would help people, so I entered university and graduate school with the aim of pursuing a career in the profession of psychology. My two years in graduate school were very intense and valuable with a lot of learning and experience. Graduate school was a big change from my time as an undergraduate, which was mainly classroom learning, as I had numerous opportunities for practical training both on and off campus, which made my studies much more pragmatic. The daytime was taken up with practical training, writing my master's thesis, and studying for certification exams, and in the evening I had to take classes. This made for a tough schedule where I sometimes hit my limit, but with the careful and enthusiastic guidance of the teachers and the support of my classmates who shared the same goals, I was able to successfully overcome these difficulties.
It was also a very important experience, looking back now, to be able to work through each case carefully, one at a time. I am currently working as a psychologist in the medical field, and there are plenty of occasions when I feel that what I learned in graduate school is very much in use. Among the many things I have learned, I have realized in particular the importance of being supportive as a companion to the client and of finding and bringing out their strong points. At the time, I still lacked experience and had only a vague understanding of matters. However, now that I am working with many patients in the field, I keep realizing the importance of believing in the patient's ability and continuing to stay with them as they make progress, which is a very fundamental point. I also believe that finding a person's strengths in cooperation and collaboration with other professions is an essential perspective required of psychologists. I feel that my studies and experiences in graduate school have been a great source of encouragement for me today. I would like to both continue my self-improvement as a psychologist and devote myself to helping as many people as possible.

Fukuoka Prefectural Government, Department of Public Health and Medical Affairs, Health Promotion Division,
Mental Health and Welfare Center, Consultation Guidance Section SUENAGA Satoko Admission in 2019, First Semester of Doctoral Program Field of Clinical Psychology Completed

When I was an undergraduate, I was interested in "mental health activities conducted in the community", so I worked on my graduation research on it. There was a time when I wondered whether I should take the civil servant examinations and get a job, but as I learned more in my graduation research and about the work in the real-life scenario, I set my heart on getting certified as a psychological professional and engaging in work after improving my expertise, so I went on to graduate school. After entering graduate school, I continued to experience theory as well as practical training on and off campus throughout the two years. After enrolling in graduate school, I sometimes spent all day studying at the graduate school; doing TA and practical training on campus during the daytime, as well as studying for the Certified Psychologist and Clinical Psychologist examinations and attending classes from 6:00 pm. Looking back them now, the two years of graduate school were busy, but also more or less fulfilling. In particular, through the on- and off-campus training, I learned the importance of listening and working with clients, as well as how to be a psychologist, by thoroughly confronting one case at a time. It made me think over and over again about whether I really wanted to work in the psychology profession, and it made me feel uneasy at times. I believe that I was able to overcome these days because of the support of my classmates who had the same goal and the teachers who kindly supported me. I also learned a lot from my classmates, not only those who enrolled from undergraduate school, but also those who had experienced working life, so I was able to hear stories from other fields such as education and welfare. As I work now, I feel that what I learned in graduate school is the foundation of my work. I was able to pass the examinations to become a certified psychologist and a clinical psychologist, and I will continue to improve myself and work forward to grow as a psychological professional.

UENO Daisuke Year of 2019, Master's Program - Completed

I took the graduate school entrance exam because I wanted to look back at my life so far and acquire a new perspective to enjoy my life in the future. During my career as an elementary school teacher, I have had many troubles and struggles. Also, as the years went by, my role in the organization changed. In addition, I spent a year at an elementary school in Fiji as a member of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), which made me keenly aware of how education differs from country to country. From these experiences, I made the decision to relearn in order to make sure of what is truly necessary for the coming era. After two years of graduate school, I feel that I made the right decision. The reason for it is that I have come to see what kind of the framework of the world I am currently operating. This is something that I could not see just by being in the field. So I became more interested in all kinds of "education" around the world. It is a new thing I want to pursue in my life from now on. It also made it clear to me what I really need to take care of along with the children of today. I think that is "communication". Studying while working was more difficult than I had imagined, but it was very meaningful as I encountered a variety of people, books and research. I am grateful for everything, and I would like to maintain my physical and mental health for the rest of my life.

HIKITA Momoko Year of 2019, Master's Program - Completed

Since my undergraduate days, I have been studying pedagogy in the Faculty of Humanities at Fukuoka University, and while continuing to study theories related to pedagogy, I decided to enter graduate school in order to acquire more practical research and investigation skills. When I actually enrolled in the program, I found that the fieldwork and interview surveys were more than I had imagined, and I was able to conduct research activities that were even more fulfilling than those I had done as an undergraduate. Also, all the lectures on campus were seminar-style, so I was able to receive detailed guidance and teaching. In such fulfilling environment, I was able to acquire more advanced research and study skills than when I was an undergraduate, by repeating the series of processes of inputting knowledge and theories in classroom lectures and outputting them in research activities. In particular, my advisor introduced me to a vocational school in Okinawa Prefecture, which I visited many times throughout the two years, and I was able to gain a lot of knowledge about pedagogy. For me, these two years have been a valuable time to truly enjoy my studies, and that will be my reason for living in the rest of my life. After completing the program, I would like to leverage this experience, knowledge and expertise to create an environment where the next generation of students can truly enjoy their studies.

Fukuoka City Council of Social Welfare SHIRATANI Misaki Year of 2018, Master's Program - Completed

I spent my undergraduate years at Fukuoka University and then majored in this area because I wanted to further research career development support for young people.
Given the fact it is an evening graduate school, a variety of people are studying here; from those aspiring to become researchers or similar, to those who commute to the school while working in the field. By holding discussions with my peers, we were able to heighten each other's questions and at the same time, I believe we were able to return to the essential part of what it means to pursue academic studies.
We learned to not only approach "theory" in a purely academic way, nor limit practice to the realm of “practice,” but also to connect the two and pursue them in a back-and-forth manner. Currently, I am working in the field of social work, hoping to support the career development of youths by approaching social issues such as economic hardship. I feel that the pursuit of learning does not end with the completion of graduate school; rather, it is just the beginning. There are countless times when I feel conflicted and lose heart in the face of complex realities, but I want to keep making every possible effort to embody the attitude I learned in graduate school.
I think one of the appeals of this area of specialized study is the opportunity to meet fellow students on the grounds that it is an evening graduate school. I hope that all prospective students will take full advantage of our learning environment and gain as much as possible from their studies.

Family court investigation officer at Fukuoka Family Court ASAGI Satomi Year 2017, Master's Program - Completed

My motivation for going on to study at graduate school was that I wanted to gain more knowledge about clinical psychology as I continue to work as a family court investigation officer. When you hear of a family court investigation officer, you may think that it is a law related job, and I did in fact major in law at university, but psychological knowledge is indispensable for interviewing parties and coordinating relationships. There are many opportunities to learn about psychology through court training, and there are many people who are enthusiastic about studying, such as my self-taught contemporaries and seniors, however, I was in the boat where I constantly had this vague sense of anxiety because I hadn’t studied enough and lacked knowledge. Around that time, I learned that Fukuoka University has an evening graduate school. The ability to practice counseling at the graduate school’s psychiatric center was also a major reason why I decided to enroll at Fukuoka University. When I enrolled, finding a balance between work and study was more difficult than I had imagined, but I was able to complete the program with the support of the professors and my fellow students. Interviews at work and counseling have many differences such as their purpose and structure, but I think that the experience of communicating face-to-face and listening to clients also had a big influence on my attitude of dealing with people as a family court investigation officer. The year I enrolled there were a lot of other students that attended graduate school while holding down a job just like me, and I learned a great deal by being able to hear stories of work in different fields such as education, medical care, and welfare. I realized through my own experience that when I think I want to learn something, it is a great opportunity to go and learn. Although there were times at graduate school that were difficult, I think that having the opportunity to study at Fukuoka University has become a great asset both as a professional and as a person.