by Akari Takahashi
My first year at Columbia’s School of Social Work has come to a close. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou and Friends of UTokyo, Inc. for your continuous support in making this dream of mine come to life. In this first year, I have acquired various knowledge ranging from clinical social work skills to skills of organizing communities towards a more humane world. None of this learning would have been possible without your support, and I am endlessly thankful.
In my study of liberation psychology in this program, I have learned that consciousness arises from material realities, and hence, changing material realities is the necessary and primary condition for promoting mental wellbeing. Therefore, social workers must administer clinical therapy techniques alongside fighting for improved material conditions of people. While I believe that fighting oppression is the primary aspect of solving the essence of the issue of many mental health struggles, I also think preserving ourselves and our health is the secondary aspect to this and is important in order to be able to keep resisting oppression and maintaining wellbeing as we fight for a better world.
At the School of Social Work, I have been able to acquire theoretical knowledge and practical experience with clinical and organizing skills to balance both the clinical and the advocacy work. In my social work practice class, I have learned clinical skills such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and art therapy by presenting and discussing client cases from our internships. In my advocacy class, I have learned the necessity of investigating day-to-day struggles of working class people in order to involve the community in anti-imperialist movements. I have had the opportunity to put clinical skills into practice at my internship as a school social worker at a middle/high school in Harlem, where I work with students through their mental health and interpersonal struggles. I also have had the opportunity to practice and hone my organizing skills in student and community advocacy against gentrification of the Morningside and Harlem neighborhoods. Through these organizing efforts, I have gotten the chance to meet community organizers who have been involved in liberation struggles since the 60s, and I have gained invaluable knowledge from working with them.
In this academic year, I have also been lucky to meet wonderful people from my cohort and faculty members who have enhanced my learning experience here. Through classes, organizing, and extracurricular projects, I have been able to connect with those who also have overlapping interests in bridging social work with social justice. Together, we have organized study groups, teach-ins, and newsletters that focus on social injustices and how to fight against them. Outside of school, I have enjoyed spending time with my peers through cooking, exploring the city, and going to karaoke among many other activities that New York City has to offer.
While I feel bittersweet as this first year and my time at the first internship comes to a close, my vision for the second year is sparked with excitement as I prepare for my second internship at Japanese American Social Services, an organization which supports Japanese and Japanese American seniors and families in New York City. Through this experience, I plan to learn how to adapt and add to the skills I learn at the School of Social Work in serving clients of different cultural and economic backgrounds in hopes of working in the field of social work in Japan.