Kosuke Hayashi Seminar: "Recovery Begins with Knowing Yourself"

Kosuke Hayashi, Professor, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Member of the Graduate School of Media and Governance

Specialization: Psychiatry, Analytical Psychology (Jungian Psychology), Group Psychotherapy

As a psychiatrist and Jungian analyst, I practice psychotherapy and group psychotherapy. Because I place great importance on practice in clinical settings, although I am a faculty member at Keio SFC, I feel that the identity of a "craftsman" suits me better than that of a "researcher."

The theme of my laboratory is "recovery." When you hear the word recovery, you might imagine recovering from an illness or injury, but I aim for a broad scope that includes salvation in stories and religion, as well as creativity in artistic activities.

Recovery in psychotherapy is not simply the disappearance of symptoms, but is deeply related to the process of truly getting to know oneself. The process leading to recovery is different for each person, and the kind of place one reaches as a result of therapy is the type of thing that cannot be known until it begins. As Hayao Kawai wrote in "Listening to the Voice of the Heart," "There is no choice but to find the 'prescription for the soul' by oneself." I believe that the phenomenon of recovery occurs not by aiming for a promised land, but by stepping forward into an unknown wilderness.

I emphasize that students should not just receive knowledge from the faculty, but should engage in research proactively while valuing their own individual interests and questions. To deepen learning through the mind and body, we practice group psychotherapy as a method for participants to know themselves and others better. I hope for a group where we can value the "I" that is different from others while simultaneously creating connections (I describe this as "Separate, Yet Connected"). At the same time, just as Ippen Shonin said "The nembutsu recites itself," I want to value the autonomous process where the group "groups" and the seminar "seminars." If you feel, "I don't know what he's talking about, but I'm curious!" please come visit us.

In the future, we plan to share information about the laboratory on the following site.
Hayashi Seminar | note

What the seminar becomes is decided by the seminar itself. Valuing commitment to that process.

"There is no choice but to find the 'prescription for the soul' by oneself" (Hayao Kawai, "Listening to the Voice of the Heart")

For me as a therapist, the chief complaint brought by a patient is the starting point of treatment and therapy. Without it, I cannot be of use. Similarly, I would like students to come to the seminar carrying a "chief complaint" regarding what they want to learn. It does not matter if you do not have knowledge of psychology or psychiatry. I welcome students who are interested in things like "What does it mean for a person to recover?" or "I want to know more about myself!"

I hope you can get a sense of the characteristics of the participating students and the atmosphere of the seminar from their own narratives.

Yuta Sonoda (4th year, Faculty of Policy Management)
Research Theme: Formation of Leadership Identity and Transformation After Retirement in Japanese Circles and Student Organizations
"In the seminar, we exchange discussions and deepen our thoughts with people who have different ways of thinking and values, centered around the theme of 'recovery.' In particular, regarding my own research theme on leadership, I have been able to deepen my thinking through opinions and advice from people in different fields. Also, we regularly have the opportunity to hear valuable talks from guest speakers. There are many new perspectives and discoveries, making it a very meaningful time for learning."

Rihito Kamei (4th year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
Research Theme: Self-Portrait Research
"Because Professor Hayashi is a psychiatrist, the Hayashi Lab is often thought of as a psychology laboratory, but it is more than that. With 'recovery' as the theme, there is an environment where each student can freely proceed with their research while connecting it to their own interests. If there is something you want to do, Professor Hayashi will actively encourage you, so it is a very attractive laboratory for people who want to take proactive challenges."

Yui Tanabe (4th year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)

Research Theme: About Photos Not Yet Looked Back On—When My Current Self Looks Back at Photos Taken for My Future Self—

"In the Hayashi Seminar, we conduct group psychotherapy every week. There, people who want to talk about what they are thinking start talking, and you can also choose not to answer even if asked. That kind of environment feels mysterious and precious to me."

Minami Inamori (3rd year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)

Research Theme: Currently undecided; last year I thought about the power of performing.

"I think it is a seminar where you can carefully think about yourself and others through the filter of yourself. By speaking and feeling as things come to mind through the group, you can have the precious experience of accepting differences as differences and discovering things that connect to yourself from within things that seem completely different at first glance."

Bi Yue  (2nd year, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)

Research Theme: The Impact of Symbolic Interpretation in Tarot Reading on Emotional States

"I am a second-year university student and joined the Kosuke Hayashi Seminar this year. I imagined a seminar would involve reading literature or analyzing research methods, but in reality, it was a place to listen to the emotions and experiences of each member. That time feels similar to the sensation of reading fragments of someone's life online. When you open a sentence that stayed in your heart, you find the empathy and different perspectives of other readers. For me, this seminar is like a real-life version of a reading app for reading people's lives."

Professor, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, Member of the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Kosuke Hayashi Faculty Profile