The International Mental Health Professionals Japan organisation (www.imhpj.org) is a great resource, which allows you to search for mental health professionals in your area. Many of the English-speaking psychologists have either trained abroad or are foreign, and they deal with a range of issues including individual, family and couple therapy, stress management, sexual problems and addictions. There are also places like the Ikebukuro Counselling Center that deal with stresses that relate to being a foreigner in Japan.

Being new in a country can often lead to culture shock, and in turn, may result in depression. The clinics here are skilled at dealing with this and the Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) can provide needed support and advice about what you should do. Try to minimise culture shock, and its effects, by learning as much as you can about Japan before arriving here. When you arrive, try joining new activities or networking events to make new friends.

Counselling services also cover marriage, and sessions can be catered specifically to cross-cultural couples, as well as couples from the same culture. These services can be extended to include family counselling or counselling for children. Among kids, common behavioural problems encountered in Japan include learning disabilities, loss of self-confidence, depression, eating disorders, and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

If you have a more serious psychiatric issue to contend with, government hospitals such as Matsuzawa Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital and Toshima Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital offer care and treatment for those suffering from severe psychosis and other related illnesses.