The Academic Society
Purpose, organization, rules, journal, peer review, ethics, activities, and membership.
About the SocietyAbout the Society
The Society for Comparative Clinical Psychology promotes academic exchange among researchers, clinicians, educators, graduate students, and professionals worldwide who are concerned with psychological support across cultural, social, and institutional contexts.
The Society understands psychological support as a broad field of practice, including healthcare and medical settings, social welfare, education and school settings, industry and work, and justice and crime-related fields.
In an increasingly multicultural and mobile world, clinical psychology cannot be understood only through individual experience. The meaning of psychological distress, help-seeking behavior, therapeutic practice, professional training, and ethical norms are all shaped by social, cultural, historical, and institutional conditions.
The Society therefore seeks to clarify both commonalities and differences in clinical psychology through comparative analysis. With Japan and Asia as important foundations for exchange, we welcome perspectives and collaboration from every region of the world.
Definition of Comparative Clinical Psychology
Academic definition
Comparative Clinical Psychology is an academic discipline that systematically examines, through comparative analysis, how the understanding of the mind, the conceptualization of psychological distress, the theory and practice of psychological intervention, professional systems, and ethical norms are shaped by, vary across, and converge within differing social, cultural, and institutional contexts.
This field is closely related to cultural psychology, cross-cultural psychology, multicultural counseling, and intercultural communication. Its distinctive focus, however, lies in connecting comparative inquiry directly with clinical theory, psychological support, professional institutions, and ethical practice across multiple practice fields.
Comparative Clinical Psychology was proposed and academically defined by Taka Mochizuki in 2011 and presented through his doctoral research in 2013. The Society develops this perspective as an open field of inquiry through the participation of researchers, practitioners, and students.
Origin and Use of the Name “Comparative Clinical Psychology”
An academic designation and an identifier of Society activities
The designation “Comparative Clinical Psychology”, expressed in Japanese as “比較臨床心理学”, was presented as an academic perspective in 2011 and developed through doctoral research published in 2013. Since research-group activities began in 2015, the field has been examined through research meetings, academic publishing, education, and international exchange.
Through consistent use of the designation, the Society identifies the provider of its related academic publications, education and training, research meetings, and international exchange activities, while maintaining their quality and academic reliability.
The Japanese word mark “比較臨床心理学” is currently the subject of trademark applications filed personally by Taka Mochizuki in Classes 16 and 41. The applications do not restrict appropriate academic research, citation, education, criticism, or scholarly discussion.
Pending trademark application in Japan
The Japanese word mark “比較臨床心理学” is currently the subject of a pending trademark application in Japan for designated goods and services in Classes 16 and 41. This notice does not indicate that trademark registration has already been granted.
The Society respects appropriate use in academic citation, research, education, and criticism. For inquiries concerning publications, education and training, collaborative projects, or other activities using the designation, please contact the Society Secretariat.
Three Axes of Comparative Inquiry
Cultural Contexts
Comparing how psychological distress, healing, help-seeking, family relationships, and self-understanding are interpreted across cultural and multicultural settings.
Professional Systems
Examining how qualifications, training models, ethical codes, and the roles of psychologists, counselors, social workers, psychiatrists, workplace mental health staff, and justice-related professionals differ across societies.
Clinical Theories and Practice
Exploring how psychotherapy and psychological interventions are applied, transformed, or constrained by cultural, social, medical, welfare, educational, occupational, and legal-institutional conditions.
Five Practice Fields
The Society welcomes comparative research and practice-based exchange across five major fields of psychological support.
Healthcare and Medical Settings
Psychiatric care, rehabilitation, developmental support, psychotherapy, family support, and multidisciplinary collaboration in medical institutions.
Social Welfare
Psychological support for children, families, older adults, people with disabilities, community services, and welfare-related institutions.
Education and School Settings
School and university counseling, student mental health, support for international students, teacher support, and mental health education.
Industry and Work
Workplace mental health, organizational adaptation, stress management, employee assistance, and multicultural work environments.
Justice and Crime-Related Fields
Psychological assessment and support related to justice, crime, correctional settings, family disputes, victim support, and ethics.
Relationship to Adjacent Fields
| Field | Main Question | Distinction from Comparative Clinical Psychology |
|---|---|---|
| Intercultural Communication | How does communication occur between people from different cultural backgrounds? | It focuses primarily on communication processes and behavior, while comparative clinical psychology addresses psychological distress, intervention, and clinical support. |
| Cultural Psychology | How are culture and mind mutually constituted? | It often emphasizes cultural description, whereas comparative clinical psychology also asks how such knowledge can inform clinical practice and support systems. |
| Cross-Cultural Psychology | Are psychological processes universal across cultures? | It uses comparison as a research method, while comparative clinical psychology focuses on the clinical meaning of differences in theory, practice, and institutions. |
| Multicultural Counseling | How should counseling respond to cultural diversity? | It centers on counseling practice, while comparative clinical psychology includes broader comparison of theories, institutions, ethics, and historical contexts. |
| Comparative Psychology | How can behavior, cognition, learning, and emotion be compared across species? | Comparative clinical psychology is not primarily concerned with interspecies comparison. It examines human psychological suffering and support within cultural, social, and institutional contexts. |
Journal and Academic Activities
Journal of Comparative Clinical Psychology
The Journal publishes research articles, theoretical papers, practice reports, and scholarly discussions related to comparative clinical psychology, multicultural psychological support, and practice in healthcare, welfare, education, work, and justice-related contexts.
Online ISSN: 2760-2575
J-STAGE: Journal page
Research Exchange
The Society organizes academic meetings, study sessions, international exchange, and collaborative opportunities connecting researchers and practitioners across Asia and throughout the world.
Membership
We Welcome Participation Across Professions and Regions
Membership is not limited to academic researchers or licensed psychologists. We welcome practitioners, educators, healthcare and welfare professionals, community organizers, students, and others who wish to understand psychological support within cultural, social, and institutional contexts.
Learn and Exchange
Join research meetings and international academic exchange, usually without an additional participation fee for members.
Present and Publish
Share research and practice reports, propose collaborative projects, and submit work to the Society’s peer-reviewed journal.
Access Member Resources
Use the members-only page for activity reports, distributed materials, and information concerning certificates of participation.
Professional licenses and publication records are not the sole criteria for membership
Applicants should support the Society’s aims and have an interest in contributing through research, practice, education, support activities, or related forms of engagement. Students and people residing outside Japan are welcome to apply.
Organization
| Japanese name | 比較臨床心理学会 |
|---|---|
| English name | The Society for Comparative Clinical Psychology |
| President | Taka Mochizuki, Ph.D. in Psychology, Kyushu University |
| Vice President / Chair, Certification Committee | Jiro Ogata, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Kibi International University |
| Vice President / Chair, Editorial Committee | Peiling Gu, Certified Public Psychologist / Clinical Psychologist, Kyushu University |
| Vice President / Chair, Research Promotion Committee | Daisuke Motoyoshi, Kumamoto University |
| Chair, Ethics Committee | Kazuhiro Akiyama, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Mikoshiba Clinic |
| Auditor | Suzuka Tsurukawa |
| Established | May 8, 2015 |
| Secretariat | Taka Mochizuki Laboratory, Oji Campus, Tokyo University of Social Welfare, Tokyo, Japan |
| Contact | [email protected] |