Client Voices
Read what our clients say about their 1-to-1 support experience with Dr Kana
It was such a rich experience working with Kana. I bought a five session pack to help me process my autism diagnosis, and we have covered so much - many things that I would have felt really exposed unpacking with a conventional neurotypical therapist. She has helped me uncover more layers to my neurodivergence that are really helping me to make sense of myself, and that I am looking forward to exploring further. Our explorations have included the effects of hormonal cycles on the expression of different traits, and Kana has helped me explore accommodations and supports I can make in my life. One of the things I will treasure is her reflections on what my life is - if you are working in a very demanding job and are plagued by rejection sensitivity or perfectionism it can be hard to fully acknowledge all that is good in yourself, and Kana has helped me to appreciate different qualities in myself. I'm leaving the sessions confident in a strategy to better accommodate my needs at work and at home, and I'm looking forward to catching up with Kana in the future.
Female charity executive, UK
I had only a few sessions with Kana, but they made a huge difference and became a turning point in my life. She helped me understand and work through my internalised ableism, finally make sense of what was happening to me, and start accepting and respecting my body’s limits. With her support, I began to act with more kindness toward myself and take the first steps on my healing journey from autistic burnout and chronic fatigue. I’m also extremely grateful that she helped me get the university accommodations I needed. Kana’s warmth, understanding, and insight made me feel genuinely seen and accepted for who I am.
Postgraduate student, Europe
Kana understood very well what I was struggling with, particularly issues related to autism. She is a very calming and kind person who has been very supportive and encouraged me a lot. I felt very motivated and confident at the end of the sessions. The mentoring sessions were always happening at the same time on the same day on a weekly basis. It provided a frame and helped me organise my studying hours during the week. Kana guided me to come up with a plan and set realistic goals to finish my coursework in time. I developed studying skills and strategies to cope with anxiety. Mentoring with Kana was very helpful to deal with personal and academic issues especially during the lockdown. She provided me with emotional support and motivated me a lot during difficult times.
Neurodivergent (ND) individual, university student, UK
I am a mother of an autitstic son. I asked for Kana's support to better understand my son. Kana is a gentle person and easy to talk to. I felt relaxed talking with her. She did not only listened to me well but also provided me with helpful information. Every time after talking with her, I feel hope and see some progress. With an academic background, she has experiences of living in Japan, USA, and UK, so it has been very helpful to hear about autism from such diverse perspectives. Similarly to autistic people, families of autistic children also sometimes feel lonely. Kana was the first autistic person for me to talk with, and conversation with her felt right to me. I feel someone like Kana we can rely on is invaluable: someone who has an expertise in autism and supports autistic people and their families.
Mother of a ND child, UK
During the sessions we had together, Kana helped me to identify effective learning strategies (which improved my productivity) and gave me tips on coping with and addressing my mental health conditions (which improved my general wellbeing). She is easy to talk to, compassionate, and flexible in terms of communication channels — some weeks, we talked via text-chat rather than video calling (as per my request).
ND individual, postgraduate student, UK
The fact that I am very functional in some aspects makes most people disbelieve my concerns about doing certain things. Talking with Kana was one of the first times I've felt that someone fully understood some of the difficulties I was having. Talking with her has helped me clarify many things about my capabilities, fears, and how I should think about them, and made me feel much less alone.
ND individual, postgraduate student, US
I would highly recommend Kana as a mentor to anyone looking to explore their neurodiversity.
I met with Kana more than 10 times on zoom over several months in 2023 and it has been a wonderful experience. As someone who recently sought an Autism assessment, it was the perfect opportunity to process common themes and concepts around late diagnosis.
It was also lovely to know that she is working to support autistic people through her research. I enjoyed finding out more of the latest studies and it was interesting to discuss all manner of topics such as alexithymia, aphantasia, and pathological demand avoidance.
She has a calm and open approach, which was perfect for me, and shares gentle advice and thoughtful impressions.
It was wonderful to chat with someone who has lived experience of Autism and who can normalise experiences not shared by the majority. If anyone wants to know if they are 'normal', or who feels alone in their experience of the world, I hope you can consider reaching out to Kana to see if she is a good fit!
ND individual, Health professional, Australia
Thank you for always listening with empathy and providing emotional support.
I used to think that my overflowing tasks and ideas were due to my own laziness, but realizing they are characteristics of being neurodivergent has allowed me to think positively about how to leverage these traits rather than trying to "fix" them.
Personally, learning from Kana's extensive knowledge and experience about Japan's position in global neurodiversity and the initiatives in other countries has been incredibly helpful as I explore my career plans.
I have experienced many services such as coaching and counseling, but I have never encountered another service that truly empathizes with the feelings of neurodivergent individuals and provides support ranging from everyday life hacks to career and life planning.
As specialist mentoring like this does not exist in Japan, I strongly hope that many other neurodivergent individuals and their families will learn about Kana’s support.
ND individual, IT Company, Japan
I had a great experience with Kana. She is supportive, kind, validating, and creates a secure space. She helped me explore ASD and neurodivergence, encouraged me to get an assessment, and helped fill the gaps in adult ASD services in my area. I felt understood and better equipped after every session. Highly recommend.
ND individual, Ukraine