Fees & Options

Intake Session: During an intake, you will share why you are seeking counselling or coaching at this time in your life. Together we can decide if The J’Expat Network can provide the care and assistance you need. A typical intake is about 20 minutes and there is no fee.

Option 1 – One Session – 9000 Yen. Sometimes all you need is a sounding board and someone who can actively listen and offer some doable actions to a current issue that is affecting you negatively. During this 90-minute session, we will take what was shared during the intake, and use that information to help you move forward. Moving forward could mean having a better understanding of what is affecting you in this moment and choosing the tools that you can use day-to-day to help you navigate through a challenging period. Or, it could be identifying and setting some realistic goals for a specific project or deadline you have up ahead. We’ll use this time to your advantage, and you will leave the session energized and ready move forward. The J’Expat Network will check in within a week of the session to see how you are doing.

Summer Only – Values Deep Dive – Two Sessions – 17,500 yen. When I see clients, no matter what the issue, the focus almost always points towards personal values as the starting point for uncovering what’s creating imbalance, stress or worry in a certain area in their lives. Every one of us has a set of values, some of which were ingrained from pretty much the day we were born. Whether passed down from generations ago, or from our parents, our friends, the schools we went to, the different organizations we belong to, or society as a whole, values are our guiding force, helping us make choices every day. When our values are not aligning with the people or groups we are a part of, it creates a sense of imbalance in our life, which can lead to conflict, sadness, anxiety and even depression. This summer, The J’Expat Network is offering a 2-session deep dive into values, uncovering which ones are important for you in this moment, whether in work, friendships, family life, or in romantic, loving relationships. If there is a sense of discord in your life right now in any of these areas, let’s work together to understand what drives you, and what may be missing or not in alignment.

Option 2 – Three-Session Bundle – 25,000 Yen. Having three 90-minute sessions in relatively quick succession (ie; you will complete the sessions within a 3-month period) allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your core values and how you can put them to use in order to move ahead. Moving ahead looks different to each client. It could mean recognizing and letting go of habits that may have once been useful, but are now hindering growth. It could be a deeper dive into understanding how a current situation, whether in the area of work, family, or a romantic or friend relationship, may not be as healthy or helpful to your own well-being as you would like. The key component of these sessions is in the recognition that change is necessary for growth. Together we can look at what changes are possible for you and how to implement them. The J’Expat Network will compile helpful notes from each session and share them with you when we complete our last session. These notes serve as a reminder later down the road of the progress you made, and are capable of if you hit a rough patch again.

Option 3 – A Day Away Session – 29,000 Yen. Sometimes getting away from the place or space that you are connecting to negatively provides the perspective needed in order to get back in there, mentally and physically, ready to take on the challenges ahead. A Day Away takes place in Utsumi, Minamichita. Utsumi is a seaside town where The J’Expat Network has a calming sea view retreat where you can relax and recharge both mentally and physically. This retreat does require some light physical exertion in the form of walking (about 10,000 steps), light stretching in the form of Qi Qong, and some time spent sitting seiza or cross-legged on tatami. During the summer months, time spent in the ocean or swimming pool is an option for those who enjoy the water. Throughout your time at the retreat, you will have the opportunity to delve more deeply into the issues covered in the intake session, and talk-therapy will be the backdrop to your Day Away. A healthy plant-based meal, as well as refreshments, are part of this experience. Travel time to Utsumi from Nagoya is just over an hour, either by car or Meitetsu Train. The session runs from 10:00 until 3:00 pm, and is exclusively one-on-one. For a Friend or Group Day Away, please see below.

Option 4 – Friend or Small Group Day Away Session – 22,500 Yen per person. (Available from April, 2026) In this retreat-by-the-sea experience, you and a friend or small group will have the opportunity to work with two experienced counsellors. They have prepared a workshop that provides practical therapeutic tools for growth, wellness and self-help. Dr. Brian Cullen and Sarah Mulvey (MA) have been leading these focused workshops to workplaces, schools and private institutions throughout Japan for nearly 20 years, and they are happy to now share this experience through their private practice in Utsumi. This Day Away session does have a light physical component that includes about 10,000 steps, Qi Qong, and sitting seiza or cross-legged on tatami for short periods of time. A healthy plant-based meal and refreshments are also part of this experience. In the summer months, outside of the workshop time, participants who enjoy the beach or pool are encouraged to bring swimwear. A workshop runs from 10:00 until 4:00 pm, and clients may wish to extend their stay for sunset on the beach, and a quiet time to contemplate the day’s learnings. (Workshops are open to men and women aged 21 and above.)