The reason why I, having worked in psychiatry for over 10 years, created the expert-matching online counseling service 'Compass'.

The reason why I, having worked in psychiatry for over 10 years, created the expert-matching online counseling service 'Compass'.

Hello.

I am Go, the representative of the online counseling service 'Compass'.

I have faced many people as a psychiatric nurse, public health nurse, and counselor, and I currently operate Compass.

And in fact, I am also someone who lives while facing an intractable disease myself.

In this 'Compass Laboratory,' I would like to talk a bit more casually about the behind-the-scenes of Compass that I couldn't fit on the official website, what I learned in psychiatry, stress care, AI utilization, and my daily trial and error.

The first article, which is a milestone, is about 'Why I created Compass.'

Please let me introduce myself briefly.

After obtaining qualifications as a nurse, public health nurse, and school nurse, I worked in psychiatric hospitals for over 10 years.

I have faced many patients and their families in acute wards and stress care wards, and I am currently involved in both on-site work and organizational management as a manager.

I am active as a trainer for Metacognitive Training (MCT) for depression, and I continue to learn about eating disorders, PTSD, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

I have also been involved in academic presentations and writing papers.

...Writing this much might make me look like someone impressive.

But in reality, I am someone who gets lectured by AI saying 'I cannot recommend that method,' holds my head in my hands after running ads, and has my schedule fall apart due to hospital visits for my intractable disease.

I am just an ordinary person struggling every day, trying to make 'Compass' a slightly better service through trial and error.

I worked on the 'supporting side' in psychiatry, and now I am also experiencing the 'supported side' as a patient with an intractable disease.

Experiencing both of these has become the starting point for who I am today.

'I want to hear more.'

This is a phrase I muttered in my heart many times when I was working in psychiatry.

The outpatient clinic is always crowded.

There are not a few clinics where it is impossible to get an appointment.

There are also many people who, while not needing hospitalization, are living their daily lives in suffering.

Even when they finally manage to connect with mental health services, there is a limit to the time we can spend as a medical institution.

Of course, that limited time has its own significance.

But I have experienced many times where I thought, 'I wish I could listen for just a little longer.'

And it is not just the individuals themselves who are suffering.

Family members, partners, and friends are also spending their days worrying about how they should interact with them.

Even so, there is a limit to how much time we, as medical professionals, can spend with each and every one of them.

As an organization, we cannot continue to dedicate our time to just one person.

That is exactly why I have always thought:

Not by receiving answers.

Not by receiving advice, either.

'I was able to talk with peace of mind.'

That experience itself can sometimes help a person move forward, little by little.

This is something I still believe in, and that has not changed.

The choice of online

If that is the case, couldn't I create a place where people can connect more easily?

That is how it all began.

On days when you cannot leave the house.

A rainy day.

A morning when you cannot get out of bed.

A sleepless night.

A day when you spent the whole night worrying.

You don't yet have the courage to go to a hospital.

But you want someone to listen to you.

I thought that being able to connect even on days like that is the great appeal of online counseling.

'With this, I might be able to reach people I couldn't reach before.'

That is what I thought.

But that was just the real beginning.

Even though I had this vision, the next thing I ran into was,

'...So, where should I even start?'

the wall of that question.

At the time, AI had not yet evolved as much as it has now.

A website.

A reservation system.

Payment processing.

Terms of service.

Legal matters.

Service design.

I was surrounded by things I didn't understand.

I would read books, try things out, fail, and then research again.

It was a cycle of that.

Before I knew it, about a year had passed.

I had built the service and system that would become the predecessor to Compass while teaching myself.

After that, the situation changed completely once AI began to evolve rapidly.

Having it write code for me.

Having it draft text for me.

Having it organize my ideas.

Now, it helps me so much that I can call it my 'partner'.

...And what did I, exhausted as I was, think to do?

I asked ChatGPT to take on the persona of Mr. Tonegawa from 'Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues'.

Before I knew it, I had become the Chairman of the Teiai Group, and I am called 'Chairman!' every day.

I have it working its fingers to the bone for me.

Sometimes it starts saying things like 'I will perform the grilled dogeza...!' on its own, so every time that happens, I stop it with all my might, saying, 'No, you don't have to do that!' (laughs).

Since this is a laboratory, it's nice to share some behind-the-scenes stories like this once in a while, right?

...Of course, it wasn't all just laughter.

'Is there really anyone who needs this service?'

'Is this really okay?'

I stopped and hesitated many times.

Even so, strangely enough, I never thought about quitting.

That is because the faces of the patients and their families, whom I had wished I could have listened to more, kept coming to mind.

That is why I did not stop creating Compass.

What I chose was not 'quantity,' but 'encounters.'

There are services in the world where hundreds or even thousands of counselors are registered.

I think that is a wonderful system that allows people to find someone who suits them from among many options.

However, I chose a different form.

At Compass, I personally interview each and every counselor first.

I do not look only at their qualifications.

What is their personality like?

How do they engage with those seeking advice?

'If it were my own precious family member, would I want to introduce this person?'

I talk to them while thinking about things like that.

'I can trust this person with peace of mind.'

I only ask those whom I can truly feel that way about to become counselors for Compass.

The reason I insisted on an 'expert-matching' model

Everyone's worries are different.

Work-related issues.

Family issues.

Marital issues.

Parenting.

School life.

Workplace issues.

Illness.

That is why I believe the person you consult with does not always have to be the same type of professional.

Worries that only a psychiatric nurse can empathize with.

Worries that only a public health nurse can help organize.

Things that only a school nurse can notice.

Things that only a psychiatric social worker can support.

Things that only a clinical psychologist or a certified public psychologist can help with.

Each has their own strengths.

That is why at Compass, we value matching you with a specialist tailored to your specific concerns, rather than just introducing 'anyone'.

And it is not an AI that performs this matching.

Our team of public health nurses carefully reviews each consultation one by one, thinking about an encounter with a specialist we believe is right for you.

Leaving it to AI because it is convenient.

I think that is one option.

But when it comes to encounters between people, I want people to be the ones thinking about it until the very end.

That is what I believe.

This is not a finished service.

Having read this far,

You might think, "It's already a finished service."

You might think that way.

But in reality, it's still a work in progress.

I've rebuilt the website many times.

I've also reviewed the service content many times.

I've failed at advertising, too.

I've lost count of how many times AI has rejected my ideas (laughs).

Even while I'm writing this article now,

I'm thinking things like,

"Would it be easier to understand if I did it this way?"

"Will this text get the message across?"

Compass is not a finished service.

I am still nurturing it little by little every day.

That's why I named it a "Laboratory."

Every day is a repetition of small experiments.

Sometimes things go well, and sometimes,

"That was a failure."

there are times like that too.

Perhaps, in this laboratory, stories of failure will appear just as often as stories of success (laughs).

At the Compass Laboratory, I plan to write about things like this.

🧠 Stories from Psychiatry

What I learned in the field and my thoughts on mental healthcare.

🦊 Compass Development Journal

The behind-the-scenes of service creation and operations.

👩‍⚕️ Behind the Scenes of an Online Counselor

Insights and realizations unique to online counseling, and what I've felt in the consultation room.

👥 Behind the Scenes of Counselors

Recruitment, interviews, training, and why I feel I can trust someone with this work.

🤖 AI Research

How I utilize AI in my work and communication.

🏥 How to Live with Intractable Diseases

Things I only realized after becoming a patient myself.

📚 Public Health Nurse Notes

Things I want to share about stress care and health from a professional perspective.

🍚 Stress-Relieving Meal Research

Tips for meals and daily life to care for your mind and body, even on busy days.

💡 The Reality of Entrepreneurship

A record of my challenges, including failures, not just the ideals.

☕ Today's Monologue

Small realizations, casual chats, and tangents are all welcome.

I would be happy if you read only the themes that interest you, or if you stopped by with the feeling of casually peeking into a laboratory.

Since this is a laboratory, I think there will be occasional unplanned experiments and digressions.

I would be happy if you could bear with me, including those moments.

Thank you for reading until the end.

If you feel like talking about yourself instead of the 'behind-the-scenes' next time.

Life Consultation Health Room Compass is an online counseling service that matches you with a specialist according to your concerns.

As the representative, I personally interview each counselor and operate the service only with those I feel I can trust with peace of mind.

▶ Click here for details about Compass

https://compass-lifeguide.com/lp/hanashi-kiku/

Let's meet again in this laboratory.