Reiko True

Reiko Homma True (born 1933) is an internationally known Japanese American psychologist. True is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Alliant International University in San Francisco, CA. She is recognized for her efforts to advance mental health services for Asian Americans and other minorities. She conducts research studies examining mental attitudes and status among minorities in the community, and publishes her research in reputable psychological journals.

When True was 17 years old, 1950, her mother died as a result of a domestic violence incident. During high school she was involved with community activities through her church, volunteering in orphanages, prisons and senior centers. in order to continue working with local community groups. In 1985, she was appointed to the position of Director of Community Mental Health Services and Substance Abuse Services.

Career

True's career, which spans over 25 years, has been devoted to the advancement of minority affairs. True was one of the proponents of cultural and linguistic appropriate mental health services in the California bay area. In 1996, she retired from the Public Health department. For the following nine years, she trained master's level psychology students as part of the Clinical Psychology Master's Program in Tokyo, Japan. She currently practices psychology part-time in San Francisco, CA. Her practice caters to non-English speaking populations and minorities from Japantown in San Francisco. True also contributed to an interview sample survey of adult residents of San Francisco's Chinatown. The researchers studied Chinese Americans' use of mental health services and discovered that although the prevalence of mental health disorders in Chinatown was high, only 5% of participants indicated they had utilized any mental health services. The study found that this phenomenon was not caused by negative stereotypes surrounding mental illness, but rather, Chinese Americans' unawareness of the services available.

Accolades, honors, and positions True received a number of awards and held many important positions of power during her more than 25 years of work in psychology and mental health advocacy efforts for minorities.

1972: True was a founding member of the Asian American Psychological Association. 1980: True was a leading member responsible for the creation of the American Psychological Association's Board of Ethnic Minority Affairs. 1990: True received the American Psychological Association Distinguished Contributions Award for her contributions to Asian American/ Pacific Islander psychological issues in the areas of scholarship, practice, and leadership. 1997 to 1999: True was the president of the Asian American Psychological Association. 2001: True was recognized as an Outstanding Alumnae by the Japanese American Women Alumnae of UC Berkeley.

Published work True, R. H. (1976). "Characteristics of contrasting Chinatowns 2". Oakland, California. Social Casework, 57(3), 155-159. True, R. H. (1990). "Psychotherapeutic Issues with Asian American Women". Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 22(7-8), 477-86. . True, R. H. (August 1999). "Gender and Power in Affluent Asia" (book review) (Undetermined). Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 41(3/4), 309–311. . Yoshito, K., & True, R. H. (November 2002). "Harry Goichi Yamaguchi (1921-2002)". American Psychologist, 57(11), 986. . True, R. H. (2008). "Feminist Therapy for Asian American Women?" Psychology of Women Quarterly, 32(2), 219–220. True, R. and Nishizawa, N. (2015). "ACT in Japan: Bridging Cultures to Help Families Raise Children Without Violence". Psychology Benefits Society. Homma-True, R. (2017). "Feminist Psychology and Psychotherapy: A Personal Journey". Women & Therapy, 40(3/4: "Radical Visionaries: Feminist Therapy Pioneers 1970–-1975"), 427–441. .