More and more schools are trying out cognitive behavioral therapy "games" to get kids to confront their everyday problems, and in turn lessen the likelihood they will cut school or bully others.
Elementary and junior high schools in five prefectures have introduced the psychotherapy regimen, often applied to treat anxiety, depression or other disorders in adults, in an experiment that aims to get children to conquer their fears while having fun.
"Let's do an experiment. I want you to imagine a pink elephant," Yuto Kikuchi, 29, a teacher at Matsudo Municipal Yakiri Elementary School in Chiba Prefecture, told a group of about 60 sixth-graders during a CBT class in early November.