Shichi-Go-San

Domain XV · Nature, philosophy, social & rites of passage · Japan

What it is

Shichi-Go-San ("seven-five-three") is a Japanese childhood rite of passage, not a therapy. Children of three, five and seven are dressed in festive clothes (晴れ着) and taken by their family to a Shinto shrine, where the family gives thanks to the kami for the child's growth so far and prays for…

Format

• There is no manualised protocol, and no source gives session counts. The phases below are, built on the CFI and on family-ritual work.
• Assessment of meaning and context. Goal: learn what the rite means to the client, child and wider family, and where the stress lies. Format: the core CFI plus the relevant supplementary modules, in one or more ordinary sessions, with family members where useful. Move on when the client's own…

Questions to explore with your client

• What drew you to it, and what are you hoping it will change?
• Does it involve any substance, plant preparation, remedy or supplement? Has your doctor or prescriber been told, especially about any medication you take?
• Is it a group, retreat or community? How do they respond if someone wants to leave or raises a concern?
• How do you and the practitioner understand what is happening, in spiritual or cultural terms? Is that a source of comfort, worry, or both?
• Does it use a device, heat, cold, water or a physical procedure? Has a medical professional checked that it is safe for you?
• Who runs it, and what training or registration do they hold?
• What actually happens in a session or meeting, and how often?
• What does it cost, and is there pressure to commit to more?
• How do you feel afterwards, in the hours and days that follow?
• Does it fit with, or clash with, the work we do here?

What practitioners of it watch for

• Coding that stigmatises the client. It is working when the record reflects the client's own framing.
• Parents' wish for perfect photos taking over. It is working when the plan gets simpler and the parents' expected stress goes down.
• A focus only on failure, and the child being scolded for the day going badly. It is working when the family can name both a good moment and a lesson.
• Triangulating the child, and one parent being outnumbered by their in-laws. It is working when the couple reach a joint plan and can explain it calmly.
• Disclosing clinical details the family did not agree to, and implying the shrine must change. It is working when the family gets clear practical answers.

When to involve someone else

• New or worsening physical symptoms, or advice to stop or change prescribed medication: involve the client's doctor or prescriber.
• Signs of coercion, isolation from family and friends, escalating costs or secrecy: discuss openly and consider safeguarding.
• A crisis or thoughts of suicide: follow your crisis protocol. In the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, Samaritans on 116 123.

Drawn automatically from the guide's own sections. Stay curious: neither endorse nor dismiss what the client values, and check anything that matters against the full guide and its sources. Not medical advice.