Monday, June 25, 2012

... sexual exhibitionism in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila)


Mr. Ben Tulfo sent over his Bitag crew for an interview on the sexual disorder known as exhibitionism.


Exhibitionism, also known as exhibitionistic disorder, is characterized by these two criteria:

(1) Over a period of at least 6 months, there should be recurrent and intense sexual fantasies, sexual urges,or sexual behaviors involving the exposure of one’s genitals to an unsuspecting stranger.


(2) The person is bothered or negatively affected by the sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors OR the person has actually exposed the genitals to 3 or more unsuspecting strangers on 3 separate occasions.




Of course, with today's high technology, exhibitionism can now be done through electronic means such as computers and cellphones. 


Treatment is challenging and usually entails medications (hormone pills and/or anti-depressants) and psychotherapy.

... osteopathy in the philippines: presenting the first batch of filipino osteopaths ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila)



last night was graduation night for the very first batch of osteopaths in the philippines.  from an initial number of 35 enrollees, only 20 made it to the finish line.  








 dr. steve sanet of the osteopathic college of ontario, canada

leomil adriano of somatic therasystem philippines


haihoon choi of osteopathic health and wellness institute, korea

up to now, i find it hard to believe that the program is finally finished.  my deep gratitude goes to our untiring, very patient, and committed professors- steve sanet, leomil adriano, haihoon choi, and robert mcdonald.  you have taught us that osteopathy is both a science and an art which entails life-long learning, dedicated practice, and compassionate service.  



groupmates jeffrey hernandez, dr. ricardo gavino, 
dr. geraldine emperador, kirby del puerto, and joey roxas

the famous dr. alfred wong of urban fitness, hong kong

roselle branzuela, first osteopath in cebu 

 marieviel olegario

 jebsen naredo


ylazl historillo

 and for those of you who still don't know what osteopathy is, it is a body therapy system based on anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. through gentle hands-on techniques, its aim is to bring the body into an optimum condition for healing.  it was founded by Andrew Taylor Still, a physician and surgeon in the 1800s. he believed that given the proper conditions, the body has the capacity to heal itself.




osteopathy is a holistic approach to health care.  osteopaths assess the spine, joints, muscles, and tendons.  osteopaths do not simply concentrate on treating the problem area, but use manual techniques such as soft tissue stretching, deep tactile pressure, and mobilisation or manipulation of joints to balance all the systems of the body.  




most problems often require 3-4 treatment sessions.  osteopaths may also advise dietary changes, home exercise programs, and lifestyle adjustments as part of the over-all treatment program.  


my goal for my clients/patients is for them to experience "total person" heath and well-being.  as a psychiatrist, psychologist, and life coach, I focus on mental and emotional health.  as a psycho-spiritual counselor, i focus on spiritual growth.  as an osteopath, I focus on physical alignment, balance, and well-being.  osteopathy therefore makes my practice truly holistic, allowing me to give the best care I can offer to my clients/patients.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

... counseling for pregnant teenagers in the Philippines ... (life coach counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)



Sandra Tobillo of abs-cbn's morning show "Umagang Kay Ganda" interviewed me on a topic that wasn't "maganda" at all.  Our discussion centered on teenage pregnancies.





The exponential rise in teenage pregnancies in the Philippines is quite alarming news.  At the current time, the Philippines ranks first among ASEAN countries in teenage pregnancies.  Out of a thousand filipino girls aged 15-19, around 50 of them will get pregnant.  This emphasizes the need for a sex education program which teaches young people to be more responsible for their actions.  



For pregnant teenagers, counseling is an important source of help. When a teenager gets pregnant, confusion, fear, guilt, anger, uncertainty, and a gamut of other emotions run high.  The pregnant teenager is also beset by financial worries, school concerns, the fear that people are going to belittle her, and the fear of abandonment by her boyfriend, friends, and family members.  





especially in this difficult time of her life, more than ever, the pregnant teen needs all the emotional and social support that she can get.  



...light and love shines brightly at the light infinity wellness center ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)



my search for healing crystal bowls led me to a wonderful place called light infinity wellness center.  this center, located at #83 west avenue, quezon city, offers healing therapies, training workshops, and natural medicines geared towards holistic wellness. 


these people brighten up the place with their friendly demeanor and smiles!
michaela villanueva, miriam dela torre, michelle santos, 
doc sig galang, erlinda manalo, daisy saldua, and evelyn flores


under the management of ms. belene yucoco, the center has a staff comprised of personnel who are experts in the fields of integrative medicine and metaphysics.  



one of the people i was privileged to meet was dr. sigfried galang.  doc sig specializes in a long list of alternative therapies for medical conditions, such as biomagnetics, negative ion and quantum energy healing, zone therapy, aromatherapy, herbal and nutritional supplementation, dietary regimens, and neuro-linguistic programming.  




as for the singing crystal bowls which i got from the center, i'll be writing more about them in another blog article.  

Thursday, June 7, 2012

... shakin' my booty in bali, indonesia ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)



my training in multi-cultural and indigenous forms of healing brought me to the island of bali, indonesia.  here, i was introduced to the ancient healing tradition of "shaking" at the ashram of Ratu Bagus, which translates into "good king."  






ratu bagus


for the western-oriented mind, it is a strange practice that they do:  it is simply "shaking" your body for hours. it is believed that by actively shaking the body for prolonged periods, the conscious mind calms down, allowing the "Sacred Fire" within the person to ignite and heal deep emotional and even ancestral wounds.






gettin' down, shaking all over




the Sacred Fire is experienced as internal heat and sweating, spontaneous movement, and emotional releases through laughing or crying. they teach that you should persevere in shaking especially when you feel that you've reached your limit with the hope that a "breakthrough" ensues.  A "breakthrough" refers to a deeper level of emotional, physical, and energetic detoxification.  


what a privilege to immerse myself in the healing practice of this exotic culture.  


all that shaking got me hungry, so i sped off to the local market!
hmmm... i've never been to a market in the philippines that looked this aesthetic ...


bye bye ratu bagus!


peace out!

Friday, June 1, 2012

... relationship counseling, divorce, and the divorce bill in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)



i was asked by abscbn's pia gutierrez of "bandila" about the common reasons for marital conflict.  i told that her that in my clinical practice, the top answer would have to be infidelity.  other reasons for conflict would be personality differences, jealousy, financial problems, sexual difficulties, problems with in-laws, domestic violence, stress from work, etc.  




i also told her that marital separation is best prevented by picking the right partner (this topic deserves to be a separate article in itself) and going through long-term and in-depth pre-marital counseling sessions (not like the one-day pre-marital counseling and family planning seminar required by Philippine law).  



... post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd): therapy and treatment in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)



post-traumatic stress disorder or ptsd is what happens to a person who gets exposed to a traumatic experience.  symptoms of ptsd include: 1)  flashbacks of the event, 2)  repeated nightmares and memories, 3)  depression, and 3)  anxiety.



 tv5's "bitag" crew, hosted by ben tulfo, brought to me a kid they wanted to be evaluated for ptsd.  




from my interview, i learned this kid was in the school canteen when a hot cup of noodles accidentally got poured on her by another student.  because of the accident, she incurred 2nd degree burns on her shoulder which later developed into a keloidal scar.  in the months that followed, she indeed experienced the symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome enumerated above.  




for people experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, medications including anti-depressants and anxiolytics may be necessary, and psychotherapy is a must in order to facilitate the healing process. 




oh by the way, if this pretty kid looks familiar, it's because you've probably seen her picture plastered on the walls of jollibee restaurants.  






rumors have it that even jollibee was not spared from post-traumatic stress disorder after experiencing a traumatic and humiliating experience at the mall.  



... creative and expressive art therapy workshop in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)




Art Attacks

By Joanne Ellise Melendez
The Manila Bulletin
June 1, 2012, 2:01pm
WORKSHOP participants use the power of art as a therapeutic tool to free their mind, express their deepest emotions and heal their body, mind and spirit.
WORKSHOP participants use the power of art as a therapeutic tool to free their mind, express their deepest emotions and heal their body, mind and spirit.










MANILA, Philippines — Some of us are born with great artistic talent,  but not many of us are blessed with hands like those of Picasso’s or with genius for words like that of Edgar Allan Poe’s.
While the brave pursue the arts despite failed attempts, a lot of us are content just being onlookers, afraid to try and have our works be judged or laughed at. We are terrified at the thought of failing, knowing that those around us have this wrong notion that art is all about technique, that anything associated with the word “artistic” has to be beautiful, symmetric, perfect.
But there’s more to art than meets the eye.
THERAPEUTIC ARTS



Art is not really about producing the best-looking painting or the best-sounding poem. It’s about reaching deep within one’s self, hearing, and expressing what our inner selves have to say.
This is exactly what the people of the Life Change Recovery Center and the Foundation for Adolescent Development (FAD) want to emphasize– that art shouldn’t be just for show but should be used as a tool for exploring, expressing, healing, and improving one’s self.
To further this advocacy, they recently partnered with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in conducting a workshop entitled “The Art of Healing: Using Art Therapy to Heal Body, Mind, Emotions and Spirit” to help create public awareness on how art can be used, not just creatively, but also therapeutically.
“Not many people would understand that it’s not just about having fun but it’s about growing in the process of having fun and being one with your artwork. But with our partnership with the NCAA we can advocate our cause to allow people to understand that,” says Agnes Agbayani, Life Change’s executive director.
The workshop was attended by guidance counselors, community leaders, representatives from non-governmental organizations, and students, all of whom have the ability and resources to share their learning with others.
“The art therapy workshop is not only for the participants themselves but also for people that they work with,” Cecille Villa, executive director of the Foundation for Adolescent Development explains. “So if they’re doing counseling programs, they might be able to use it as part of the counseling process with their students. Those who are involved with NGOs might be able to use it to address issues of young people in their communities.”
In the workshop, participants had to be involved in the activities lined up for the day, one of which was to create a “self-box,” a representation of their inner and outer selves, and a “monster protector” to protect them from their negative emotions.
FREEING THE MIND



 “Healing” isn’t exactly what pops into our head when we hear the word “art.” But art actually heals, states Dr. Randy Dellosa, psychiatrist and psychologist, founder of Life Change, and the facilitator of the workshop. Dr. Dellosa has been using art therapy as a tool to help his patients achieve holistic healing.
Creative and Expressive Art therapy uses five art forms that involve movement, sound, visual arts, poetry, and drama in the process – basically a hybrid of creativity and psychotherapy. But unlike ordinary art, art therapy’s focus is not on one’s mastery of techniques or delivery of performance but rather on one’s ability to immerse himself in the creative process to free his mind from all his stresses and worries.
 “We usually think of the body, the mind, the emotion, and the spirit separately but they actually interact very strongly. So in art therapy, when we work on our subconscious mind or our emotions, it could actually produce a domino effect on healing other aspects. The mind is powerful enough to create physical changes. So if we unload ourselves of emotional baggage, our bodies could feel lighter,” Dr. Dellosa shares.
EXPRESS YOURSELF


Dr. Dellosa also says that unlike talk therapy, healing through the use of arts is not only spontaneous and creative, but is also experiential.
“In talk therapy, our way of expressing is very limited especially when we’re not good in articulating. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. So just by coming up with the proper picture, it already captures so much,” he explains.
Raine Grey, project coordinator of the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, an organization that deals with depression and suicide, agrees that art therapy helps people be more in touch with themselves while allowing them to freely express emotions that they are holding back.
“Sometimes conventional therapy can’t really express what a person is feeling especially when he is going through depression. While art therapy may not be the answer to all cases of depression, it can be a way for some patients, particularly the younger ones, to express what it is they’re feeling.”
Dianne Rodriguez, a guidance counselor from the University of the East-Manila, also stresses the importance of involving fun and creative activities in addressing issues, specifically among the youth.
“It is a useful method for people who are not verbally communicative because at least by using art as a therapeutic tool, they will not feel like their lives are being invaded. Art can help youngsters to express themselves freely and at the same time guide them in discovering their own issues and processing their emotions until they come up with a realization.”
While doing art therapy may not be the panacea for all the ills in this world, getting in touch with our creative side wouldn’t exactly hurt. Be your own Shakespeare, Mozart or Michelangelo. Do not let the fear of failing or being judged hold you back; you may be the only one standing in your way.
So just free yourself and let all the creative juices come to you. Who knows, art might just be the answer to that uneasy mind, that broken heart, or that stressful, toxic life that you are living.