... men who wear panties in the philippines ... (psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, counselor, life coach)

.

one of the subtopics tackled on gma's mel and joey show was on males who cross-dress- transvestites we call them.

"transvestism,"

is defined as the practice of wearing the clothing conventionally associated with the opposite sex. when cross-dressing is associated with sexual arousal, it becomes a fetish called "trasvestic fetisism."

.

many years back, as a medical intern at the philippine army hospital (VMMC), one of my routine tasks was to do physical examinations on the soldiers. i was astonished to discover that a number of our soldiers actually wore panties. initially, i couldn't imagine the defenders of our motherland wearing delicate cotton panties with frills and laces. well, not all of them really. some wore tan-colored nylon panties- the type which grandmothers wear.

.

out of curiosity, i asked these soldiers why they wore such. for those who wore panties with frills and laces, the common answer i got was that they didn't have money to buy their own underwear so they wore their wive's instead. and for those who wore the tan-colored nylon panties, they explained that at the battlefield, there were no clotheslines to hang up wet clothes, so nylon "wash and wear" panties were the most practical to wear.

.

so now you know- it's not because of transvestism or transvestic fetishism that some of our soldiers wear panties. it's for practical reasons! (well, at least that's what they say.)

.

with segment producer fortune sarmiento and the gma crew

.

... homosexual ocd (HOCD) therapy / treatment in the philippines ... (psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, counselor, life coach)

.

a year ago, i would have said that homosexual ocd isn't very common. but since the beginning of this year, i've begun having more and more clients consulting me for HOCD. perhaps people have become more aware about it by researching about their symptoms on the net and then finding their way into the chatrooms or forums on HOCD.

. HOCD is also known as "gay ocd" or "sexual orientation ocd." it is a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder which is characterized by doubts about one's sexual identity.

no, people with HOCD are NOT gay. they harbor NO sexual attraction towards persons of the same sex and yet, they are constantly barraged by thoughts that they are gay, or may become one. because of the onslaught of these intrusive thoughts, people with HOCD experience a disturbing and debilitating mix of insecurity, confusion, anxiety, frustration, and depression.

. like other forms of ocd, there is hope and help for people suffering from HOCD. it is best managed or resolved with a treatment package consisting of anti-ocd medication, psychotherapy, stress management techniques, relaxation techniques, and wellness therapies.

... balancing uneven leg lengths in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

.

when i do body therapy on my clients, it becomes noticeable that some of them have uneven leg lengths, that is, one leg seems shorter than the other.

.

the leg can actually be shorter than the other because of a congenital malformation, such as a club foot, or some previous fracture which shortened the leg as it healed. this physical shortening is called an "anatomical short leg."

.

on the other hand, an "apparent short leg" is due to a twisting or torsion of the pelvis wherein one side of the pelvis tips more forward than the other. a torsion in the pelvis does not only cause a seemingly short leg. it can also cause scoliosis and pain in the joints of the hips, knees, and ankles.

.

when tommy, danny, chuck, miko, nikki (medical students from u.p college of medicine) and dentists mao and joanne visited me at my wellness center, i gave them the opportunity to learn how to correct or balance uneven leg lengths.

.

some techniques which I taught them included the "hip torque," "horizontal knee bends," "leg traction with vibration," and the "frog leg stretch." all these techniques are meant to balance an apparent short leg.

.

another method which i encouraged them to learn is the dorn method. the dorn method is a gentle spine alignment and leg length balancing therapy which originated from germany. the method was introduced to the philippines by the german holistic healer Thomas Zudrell, who in reality is a certified filipino at heart. once in a while, he visits the philippines to teach people the dorn method.
.

i hope that tommy, danny, mao, joanne, chuck, miko, and nikki practice their newly-learned skills of leg-length balancing. it actually is amazing to see uneven leg lengths be corrected in a matter of just a few minutes.
.

.

... post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) therapy / treatment in the philippines ... (psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, life coach)

.

Trauma to Haunt Survivors of Japan's Double Disasters (excerpts)

by Apples Jalandoni, ABS-CBN News

Posted at 03/19/2011 1:58 AM Updated as of 03/19/2011 12:15 PM

.

MANILA, Philippines - Experts fear widespread post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors in Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami.

.

Symptoms of PTSD include anxiety, palpitations, clammy hands, shaking/shivering, insomnia, bouts of crying. This is an emotional, mental, psychological disorder as well as biological imbalance. Therefore, the treatment would be a combination of psychiatric therapy and intake of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety as well as sleep inducing medicines.

.

Dr. Randy Dellosa, a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist, has meanwhile treated many patients with PTSD from Pinatubo and Ondoy. Dellosa said the treatment could last from 1 session to years depending on how the patient responds to the mitigation efforts of the doctor.

.

Children are also more affected by PTSD because unlike adults, they don't have past experiences to look back to. Children also tend to not know what they are feeling and are going through. Children also could not verbalize the imbalances they go through. Therefore, a psychiatrist will use play/color/music therapy to treat them.

.

let's continue to uphold our japanese brethren in prayer. they need all the help we can offer.

.

... super kewl super moon 2011 in the philippines... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

.

in case you're wondering what that tiny luminous orb above my head is, that is none other than supermoon 2011! too bad it's only with my celfone cam that i captured this super phenomenon.

.

this evening of march 19, 2011, the moon is as close to the earth as its ever been. in fact, the moon is currently just 356,577 kms away from our dear planet earth. besides being close to the earth, what makes tonight's moon extra special is that it is also a full moon!

.

there's been talk by astrologers that the supermoon's gravitational pull on the earth could inflict calamitous damage in the form of megastorms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters. i hope tonight's supermoon doesn't wreak any more havoc than what the earth is already experiencing, but i guess we'll need to wait for tomorrow's headline news to find out.

.

... psychology summit 2011: psychology in action ... (psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, counselor, life coach)

.

as plenary speaker for the summit, i was tasked to inspire a young generation of psychology students to use what they learn
.

• to build up their character,
• to uplift those who are suffering, and
• to work for the betterment of society.

.

the talk.

.

the awarding ceremony.

.

with my ever-reliable staff

.

photo-op with the audience

.

photo-op with student friends

.

with dr. benjun castillo, organizer of the event and founder of the psychology-in-action advocates of the philippines.

.

... growth group activity: ang paghahabol kay ruth ng isang kabaong walang laman ... (philippines, psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist)

.

today's growth group brings me all the way to la consolacion college, manila. it's been decades since i was in mendiola. i was still a little child (about the size of mura and mahal) attending prep school at san beda college. but enough trivia about li'l ole me...
.
participants of today's growth group were a lively bunch of nursing students. one of them, ruth, highlighted this theme:
.
"as teenagers, we strive for independence from our parents. but independence from them shouldn't be equated with treating them shabbily or taking them for granted. despite the generation gap and the differences in beliefs and values, we can continue loving and respecting them in the same way we would want them to treat us." hmm, words of wisdom from ruth, who says that she gained the nugget of wisdom the hard way!
.

here i am with their professors.

.

... using dowsing rods to find underground water in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

.

some people tell me that the way to find underground water for their hand pumps, jet pumps, and shallow or deep wells is through dowsing. an early mention of dowsing is actually biblical. in numbers 20:11, moses raises his arm and strikes a rock twice with his staff, after which abundant water flows out of the rock. everyone then rejoices that they now have a stable source of water for the community.
.

there is no scientific reason why dowsing should work but it nevertheless carries a greater-than-chance success rate. in fact, the german government funded a scientific study on dowsing in the hope of finding reliable water sources in the desert regions of 3rd world countries. in this study, the dowsers didn't hit water all the time but the success rate was impressive. in sri lanka alone, the dowsers who participated in the research drilled 691 holes and had a success rate of 96%. these dowsers were able to predict the depth and quantity of the water source.
.
the method of dowsing generally uses L-shaped rods made of metal wire or a Y-shaped forked branch. the rods or branch is lightly but firmly held and you just need to walk around the grounds with a clear intention of finding underground water. once you feel the forked branch getting "magnetically" pulled down towards the ground, that's where underground water is supposed to be flowing. when using the L-shaped rods, they may criss-cross or open up, depending on what the dowser considers to be a "yes" or "no" answer.
.

joanne, justin, and clint took a break from their hectic and mind-racking medical studies at u.p. pgh just to do some dowsing experiments with me. to make the dowsing rods, we cut up some metal hangers and shaped them into the L-shaped rods.
.

my attempt to dowse for water actually led me to the drainage hole of a foul-smelling canal. i don't know whether that counts as a successful attempt but one thing for certain is that the rotten revolting repulsive smell of the canal still lingers in my nasal passages.

.

in the picture below, you'll see that clint's dowsing rods led him to justin who, as a human being is composed of 80% water. joanne and justin however were largely unsuccessful in their attempt to find water, reasoning out that it had just rained and that the grounds were all wet.
.

next time we go dowsing, we're going to dress up just like moses. maybe that'll do the trick!
.

... OFWs as heroes? ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

.

of course they are! just think about the homesickness, loneliness, and cultural struggles that OFWs have to endure. what makes matters worse is if they have cruel bosses or hostile co-workers.

.

but hey, let's not forget that the spouses of these OFWs are heroes too!

.

these spouses are left with the obligation of having to serve as both father and mother at the same time, hence the monicker "natay" or "tanay" (depending on who's left behind). they become beasts of burden as they simultaneously manage

.

• the household (i.e., doing the laundry, cooking, cleaning, repairs),
• the children (i.e., helping them with their schoolwork, enforcing discipline, driving them to school, attending PTA meetings, etc.)
• the finances,
• their career,
• their parents and in-laws,
• their emotions (loneliness, stress, pining for intimacy, etc.), and
• everything else.

sadly, another burden they experience is when they get falsely accused of financial mismanagement ("saan ba napupunta ang perang pinapadala ko sa iyo?) or having illicit affairs.

.

although seafarers aren't exactly OFWs, they also spend long periods of time away from their families. hence, their spouses suffer the same fate as the spouses of OFWs.

.

but whether spouse of OFW, seafarer, or anyone else, it's always satisfying for me to assist them in their emotional burdens. this time, my chance to help them comes in the form of teaching them how to be good peer counselors for each other. i hope that they become a good support for each other in their times of difficulties and crises.

.

with ms. rita lim seno-ogbinar, head of the women & children's desk of the international seafarers action center philippines.

.

... dr. jaime galvez tan and integrative medicine in the philippines ... (psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, counselor, life coach)

.

dr. jaime galvez-tan is undoubtedly a consummate healer and living legend in the field of health care. with such status, one would easily imagine doc jimmy high atop a lofty pedestal. but on the contrary, he makes himself accessible to everyone and generously shares the knowledge and wisdom he's gained through the years.

.

just to give you a brief backgrounder about doc jimmy, he is the former secretary of the department of health and and served as chief of staff of the DOH from 1992-1994. he is a professor at the u.p. college of medicine and is the country's foremost proponent of integrative medicine. in his clinical practice, he integrates western medicine with traditional chinese medicine (tcm), indigenous filipino healing practices, and other established healing systems.
.

doc jimmy is also a prolific writer as he has authored at least 40 published papers on health and medicine. he has also co-written 6 books, the latest ones being "hilot: the filipino traditional massage (2006)" and "medicinal fruits and vegetables (2008)." he travels intensively around the world in his capacity as consultant to WHO, UNICEF, USAID, and many other organizations.
.

doc jimmy is not one to keep his knowledge and wisdom to himself. in his attempt to widen his reach in helping people, he generously and tirelessly trains people to become holistic healers themselves.
.

what inspires me most about dr. jaime galvez tan is his love for his students, his patients, and underprivileged people. after all, how can he not be well acquainted with the plight of the poor? he has done many long years of community work in the far-flung rural areas of the philippines which do not have any doctors. doc jimmy's compassion is contagious and we, his student healers, hope to continue his advocacies and noble work.
.

here i am listening intently and learning all i can from doc jimmy's acupuncture and integrative medicine class.

.

... homesickness as experienced by OFWs ...

.

i've never been an OFW, but i know the feeling of homesickness quite well. it happens every time i spend a few months abroad. when the novelty and excitement of being in foreign country wears off, i start longing for the company of familiar faces and the comforts of home.

.

but once i start missing the very things that i detest in the philippines-- the smoke-belching jeepneys which infest filipino streets, the thick throngs of people that madly flock to the malls for the midnight madness sales, and the brainless noontime shows that rot the mind and values of its viewers, i know that i've been downed by the homesickness bug! i mean, how could i even miss the pollution, the traffic, the scandals, and the hot weather of the philippines if not for homesickness!

.

i remember that for some time, i lived in spain without any contact with filipinos. one day, as i strolled down an eskinita crowded with people, my attention was caught by a petite dark lady shouting to some kids, "hey, ip you dun't bihev, a mumu will git you!" i was so happy to recognize that this lady was a filipino yaya. i approached her and she was equally elated to meet me-- another filipino on foreign soil. we spent a good long hour talking about everything we missed in the philippines.
.

i also remember being in switzerland and not eating any filipino dish for months. one day, a swiss host surprised me by cooking some rice for lunch. boy, i never realized how plain rice could be so flavorful! as i savored each grain of rice in my mouth, i imagined myself eating it with kare-kare and sinigang and patis and bagoong!
.
the good thing about homesickness is that it reminds us of everyone and everything good in the philippines which we easily ignore and quickly take for granted. despite all its flaws and imperfections, the philippines is still home and there will never be any place as sweet as our homeland!
.

here i am being interviewed by balikbayan box!'s ma'am vk fernandez about the homesickness of OFWs. balikbayan box! is abs-cbn's first and only tfc program to tackle the reality issues of OFWs and their families.

.