... Gestalt Therapy growth group activity: pangiisnub sa akin ng tatay kong bungi ...(life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, philippines)

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today's growth group comprised dianne, marc, marie franz, merwin, michael, and miguel. they were already a lively bunch to start with, but after i did acupuncture on them, they became 10x more energetic and ecstatic, as if they all had adhd.

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from their growth group activity, the lesson that surfaced was this:

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our needs for acceptance, acknowledgment, and affirmation aren't always going to be met by the people who we would like to receive them from.

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but just because our needs may never get met by these people who matter to us, it shouldn't stop us from being kind, loving, and concerned towards them.
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thanks dianne, marc, marie franz, merwin, michael, and miguel! i truly enjoyed our session :D
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... calling all you peeps to watch 100 Days to Heaven ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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people always need a big dose of hope and inspiration. so when a teleserye comes along with a theme on second chances, it's something i'll heartfully endorse. this teleserye is 100 Days to Heaven. if ever your schedule allows, make the show your daily habit.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: 100 Days to Heaven is a Philippine fantasy children’s television series airing on ABS-CBN starring Xyriel Manabat and Coney Reyes.

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Synopsis: Ms. Anna Manalastas (portrayed by Coney Reyes) is the mean, icy and cunning owner of a toy empire. One day, the car she is in explodes. Upon her death, Anna realizes she is about to go to Hell. But being a good negotiator, she strikes a deal with St. Peter to give her a second chance at earning a ticket to Heaven. Anna is given 100 days to do good to those she had wronged in her life. But it won’t be as easy as she expects. Once on earth, she realizes that she is not back as her old self but as a helpless 7-year old (portrayed by Xyriel Manabat). Witness how a child with a cold heart resolves her issues on her way to the gates of heaven.

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Cast and characters: Coney Reyes, Xyriel Manabat, Jody Sta. Maria, Joel Torre, Dominic Ochoa, Smokey Manaloto, Valerie Concepcion, Rafael Rosell, Neil Coleta, Louise Abuel

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... OMG! Yahoo Philippines article on child stars and the child star syndrome (and a little bit on the Jan-Jan macho dancing issue) ...

Suffer the little children

By Maridol Rañoa-Bismark | omg! Philippines News Blog – Mon, May 9, 2011 12:43 PM PHT

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Dr. Randy Dellosa (Contributed photo)

The image of six-year-old Jan-Jan Suan, crying while gyrating like a macho dancer in Willie Revillame's TV show, "Willing Willie," looms large once more, now that the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) has slapped a one-month suspension on the show.

And now that the dust has settled somehow, the lessons continue to haunt us. They force us to take a closer look at child stars and performers once more. It makes us examine how we're treating these innocent ones who have no choice but look to older people for protection.

Are networks protecting them or pushing them deeper into a quagmire they may not get out of? Are they pawns -- of networks or lazy, ambitious parents -- or typical children who think acting in front of the cameras is what else — child's play?

Abnormal venue

Showbiz psychologist Dr. Randy Dellosa has not-so-good news.

"The entertainment industry is an adult-oriented work environment and therefore an abnormal venue for children to grow up in," he observes.

Thus, little ones who eke out a living in this industry suffer the same frustrations and pressures their adult counterparts do. Children feel the heat when people pit them against other young stars in the name of intrigue. Very young showbiz wannabes who audition and fail to get the nod in reality talent shows, Dellosa continues, feel a big blow in much the same way their elders do.

Another source of pressure, he adds, is acting out adult scenes and situations. What does the child know of violence, death, sex, etc.? And yet, he is made to act out scenes surrounding these issues.

Dellosa warns that this "creates a damaging impact on their minds which may affect their personalities as they grow up."

Now, do you wonder why some child stars grow up regretting their lost childhood in their pursuit of fame and fortune?

'Child Star Syndrome'

Dellosa points out that the whole thing is called the "Child Star Syndrome." Its symptoms are achingly familiar. The former child star turns into a major problem. He becomes rebellious teenager, suffers eating and anxiety disorders, turns to drugs and alcohol and gets very depressed.

Once they grow up, Dellosa says, they are forced to adapt to the harsher experiences of the real world. Some can't accept the fact that they're no longer the center of attention. A younger, cuter child is. And the truth hurts.

Others, adds Dellosa feel trapped in a goody two-shoes image. They can't be themselves.

What can the parents, and the network do? Dellosa offers suggestions.

"Parents must make sure showbiz is merely an `extra-curricular activity'. They also must make sure it doesn't create undue stress or pressure on the children, and should not keep them from leading balanced lives."

TV hosts, he goes on, must be more sensitive to their guests and everything that happens on the show. Dellosa thinks a good TV host must take charge whenever something is getting out of hand on stage. He must respect age-appropriate games or activities.

As for the all-powerful networks, Dellosa is all out for values education, spiritual formation, sensitivity training and personal growth programs for young talents. Sadly though, he notes that life coaching and counseling services are hardly offered to stars despite the pressure they're going through.

Help Jan-Jan

For now, Dellosa says Jan-Jan may not even understand what all the fuss around him is all about. But it's wrong to think he doesn't need help.

Dellosa insists someone must help Jan-Jan make sense of what's happening. Someone must help him overcome guilt, shame and humiliation. His classmates, playmates and even cruel adults will still ridicule him. And Jan-Jan must learn how to deal with this.

Finally, someone must check on him for signs of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and psychosomatic illnesses.

The issue has become a wake-up call for networks. ABS-CBN is drafting a child protection handbook that will apply to minors and news coverage on children. TV5 has its Guidelines on the Treatment of Children as Viewers, Subjects, Talents or Participants. A child psychologist will make sure these guidelines are followed. The network has vowed to assign a child welfare coordinator in every stage of production. It will also hold regular seminars and sensitivity training sessions for its talents and employees.

Let's hope these measures are not just band-aid solutions. Let's hope they last. And make life a little better for the little children who are sometimes victims of parents hungry for fame and fortune.

... "pinoys are an ugly brown race," ads imply ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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TV5's alagang kapatid sent dr. alistair bilas, better known as "doc ali" to interview me on the pinoy's penchant for white skin and tall noses. at least four things i remember telling him:

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(1) the cosmetic industry has sure done a darn good job of making us brown-skinned people insecure about our skin color.
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(2) pinoys, to start with, must really have low self-esteem to fall for ad campaigns which persuade us to think that "brown is ugly."
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(3) this lowly perception of self can probably be traced to the way our western colonizers made us think they were superior to us not only in appearance but in pretty much everything else.
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(4) even the religion which our colonizers imposed on us helped to reinforce stereotypes on skin color. for instance, angels and other heavenly beings are pictured as "white' while satan and his minions are "black."
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it's about time for us pinoys to discard our colonial mentality. let's love ourselves for being the brown-skinned people that we are. 

"brown is in" and we have chat silayan, miriam quiambao, and janine togonon to prove to the world that filipinas don't need to be fair-skinned tall-nosed mestizas to stand out in an international pool of beauties. 

on that day that we start using cosmetic products to enhance our brown skin, then we know that filipinos have finally become a proud brown race.
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... a cutting edge activity for the summer: oplan circumcision/ libre tuli .. (philippines, life coach, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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as a filipino physician, i am neither for nor against circumcision.
.medically speaking, when done correctly, the surgical procedure poses no physical harm on the patient except, of course, for the wound it creates. barring infection, the wound generally heals fully within 2 weeks.
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psychologically speaking, if the patient is emotionally prepared and supported, the patient shouldn't experience any short- or long-term psychological trauma. any anxiety or fear (the usual fear of pain, needles, or blood) is limited to the period immediately before, during, and after the 20-minute surgical procedure.
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culturally speaking, circumcision is a rite of manhood which generally all filipino children are expected to undergo. it is a source of confidence for filipino children to courageously go through the "ordeal" because to shirk away from this rite of passage is a sign of cowardice and inferiority. for filipinos, it is not circumcision which causes long-term psychological trauma. it is in not being circumcised that filipino males become the object of ridicule and derision, thus creating in them a deep shame that can mar their sense of manhood and over-all sense of self for life.

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... fun and humor in psychotherapy ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, philippines)

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many people have the mistaken notion that psychotherapy is a dark, gloomy, or heart-wrenching experience meant only for the psychologically frail or mentally ill.

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modern psychotherapists however don't only deal with life problems, they also help people live life fully, joyfully, and meaningfully. among the modalities used by modern shrinks are the creative and expressive psychotherapies such as dance/ movement therapy, art therapy, drama therapy, poetry therapy, and sound/ music therapy.

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as my young friends from holy angel university, pampagga discover, psychotherapy can change people's lives through fun, humor, and laughter.

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be amazed by the facial transformations of abby, airee, camille, gretch, irma, joy, kim, krisan, patrick, and thea. some of them actually look like "taong grasa," don't they? i just hope that none of them become make-up artists in the future.

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... arnell ignacio and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) treatment/ therapy (philippines, life coach, psychotherapist,psychologist, psychiatrist)

Arnell Ignacio Traumatized by ‘Extortion’ Incident

by Alex Valentin Brosas

May 4, 2011, 4:16 am (excerpts/inserts)

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MANILA, Philippines – “Malaking-malaking trauma ang nangyari sa akin," comedian-host Arnell Ignacio told "Showbiz News Ngayon" on May 3.

Arnell alleged that three police officers from the PNP-HPG apprehended him while he was driving his Porsche on March 26 and asked him for money under the threat of having his car impounded. He came up with the money but, by early April, decided to file extortion charges against the officers involved.

Psychologist Dr. Randy Dellosa explains that Arnell’s case could be “something like [acute stress disorder] or post traumatic [stress] disorder. [Nandoon ‘yung nerbiyos. Nakalipas na ang panahon pero nandoon pa rin ang symptoms" he said.]

But according to the doctor, this can be cured “through sharing the story. Kailangan talaga ng counselling or therapy,” Dr. Dellosa said. “Isa ring makakatulong is medication [especially kung affected yung tulog o appetite niya].

interview with mj of abs-cbn's SNN (Showbiz News Now)