... pbb teen edition 2012 season 4 auditions ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)

tens of thousands of teens pass through a rigorous screening process.  

the neurological-psychiatric evaluation

from the beginning of pbb, kuya has given me the task of determining who among the potential housemates can psychologically and emotionally tough it out for 3 long months inside his house.

... drumroll please for the pbb unlimited big four winners! ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist quezon city, manila, philippines)

after a grueling 5 months inside the "bahay ni kuya," the big four winners emerge as follows: 

big winner: slater young

2nd place:  pamu pamorada 

 3rd place:  biggel biggel

4th place:  paco evangelista

and to all the other housemates of pbb unlimited (some not included below for lack of a photo op), thanks for sharing your lives with us ...

erica arlante 

casey austria 

stephanie enage

jessica connelly

wendy tabusalla

carlo romero

tin patrimonio

deniesse joaquin

divine maitland-smith

jahziel manabat

jerico redrico

dim de guzman

luz mcclinton

mark luz

kigoy abarico

naprey almario

roy gamboa

ryan tomas

seiichi ushimi

seth cox

kevin fowler

... narcissistic personality disorder in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila)

u.p. college of medicine students- chimongs doval-santos, siomay domingo, carlo de guzman, jayson de jesus, des dayag, and i had a lengthy discussion and activity on the topic of narcissistic personality disorder. 

narcissists don't stop at having a superiority complex, they also bring out the inferiority complex in others. here are the DSM-IV criteria for narcissistic personality disorder:

1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. Requires excessive admiration
5. Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

underneath the conceitedness, boastfulness, and arrogance of narcissists is a fragile self-esteem.  narcissists are extremely sensitive to criticism and will belittle others to make themselves appear better.  

 narcissistic personality disorder is probably genetic in origin, or it may originate from a childhood wherein parents were overly-pampering, manipulative, uncaring, or abusive.

people with narcissistic personality disorder need long-term psychotherapy.  the psychotherapist's challenge is to help the narcissist develop empathy, sensitivity, humility, and a realistic perception of one's self.  in the meantime, to preserve your self-esteem and dignity, make sure to stay clear of narcissists please. 

... hate crimes and psycho-trauma counseling and therapy in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila)

jahrll gonato of tv5's bilang tao dropped by to ask about hate crimes in the philippines.  

hate crimes are acts of violence motivated by prejudice against race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, socio-economic status, and even political affiliation.  

hate crimes are manifested through physical assault causing injury or death, verbal abuse, harrasment and bullying, hate speeches, hate mail, and offensive graffitti.  the aim of hate crime perpetrators is to instill fear and vulnerability in the targeted communities.  

the victims of hate crimes who have come to me for counseling and psycho-trauma therapy often suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), depression, anxiety, substance abuse, psychosomatic illnesses, and work and relationship problems.  

what can we do to help?  we need to increase our efforts in educating people about these matters.  we need to offer counseling, psycho-trauma therapy, and psychiatric treatment not only to victims but also their families.  we need to collaborate actively with advocacy groups and law enforcement agencies.  also, we need to support anti-discrimination laws.  

... kapamilya deal or no deal, 4th edition ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)

people have been asking me who the Banker is, just as much as they ask me about Big Brother's real identity. of course you can guess who these mysterious people are, but unfortunately i can't tell.  the secrecy i've been sworn to expires in 10 years after these shows end.

thing is, you don't need to know who the Banker is to enjoy the show.  now hosted by luis manzano, contestants and viewers of the show have a chance to win a whopping P2,000,000 by choosing the lucky briefcase.  

as a psychologist, i've been commissioned for the nth time to choose contestants through the use of psychological tests.  but please, don't ask me for help.  the selection process for the contestants is as strict and as tight as the vote-tallying process in a political election.  

oh, and if by chance you do get chosen and win, thanks a million (hint, hint ;D) for the balato you'll generously share!

... low self esteem in filipino women ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila)

jon paolo "JP" barcelona, segment producer of Ben Tulfo's tv show BITAG, visited my clinic for an interview.  BITAG is an investigative program aired over TV5, Aksyon 41, and UNTV 37.  

cyril the camera man and segment producer jp

my conversation with jp focused on the low self esteem of filipinos.  we discussed how media (especially tv commercials) intensifies the insecurity which filipino have about their brown skin, small noses, and diminutive size.  

this low self esteem is manifested in the type of beauty contestants we field in international pageants.  we could be showcasing filipina beauty, but no! our international beauty contest candidates usually possess strong western features, rather than the malayan or hybrid asian  features typical of the common filipino.  in fact, many of our beauty contest representatives look like representatives of countries other than the philippines.  


let's not forget that we often see western foreigners in our country partnered with exotic-looking filipinas.  we have to undo our colonial mentality and love the way we look.  


oh and by the way, speaking of beauty contests, i'm going to humor my sister mirvi and post some old snapshots of her which i found on the net.  these are pictures of her when she won the ms. teen princess of the philippines title way back in the 1970's (which explains why the photos are in black and white).  after her coronation, she immediately flew off to caracas, venezuela for a shot at the international title.  

she now lives in maryland, u.s.a. and enjoys her stint as a zumba instructor. come back to the philippines soon ate mirvi!  we miss you :D

...resorts world manila, responsible gaming, and gambling addiction ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, philippines, quezon city)

Resorts World Manila, in the pursuit of its advocacy for Responsible Gaming, has partnered with Life Change Recovery Center (LCRC) to provide professional counseling to people.

Resorts World Manila on 

Responsible Gaming

Our Commitment

While Resorts World Manila aims to provide a world-class gaming experience to its guests, it is also steadfast in its commitment to prevent gambling-related problems and underage gambling – guests below 21 years of age are prohibited from entering the gaming area. 

A few indications that you might have a gambling problem:

@ You feel the need to be secretive about your gambling.  You lie about how much you spend on gambling.

@ You feel compelled to gamble until you've spent your last money.

@ You use mondy allotted for basic necessities for gambling activities.

@  You resort to borrowing, selling property, or even stealing to have gambling money.

@ Friends and family have expressed concern over your gambling. 

Seeking Help

  

The Life Change Recovery Center (LCRC) is a professional counseling and treatment facility for individuals with psychiatric conditions, addictions, psychological and/or behavioral problems. LCRC focuses on wholistic healing of its patients.

Life Change Recovery Center
105 Scout Rallos Street, Kamuning
Barangay Sacred Heart, Quezon City
Tel Nos. 415-7964 / 415-6529
Website: www.lifechangerecovery.com