... holistic healing workshops with students from the u.p. college of medicine ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)

neigong is the ancient chinese healing art of cultivating inner energy by moving qi energy through movement and with the mind. it literally means "internal work."  neigong focuses on the deepest energy channels of the body, simultaneously affecting many other meridians of the body.  

neigong exercises

qigong, on the other hand, literally means "energy work." while it also involves movement, qigong mainly uses the breath to move qi.  qigong activates only 1 or 2 superficial energy channels at a time, which then affect the deeper energy channels. taichi is the martial art form of qigong.

 kurt asperas, vida andal, 

burn alcazaren, ian argen

tong ren therapy is a strange but effective healing technique which involves tapping an acupuncture doll that represents the patient.  its aim is to dissolve or eradicate energetic blockages that cause disease.  amazingly, many patients feel sensations on their bodies that correspond to the points that are being tapped on the doll, even if the patients don't know which points on the doll are being tapped.  

anj carlos, jen chavez, ria cabrera, 

ian cabaluna, corina carag

gestalt therapy is unike conventional and ordinary talk therapies.  its focus is on the "here and now" and it is a holistic, creative, and experiential psychotherapeutic approach to working on emotional issues.

nika reyes and nonoy pahila

... pinoy big brother's grand prize winners! ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)

when pinoy big brother first aired on tv in 2005, the whole philippine nation was glued to their tv sets.  the first edition of pbb was unarguably the best.  its first grand prize winner was nene tamayo who amazed us all when she courageously defied big brother to fight for the rights of her fellow housemates.  

i met her last year and not only was she dressed as an angel, she looked every bit heavenly!

and just last week, i met her again and couldn't help noticing how beautiful she gets everytime i see her.  

in pbb's 2nd edition, bea saw emerged as the grand prize winner!  

remember this historic scene wherein bea was aggressively confronted by the ferocious tigress maricris?

 Maricris' famous quote:  "Be hhhanest!!!! "That's a judge!!" 

"I didn't that mommy bei.. I didn't that!!!!"    

last year, i got to meet bea again.  she's all grown up now  yet she's retained her cutie pie looks and charming ways!

through the years, nene tamayo and bea saw have transformed into beautiful women.  

but not to be outdone, rustom padilla has been going through some remarkable transformation of his own, too!

back in the pbb days

and now, in his bb days!

... abs-cbn: coping with being single ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)

pia gutierrez, beauteous news reporter for abs-cbn's patrol ng pilipino asked me how single people can cope with being single. 

first of all, single people shouldn't even be "coping" with being single.  the word "cope' gives the negative connotation that singlehood is an ordeal.  people liken singlehood to climbing mount everest by oneself and surviving its cold, harsh, and deathly terrain.  but why should singlehood be viewed in this way?

being single these days has become the lifestyle statement of the free spirit!  it's a powerful declaration of your choice to be emotionally complete unto yourself, without having to rely on others for your happiness.  being single is a celebration of your independence and of your vast opportunities for exploration, adventure, expansion, and self-love.  those in relationship can only get envious of you; their world has shrunk and they may feel trapped since they cannot enjoy the world as singles do!

so for those of you who are single out there, the whole world is your playground! go ahead, frolic in it and enjoy it to no end!  

  

... tv5: love is a never-ending story ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)

edwin morales and i had a discussion about love among old people.  

for me, it is always a heart-warming sight to see old people walking hand-in-hand and still in love with each other.  it tells me that love is real and that real love endures.  

for you younger couples out there whose love for each other still has to go through the test of time, here's a short story to reflect on:
  

Alzheimer's Disease

It was a busy morning at the emergency room when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry and had to leave as soon as he could. While taking care of his wound, I asked him why he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me that he  needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I enquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been in the nursing home for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.

As we  talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. 

He  replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him for five years now.

I was surprised and asked him, 'So why do you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know you anymore?' 

He smiled as he  patted my hand and said,

'She sure doesn't  know me... but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back the tears as he left.  I had goose bumps on my arm.  In my mind, all I could think of was... THAT is the kind of love I want in my life.

I hope that the story inspires you to have an undying love for each other. I hope that you grow old together and remain lovers for keeps. 

... gma: kapuso mo, jessica soho presents "the art of doodling" ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)

jessica soho sent jacqueline sto. domingo to interview me for segment on the art of doodling.  

so what is a doodle anyway? everyone, at one time or another has done it.  it's the little drawings which we unmindfully and repeatedly do when we're bored to death and have a piece of paper and pen at hand.  in fact, our school notebooks might have more doodles than notes in it.  doodling is probably a way we keep ourselves awake in class when the teacher lulls us to sleep with uninteresting lectures.  

do you ever wonder what your doodles mean?  doodle expert michael watts shares his interpretations:

- circles are doodled by people who are sincere, kind-hearted, and friendly individuals who are faithful in relationships.

- eyes are doodled by people who are self-centered egocentric lovers.  

- flowers/ hearts are doodled by people who have a childlike and innocent attitude to love, sex, and relationships, but they may also show an immature side.   

- names are doodled by people who are concerned about what they can get out of a relationship rather than tuning in to the needs of their partners.

- spirals are doodled by people who have deep emotional insecurity in their personality.

- snakes are a classic phallic symbol and are doodled by people who are obsessed with sex and the male organ.  

- stairs/ steps are doodled by people who view sex with endless fascination and mystery and have a desire to explore it to the fullest. 

- trees are drawn by people who are friendly, warm-hearted, and affectionate.

- triangles are drawn by people with strong sexual appetites that have insufficient outlet.  

as a disclaimer, i have to say that i don't necessarily believe in the interpretations above.  just like my take on dreams, the meaning of the doodle is best interpreted by the doodler himself.  

doodle therapy? sweet!

... mr. and ms. psychology 2013 at the lyceum of the philippines university ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila)

as expected, the LPU Psychology Society did another good job at hosting the 2013 interscholastic Mr. and Ms. Psychology Pageant at their home ground.  because they haven't gotten tired of me yet, they graciously invited me again as a third-time judge for this special event.  here, i presenting the proud winners- ms. aira mae del rosario of lyceum of the philippines university and mr. ivan santiago of the philippine national university!  

what i enjoyed the most were the question & answer and picture interpretation portions of the pageant.  the contestants were all very psychologically reflective and smart, making these parts of the pageant the most difficult to judge!  

under the able leadership of LPU Psychology Society's pauline sevilla and kristilin uy, and the keen guidance of department chair ms. jill platon, the pageant was a roaring success!  at the end, it didn't really matter who came from which school, everyone in the audience simply had a fun time screaming their lungs out! 

by the way, thanks jel, xavier, and jarvis for getting me a cab despite the rain!  my heartfelt gratitude to you! :D