... Ripples Books and Gifts Store: The Bookstore with Soul! ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)

If there's one bookstore you should visit asap, this is it! Ripples Books and Gifts Store specializes in hard-to-find books and items on spirituality, metaphysics, psychology, and self-help.  At Ripples however, the book and gifts are secondary, it's their concept and advocacy that take center stage.   

Yasmin Nuno, owner of Ripples, explains what Ripples is about:  "Ripples aims to inspire and facilitate personal transformation in people. As people transform from within, they in turn create ripple effects of positive change in their individual spheres of influence.  Collectively, transformed individuals can can create deep, lasting, and positive changes in society and in the world."  As for Yasmin, she herself is a spiritual seeker and life coach who inspires others to pursue personal and spiritual growth as well.

Ripples is tagged by many as a metaphysical bookstore, and Yasmin makes it clear that Ripples is not metaphysical in a "New Age-y" type of way.  For Yasmin, "metaphysical" simply means "beyond the physical." Metaphysics reminds us that there is philosophical and spiritual meaning to our earthly existence and that as pilgrims on a spiritual journey, we shouldn't neglect feeding our soul and nurturing our spirit.   And for this purpose, Ripples was created.  

Ripples is not just a simple book and gift store, it is a friendly hub for kindred souls.  Every weekend, Ripples offers seminars-workshops and meditation group sessions by teachers of spirituality and human potential development.  Ripples also has a team of life coaches, holistic healers, and intuitive readers available for one-on-one sessions by appointment.

Ripples Books and Gifts Store is located at the 3rd level East Wing of Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Avenue corner EDSA.  Their FB account is at https://www.facebook.com/ripplesonline, and as for inquiries, you can contact 340-1214, 655-1982, 0922-8871158, or email ripplesbgs@yahoo.com.

Ripples Books and Gifts Store exudes with Yasmin's sincerity, her radiant spirituality, and positive energy.  Her bookmark describes Ripples as "a place where your life stories matter more than our books and gifts... although our items can be a beautiful part of your life."  Visit Ripples now and allow its books and gifts, seminars and workshops, to deeply touch your heart and mind, your soul and spirit!

... Reparenting the Child Within and the RCW grand reunion 2012 ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)...

many years back, i attended a 2 1/2 day self-development workshop entitled Reparenting the Child Within.  this event, facilitated by Ms. Harriet Hormillosa, was very uplifting for me at that time as it helped me make peace with my past through the healing of my childhood wounds.  

almost a decade after that workshop, i received an invitation from Ms. Harriet not only to attend the RCW Grand Reunion 2012 but also to do a short presentation number on that ancient Chinese exercise called Qigong.  i was very eager to attend since it was my chance at expressing gratitude to Ms. Harriet for helping me transform my life from the inside out.  

at the reunion entitled "Fully Charged," it was also good to have met my old friend- Aikido Sensei and Master Dream Interpreter Lucito "Tito" de Jesus. Thankfully we were friends, otherwise this Aikido Sensei would have sent me mercilessly hurtling through the air with his deceptively suave but dangerous moves! 

congratulations Ms. Harriet for a successful event!  may God bless you and your team with all that you need to facilitate healing in our world!

... sex talk at OHM talks ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist. osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)

just this weekend, OHM TALKS launched a 2-day conference at the Elements, Centris Mall in Quezon City.  OHM is an acronym for OCCUPY your HIGHER MIND and the 2-day conference showcased speakers who gave inspirational, thought-provoking, and life-changing talks intended to raise the higher mind.

with jake batoon and nathan de leon of ohm talks, 

and ms. agnes agbayani of life change recovery center

sexual and reproductive health is an aspect of wellness that deserves more attention since many people experience sexual dysfunction but suffer in silence because they are embarrassed to get help or simply because they don't know who to get help from.  at OHM TALKS, i disseminated some information on common sexual dysfunctions which i hope was helpful for the attendees.  

sex therapy 101

hyposexual desire

premature ejaculation

erectile dysfunction

body image issues

OHM TALKS offers a venue for people with a noble vision for wellness and holistic living to converge and share ideas.   it was a thrilling experience for me to hobnob with new and old friends of kindred spirit.

congratulations OHM TALKS!  i just hope your next conference happens very soon!   

... abs-cbn: tama bang mangatwiran sa nakakatanda? ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)

gladys reyes of abscbn's umagang kay ganda posed to me the question, "tama bang mangatwiran sa nakakatanda?  the answer to the question is "it depends."

here are some questions to consider:

- do you have sound basis for reasoning out?

- is it the right time or situation to do it?

- is the person you're reasoning out to in a receptive mood?

- do you need to cool down first before presenting your stand in a calm and objective manner?

- are you prepared to accept the possibility that the other person may reject what you have to say?

- do you, in the first place, even need to reason out or can you just let the issue go?

... gma 7: frenemies in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila)

ms. kara david of gma news asked me to define what a "frenemy" is.

a "frenemy" in common usage is pejoratively construed as a "two-faced person," "fake buddy," or "plastik na tao."

"frenemy" can mean any of the following:

- a person who you have a love-hate relationship with,

- a true friend with whom you engage in some friendly competition,

- a backstabber who acts friendly towards you,

- a rival who you relate to in a friendly manner, or

- a person with whom you harbor ill feelings but relate to in a friendly manner.

kara david, my friend ... NOT frenemy!

... tv5: depression and suicide treatment, therapy, and prevention in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila)

tv5's bitag, hosted by mr. ben tulfo, sent apple meneses and cyril piernas to interview me on why suicides make frequent news these days.

what comes to mind is the phenomenon called "copycat suicides." this phenomenon occurs when a person successfully commits suicide, which emboldens other depressed people to follow suit.  copycat suicides happen particularly when a popular person (such as a tv personality, public figure, or even a fictional character in a book or movie) commits suicide, or when media sensationalizes a particular suicidal incident.

the lesson here is for media to be responsible enough by not sensationalizing suicide cases and by not making frequent news reports on suicide.  depressed people get emboldened to act on their suicidal tendencies when they know that others have successfully done it.  

i have written a number of blog articles about suicide which you might want to review:  

- http://randydellosa.blogspot.com/2012/07/major-depression-and-suicide-therapy.html

- http://randydellosa.blogspot.com/2012/04/depression-and-suicide-in-teens-and.html

- http://randydellosa.blogspot.com/2011/06/major-depression-in-philippines-and.html

- http://randydellosa.blogspot.com/2011/02/depression-treatment-and-suicide.html

- http://randydellosa.blogspot.com/2010/10/depression-treatment-therapy-in.html

if you are depressed and having thoughts of hurting yourself, call 415-6529 or 415-7964 RIGHT NOW and set an appointment at the soonest time.  the earlier you get help, the quicker you'll recover from your depression!  

... the philippines: most emotional country in the world ... life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila)

jenny reyes of abscbn's news program bandila asked me for probable reasons why, according to an international survey, the Philippines is "the most emotional country" in the world.  

one reason for the Filipinos' emotionality is historically-based.  in the process of being "enslaved" by a number of colonizers, Filipinos learned to suppress their emotions as a survival mechanism- lest they get guillotined or shot to death for blatantly expressing their sentiments.  and now that the Philippines is a free country, Filipinos (over)compensate by enjoying the freedom to express their emotions- something most Filipinos of yore would not have dared to do.   

a second reason is based on cultural attitudes.  Filipinos are emotional because they are expected to practice the attitude of "emotional sensitivity (pakiramdaman)" wherein Filipinos intuitively assess or "feel out" a person or a situation before making a next move.  

a third reason is due to the close-knittedness of Filipino relationships. the closer people interact with each other, the more relational friction is bound to happen, thereby causing emotions to erupt.  

a fourth reason is that in recent times, Filipinos have been adopting a "magpakatotoo (be true to yourself) attitude" propagated by  people on TV like Kris Aquino, Anabelle Rama, etc. wherein Filipinos are encouraged to be "authentic" and "transparent" by expressing their thoughts and feelings, albeit in a tactless, rude, or insensitive manner.   

and lastly, Filipinos have become influenced by the over-dramatic "teleseryes" they watch, thus acquiring a "teleserye" mentality wherein they also become emotionally dramatic as they relate to others.  

the philippines is the most emotional country in the world, and this attribute certainly makes it more fun to be in the Philippines!  

... shirley m. pizarro of the GMA artist center ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, osteopath, quezon city, manila, philippines)

if i didn't know anything about shirley pizarro, i would think that she was one simple and ordinary family person.  and indeed, that's primarily what she is.  she identifies herself as a wife first, and a mother second.  along with her husband christopher, she's done a good job in raising 4 bright and bubbly kids- there's averill who's a magna cum laude, alfonso carlo who's a cum laude, angelo gabriel who's a voracious reader and writer, and arielle who's aiming to be a high school valedictorian. now who wouldn't be proud of having kids like these?  besides passing on good genes (may pinagmanahan, ika nga), shirley and hubby have done well in imparting good values onto their children.  

but the thing is, i do know who shirley matias-pizarro is,  and thus i know that she is NOT just a simple and ordinary family person.  for decades now, this lady has been wearing many professional hats, with one hat atop another.  for those of you who don't know her, this superlady deserves a 10-minute drumroll prior to her introduction:  to start with, shirley is an events and publicity consultant for the GMA Artist Center. she is also a talent manager of actors and actresses with "real and brilliant" talent (Cesar Montano being one of those).  many people know shirley as a columnist for Manila Bulletin's entertainment section, and moreover, she serves as an untiring consultant for many other projects. shirley may be a low-profile person, but this lady MAKES the stars!

as a psychologist for the entertainment industry, i do a lot of life coaching and drama therapy sessions with actors and actresses for their personal and professional growth, and so, i became utterly excited to pick the mind of this lady veteran of the entertainment industry. throughout her career, she's witnessed the comings and goings, the travails and victories, the ups and downs in the actual lives of people in showbiz.  

i posed to shirley this question, "if you were to give 3 tips to aspiring actors and actresses, what would they be?"  here's a paraphrase of what she shared: (1)  nothing beats having an education.  if young people should choose between getting an education or entering showbiz, education should be it!  (2)  artists should retain good values, and be able to separate their personal/ family life from their showbiz life instead of allowing those two lives to enmesh and mess up each other.  and lastly, (3) actors and actresses should keep themselves rooted to the ground, and avoid self-inflating their egos.  after experiencing some degree of success, many actors and actresses start having a "star complex" and feel a sense of "entitlement" just because they are "stars."

listening to shirley pizarro is like listening to an enlightened master spewing out nuggets of wisdom.  as a last word, she tells me that actors and actresses need to learn the value of hard work. "they have to realize that fame and fortune from showbiz does not last, and that there are more essential things in life like getting an education, developing your character, and having good values." 

thank you shirley.  i hope that all budding and established actors and actresses not only hear your words, but more importantly, heed them.  God bless you, your family, and your work!  
  

... anger management classes, one-on-one psychotherapy sessions, and group therapy ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, quezon city, manila, philippines)

gma's state of the nation, hosted by jessica soho, sent sherrie ann torres and ariel dano to interview me on anger management.

people with anger problems are best helped by attending

- anger management classes, 

- one-on-one psychotherapy sessions, 

- psychiatric consultations, and

- group therapy sessions.  

anger management classes usually focus on teaching general strategies on how to deal with angry feelings and how to prevent aggressive or violent outbursts.  

individual psychotherapy sessions focus on the root causes of anger and how to resolve them.

psychiatric consultations are especially useful when there is a psychiatric condition underlying the angry or aggressive behaviors, such as adhd, alcohol or substance dependence, major depression, etc.  

group therapy sessions make the angry person more aware about the interpersonal triggers of the anger, and teach the angry person to be more sensitive about the feelings of others.  

here's another blog entry on anger management for you:  http://randydellosa.blogspot.com/2012/10/anger-management-in-philippines-life_27.html

keep cool everyone! have a nice day! :D