It’s a paradox. The more you get self aware, the more you get anxious. That’s Bernadette’s situation. Years of exposures and struggles in her relationship with her Mom have always led her to “fuse” with her. When her Mom gets sick, she feels sick too. When she gets angry, she too. When she’s anxious or… Continue reading Emerge or Merge
Tag: psychologist Philippines
A Loneliness Epidemic
Loneliness Epidemic? Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, public-health experts were concerned about an epidemic of loneliness in the U.S Loneliness is not pleasant to talk about. Nor is it a nice feeling to experience. Some studies show that continual loneliness can lead to inflammation, which makes the body susceptible to numerous illnesses. This time of the Coronavirus globally, the experience of… Continue reading A Loneliness Epidemic
What Do You Want?
May I ask you this question over and over again? “What do you want?” Chances are you’re more like me and have no clue what you want to do. It’s a struggle almost every adult goes through. “What do I want to do with my life? Think. Reflect. Meditate. Feel. One simple, innocent question. Yet the most evocative and inadequately fulfilled aspect… Continue reading What Do You Want?
“Response-Ability” is Key
I think of responsibility as response–ability: the ability to respond to life, people and events. While you may not be responsible for most of what happens. For some time, I’d worked with Noel, a 27-year-old young man who remained jobless. He blamed it all on his father. It’s not his doing. It’s his father’s doing that… Continue reading “Response-Ability” is Key
In Your Memories, Not in The Grave
In Your Memories, Not in The Grave? At our first session, Riza’s eyes were filled with tears while I was speaking to her. Her mother died then only a few days ago. For the next 7 years or so, Riza continues to visit her Mom in the grave and celebrate her birthdays together with her… Continue reading In Your Memories, Not in The Grave
Strong at the Broken Places
“The world breaks everyone,” writes Ernest Hemingway, “and afterward many are strong at the broken places. Orlando, one of my first clients, said in tears, “She didn’t have to leave me for that younger man in our company; she chose to leave me.” Divorce – “marital death.” It’s one of those life’s wounds that… Continue reading Strong at the Broken Places
Ready to Change?
There are two kinds of people. One is ready to change and the other is not. In times of dire need or emergency, change is crucial. The alternative is disaster. The voice of Riza, a distressed wife and mother: “I’m stuck. I promised my husband and kids that I’ll stop drinking and nagging them. But… Continue reading Ready to Change?
OFWs and Mental Health
Because of Covid, people are more online nowadays. That very much includes psychotherapy and mental health treatment globally. As VeryWellMind put it, “In the face of the social distancing measures required in our COVID-19 crisis, many in-person psychotherapies are becoming online out of necessity. The past recent months, I do purely online sessions via Skype,… Continue reading OFWs and Mental Health
Mind- Body Link
Total wellness requires balance. For those who do their work in a chair, this is a constant reminder. I’ve witnessed office workers, like call center agents etc, deteriorate in their physical health due to lack of balance. My work – psychotherapy, writing – is also predominantly work in a chair, using my intellect and voice.… Continue reading Mind- Body Link
Where Will Help Come From?
Every year, I watch broken lives and broken homes come through my sessions. Each one an emotional disaster. More so since Covid came and onwards, millions of persons are affected by mental and emotional illness. The lack of adequate emotional first aid and skills is evident elsewhere: run-down hospitals, broken families, hunger or poverty, overwhelmed… Continue reading Where Will Help Come From?
