... God's secret as revealed through KALOOB ministry ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, philippines)

KALOOB Ministry is a worship team committed to the use of indigenous music and dances in Christian worship. The team, in fact, is taught and coached by the Philippine tribal elders themselves.
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In 1994, KALOOB was organized by Pastor Ed Lapiz of Day By Day Christian Ministries. KALOOB is not against Western forms of worship. Under the creative leadership of Randy Concepcion, the group simply wants Filipino Christians to have a deeper appreciation of their own God-given cultural heritage.
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The work "kaloob" means "gift." KALOOB dedicates all their musical and dance numbers as a gift to God, hence, they consider each performance as a sacred "prayformance."
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It's must be this nationalistic streak in me. Ever since I learned about the KALOOB ministry, I became their instant and ardent fan.

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Truth is, whenever I see KALOOB perform their tribal music and dances, I am amazed at how God has abundantly blessed the Philippines with a rich and beautiful indigenous culture. Our Spanish colonizers may have looked down on the lowly Filipino "indio," but KALOOB makes me proud of being one. Because we are so culturally gifted, KALOOB makes me believe that God is secretly Filipino at heart! 

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... growth group activity: swimming in a slimy pool with dead chickens floating ... (psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, philippines)

growth group participants were college students from holy angel university, pampangga. there was abby, airee, camille, gretch, irma, joy, kim, krisan, patrick, and thea. 

today's theme was again on parent-children relationships.


parents always have to be reminded that they either make or break their children. when parents have serious marital conflict, or when parents mistreat their children, or when parents are conflicted individuals, they inflict emotional wounds on their children which may scar them for life.
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one of the participants mentioned something that stuck to my mind: that the people we live with are sometimes the ones [emotionally] furthest away from us.
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what a challenge parents have in the rearing of their children!
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... zen prayers at meal time ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, philippines)

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two values which zen espouses is compassion and gratitude. 
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in zen, the practice of compassion and gratitude is not externally-imposed. it is a natural and spontaneous outcome of experiencing a deep connectedness and interweaving of our life with the life of all other beings.
.this experience of unity, compassion, and gratitude is reflected in the simple prayers which are said at the zen retreats before and after meals. i experience a quiet joy in my heart everytime i pray these prayers. in this season of lent, i'd like to share them with you.
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Prayer Before Meals .

.Leader: Let us take our bowls in hand and say
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All: Father in heaven,
we now offer this food to you.

May all creatures everywhere
share it with us together.

We ask you to bless this food
And make us mindful of the hungry.

Amen.
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Leader: Let us remember again how the food came to us.
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All: Father in heaven,
we are thankful for this meal
the work of many people
and the sharing of other forms of life.

Accept this gratitude as a prayer
for those who are hungry.

May your creatures everywhere be blessed.

Amen.
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Prayer After Meals

... they've dreamt; they've believed; can they survive? ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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now that it's over, they realize that the reality tv show they participated in was all but a fantasy. . 
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i wonder who among them are going to make it big in the real world?

. .sam pinto

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rica

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melason

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melason

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hermes

.cathy

.tom mott

... quantum touch in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

Nancy Ho, a well-known clinical hypnotherapist and life skills trainer from Singapore, visited the Philippines to conduct a Quantum Touch training workshop. In the workshop, the participants worked on each other and got an experience of how amazing and effective Quantum Touch really is. As a bonus, I even got a free session from the master herself!
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Quantum Touch is a method of natural healing that works with the Life Force Energy (LFE) of the body to promote optimal wellness. Quantum-Touch is known to produce extraordinary results such as:

- acceleration of the healing process

- movement of bones into correct alignment

- reduction of inflammation due to injury

- healing of panic attacks and emotional and psychological conditions

- induction of sleep and deep meditation

- distance healing
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... doing art therapy with UST guidance counselors ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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the guidance counseling department of UST invited me to prepare them for a project that they're going to do for the elderly. i facilitated an art therapy activity to help the counselors become aware of their attitudes, feelings, and issues about aging and death. 

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here i am with the beauteous guidance counselors of UST.
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and here's dr. lucy bance, head of the UST guidance department, awarding me with a certificate of appreciation.
.overall, it turned out to be a meaningful experience for all. i just hope it translates well into their service for the elderly.

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... once in a blue moon ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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isn't it amazing to have captured a blue moon above me! now this is such a rare phenomenon - a blue moon appearing on new year's eve! in fact, reports say that it'll be in 2029 that it's going to happen again.
.for those who still don't know, a "blue moon" is simply a second full moon occuring within a month. an astrologer friend of mine says that the blue moon is a symbol of holiness, meditation, and prayer. i like this astrology article which explains that a blue moon occurs at "... A time when the veil between heaven and earth is thin and the ability to communicate with the gods and goddess is very powerful." i'm not too much a fan of astrology but i hope that people take on the blue moon's symbolic meaning for themselves, making this whole year a time for reflection, soul-searching, and making life meaningful by connecting and communicating with the Divine. 

... life coach training program in the philippines ... (counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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the philippine society of life coaches (PSLC) defines life coaching as "a field of personal consultancy which, through the competent and ethical use of counseling, facilitation, mentoring, training, and mediation skills, specializes in helping clients (1) manage their common life problems, (2) learn life skills for self-development, and (3) experience total-person growth and well-being."
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here are pictures of the nice folks who participated in the 2010 PSLC life coach certification program: 

... intuitive healing dance in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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well, guess who the universe conspired me to meet after so many years-- none other than that amusingly flamboyant, animated, spontaneous, artistic, right-brained creature of a man named bong dela torre.
.since i incorporate movement as a therapeutic tool in my psychotherapy sessions, i was excited to discover that bong was developing a healing modality which he calls "intuitive healing dance." bong allowed me to experience a bit of what his intuitive healing dance was like and all i can say is that it was fun, liberating, cathartic, and energizing. well, he better come up with his workshops soon because i'd certainly like to be the first to enlist!

... holistic healing class in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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people deserve more than just a quick and cold prescription from their doctors. holistic healing deals with the "total person." This means that the healer should address not only the patient's presenting problem, but all the other factors which cause, trigger, influence, compound, or aggravate the problem. for healers to be truly holistic, they must also consider the physical, cognitive, emotional, spiritual, energetic, and relational aspects of the patient's problem because all these aspects interact among each other.
.one of my joys as a holistic healer and integrative medicine practitioner is that i get to teach and train people in the science and art of what i do. in this way, i create extensions of myself and therefore get to help thousands of patients i would never reach if i worked simply on my own.
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... oryoki meals in a zen sesshin ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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a zen sesshin (which literally means "touching the heart-mind") is an extended period of intensive zazen (or zen meditation). 
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the last sesshin i attended lasted for 5 days and it was a different experience for me because we took our meals in the form of a japanese ritual called oryoki. oryoki is japanese word for "just enough." in this ritual, we would eat from 3 laquered bowls and fill them up with "just enough" food to avoid left-overs. the meals were eaten mindfully and with an attitude of gratitude for all forms of life which contributed to making the meal possible. after each meal, we would pour hot water into the bowls, swirl the hot water to clean the bowls, then finish off by drinking the water from the bowl. the bowls were then wiped dry and wrapped in a kerchief-sized cloth, ready for use for the next meal. oryoki proved to be an eco-friendly , no wastage manner of eating.
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for me, the zen sesshin was a welcome experience. it offered me the chance to be more aware, more "in-touch," more grounded from within. it is always difficult to describe a felt experience, and so the closest i can liken my zen experience to is "a peaceful homecoming to a state of 'just being.'"
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... libre tuli: tis the season to be bloody ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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now that it's summer, i've been invited again to participate in those "libre tuli" medical missions..unlike in previous years, fewer kids showed up this time (just around 40 kids). i asked the organizers about this and i was informed that it was election time and many politicians were offering "libre tuli" as part of their campaign strategy.
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hmmm, funny (and sad) how politicians will show that they care for the poor simply to get their votes.

... ericksonian hypnotherapy in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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the philippine society of life coaches (pslc) was honored to have as its guest ms. hannah weik, a psychologist from germany. having had her 6-month internship at the milton erickson institution of heidelberg, hannah was very enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge and experience to anyone who was willing to learn.

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in her workshop, she taught the participants how to do ericksonian hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis. participants reviewed the workshop as very informative and they were excited to practice their newly-learned hypnotherapy skills.

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her friendly demeanor was simply very hypnotic for us filipinos and now that hannah is back in germany, she is sorely missed by all of us!

... sports psychology in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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as an avid tennis player since my high school days, i am very aware of how tennis is a mental game as much as it is a physical one. this has inspired me to dabble into sports psychology and become a certified sports psychology coach, certified sports hypnotist, and a certified mind-body fitness coach.
.what i do is teach recreational, amateur, and professional athletes the necessary psychological skills needed to become mentally tough in their training and in competition. i particularly enjoy being a life coach to athletes, helping them overcome their life problems so that they can focus more sharply on their sport. moreover, i've also been hired by athletes for the holistic wellness therapies which ensure their physical and psychological health.
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recently, i've been hobnobbing with fellow enthusiasts of sports psychology like hans pe and aikee enciso. hans is an elite triathlete and director of total athlete network- a christian community of sports-loving people. both hans and aikee are connected with anthony pangilinan's businessworks which also has an athlete development program.
.though sports psychology in the philippines is still in its infancy, i am glad that more and more sports persons are realizing how it can help them unleash their fullest athletic potential.
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... guess who crawled up my back ... (philippines, life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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hmmm... i thought i felt something crawl up my back... 
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well, now lookee here... what a surprise!
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it's not a creepy crawly, it's the little miracle boy santino! 
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.zaijan jaramilla is sooo wickedly cute, if he were any tinier, he would make a wonderful keychain! 
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... SoulCollage in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

the philippine society of life coaches (pslc) recently held a SoulCollage workshop facilitated by u.s. certified life coach, lydia cabasco.
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for me, the SoulCollage process was a a creative journey of self-discovery which allowed me to deepen my understanding of myself and my life in general. here's the collage i made:
.i strongly recommend SoulCollage to anyone in pursuit of self-discovery and personal growth.

... bioenergetic exercises in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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bioenergetics is a type of holistic psychotherapy which uses body movements to surface, release, and express emotions which are "trapped" in the body. over time, these trapped emotions result in muscular tension and rigidities, postural distortions, restrictions in movement, and dysfunctional breathing patterns.

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at times, as in the above photo, i teach bioenergetic exercises as ice-breakers in seminars and workshops. however, while bioenergetic exercises can be fun to do, they can also result in a powerful and profound emotional catharsis wherein deep-seated emotions from way back childhood are released. generally, bioenergetic exercises allow participants to experience deeper respiration, a sense of "grounding (i.e., feeling more connected with the earth and with one's body)," a greater sense of self-awareness and aliveness.

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... treatment of phobia in the philippines ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist)

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just very recently, i served as resource person on "aha!," a gma tv show hosted by drew arellano. the topic was on phobias.
.the episode aimed to expose drew arellano's fear of snakes. here's the python that was meant to scare the wits out of him:
.patani, a previous participant in the reality tv show "survivor" also guested on the show to face her fear of roller coaster rides.
.a bonus for me was meeting iya vilania, the gorgeous girlfriend of drew arellano. i just found it odd though that for such a pretty lady, her voice was unusually husky and deep.
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