... fun and humor in psychotherapy ... (life coach, counselor, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, philippines)

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many people have the mistaken notion that psychotherapy is a dark, gloomy, or heart-wrenching experience meant only for the psychologically frail or mentally ill.

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modern psychotherapists however don't only deal with life problems, they also help people live life fully, joyfully, and meaningfully. among the modalities used by modern shrinks are the creative and expressive psychotherapies such as dance/ movement therapy, art therapy, drama therapy, poetry therapy, and sound/ music therapy.

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as my young friends from holy angel university, pampagga discover, psychotherapy can change people's lives through fun, humor, and laughter.

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be amazed by the facial transformations of abby, airee, camille, gretch, irma, joy, kim, krisan, patrick, and thea. some of them actually look like "taong grasa," don't they? i just hope that none of them become make-up artists in the future.

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... arnell ignacio and post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) treatment/ therapy ... (philippines, life coach, psychotherapist,psychologist, psychiatrist)

Arnell Ignacio Traumatized by ‘Extortion’ Incident

by Alex Valentin Brosas

May 4, 2011, 4:16 am (excerpts/inserts)

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MANILA, Philippines – “Malaking-malaking trauma ang nangyari sa akin," comedian-host Arnell Ignacio told "Showbiz News Ngayon" on May 3.

Arnell alleged that three police officers from the PNP-HPG apprehended him while he was driving his Porsche on March 26 and asked him for money under the threat of having his car impounded. He came up with the money but, by early April, decided to file extortion charges against the officers involved.

Psychologist Dr. Randy Dellosa explains that Arnell’s case could be “something like [acute stress disorder] or post traumatic [stress] disorder. [Nandoon ‘yung nerbiyos. Nakalipas na ang panahon pero nandoon pa rin ang symptoms" he said.]

But according to the doctor, this can be cured “through sharing the story. Kailangan talaga ng counselling or therapy,” Dr. Dellosa said. “Isa ring makakatulong is medication [especially kung affected yung tulog o appetite niya].

interview with mj of abs-cbn's SNN (Showbiz News Now)

... 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: