Pilipinx in Wellness

In our seventh episode of Season 6, we talk with Community Grief Organizer / Founder and Executive Director of A Resting Place, Derek Dizon, MSW.

Derek is the owner and operator of A Resting Place, a grief resource center located in Seattle’s CID. He holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Washington and has worked as a grief therapist for several years. Derek is a queer Filipino American and multi-media artist who also identifies as a survivor of traumatic death. Much of his creative works are centered around mourning and remembrance.

As a survivor of homicide loss, Derek dedicates his art and community organizing as a vessel of care and love for our local grieving community.

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes content around grief, loss, domestic violence, murder and a real-life homicide case that may be triggering [0:17:36 - 0:35:16]. Please listen with care, feel free to skip the timed section, as needed, and check our Instagram highlights or the Therapin*y Directory (https://therapinay.com/directory) for resources.

Contact Derek Dizon, MSW:

IG: @arestingplace.sea

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/arestingplace/home

E-mail: [email protected]

Episode Resources:

Dr. Gail Nomura, Ph.D. (retired professor of American Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington) https://nwasianweekly.com/2016/09/uw-professors-retire/

API Chaya https://www.apichaya.org/

Natural Helpers https://www.apichaya.org/volunteer

Anakbayan Seattle https://www.instagram.com/anakbayanseattle/

IG: @anakbayanseattle

Journey Grief Support Program https://www.seattlechildrens.org/clinics/journey-grief-support-program/

Angela B. Angel https://otherwaysofseeing.com/

IG: @otherwaysofseeing

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor and Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Co-hosts are Sheena Katz (IG: @sheenakatz) and Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga), Co-Creator. Our Social Media Strategist/Development Coordinator is Kathleen K. Torio (IG: @kathleenkristine)

In our sixth episode of Season 6, we talk with Founder of Larô Therapy, Elda Almario, RP.

Elda Almario is a Psychotherapist and Founder of Larô Therapy, a psychotherapy practice offering culturally responsive and identity-affirming care to the Filipino diaspora in Canada.

Contact Elda Almario, RP:

Instagram: @larotherapy

Website: http://www.larotherapy.ca/

E-mail: [email protected]

Episode Resources:

Groundwork: Emotional Skills for Kids https://larotherapy.ca/group-therapy-for-kids

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor and Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Co-hosts are Sheena Katz (IG: @sheenakatz) and Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga), Co-Creator. Our Social Media Strategist/Development Coordinator is Kathleen K. Torio (IG: @kathleenkristine)

In our fifth episode of Season 6, we talk with Group Practice Owner & Psychotherapist, Andrea Cabrera Jakucs, LCSW and Binabaylan, Founder & Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Lhiza Bascones, CCHt.

Andrea Cabrera Jakucs, LCSW 97252, is a group practice owner, a Catholic, and a Filipino-American licensed psychotherapist dedicated to promoting mental health and well-being. Holding a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California, Andrea provides individual psychotherapy in English and Tagalog via telehealth. She offers workshops for organizations, conducts business consultations, provides clinical supervision, and engages in public speaking engagements. Andrea is the founder of the Filipino American Mental Health Professionals Facebook Group and Wellness with Andrea Jakucs & Associates, located in Pasadena, California. Her work has been featured in various news outlets, including Fox 11 Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, NBC News, Canada's Omni News, and Balitang America. In her free time, she enjoys running along the beach, snowboarding, and indulging in musicals.

Lhiza Bascones is the founder of Energetica Wellness and Clairsynergy, organizations dedicated to helping individuals and communities heal, grow, and thrive. Her work bridges ancestral Filipino healing traditions with evidence-informed mind–body approaches, creating spaces where people can navigate trauma, life transitions, stress, grief, and personal transformation with greater resilience and purpose.

Drawing on her background in clinical hypnotherapy, NLP, Reiki, breathwork, and intuitive practices, Lhiza integrates holistic and client-centered approaches that support emotional well-being, self-awareness, and lasting change. She is passionate about making healing accessible through individual sessions, digital platforms like Emari, workshops, professional trainings, retreats, and community partnerships.

Beyond her private practice, Lhiza is building Clairsynergy, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to trauma-informed wellness, education, and community-based healing initiatives. Her vision is to create collaborative spaces where people are empowered to reconnect with themselves, strengthen their resilience, and contribute to healthier, more connected communities.

Whether speaking on stage, facilitating transformative experiences, or mentoring others, Lhiza's mission remains the same: to help people awaken their healing potential and create meaningful, lasting change in their lives and the lives of those around them.

Contact Andrea Cabrera Jakucz, LCSW:

Instagram: @wellnesswithandreaj

Website: http://www.wellnesswithandreajakucs.com

Contact Lhiza Bascones, CCHt:

Instagram: @energeticawellness

Website: https://energeticawellness.com

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor and Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Co-hosts are Sheena Katz (IG: @sheenakatz) and MarKing (IG: @markingivcoaching). Our Co-Creator and Producer is Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga)

In our fourth episode of Season 6, we talk with Aotearoa/New Zealand's Director and CEO of Mama Sez, Health and Exercise Coach, Sarah Kane along with Los Angeles based, Earned Not Given Club Co-Founders and Coaches, Jay R Mendoza and Jorge Chin.

Sarah, Director/CEO of MamaSez (Ilokano, Bicolano, Pasig descent) resides in Te Tairāwhiti Āotearoa where she specialises in Māori tā and batok, alongside health and exercise coaching. Her private studio, Hīna nurtures cultural connections and experience through an authentic nuanced approach, welcoming clients from around the globe. Her brand blends cultural heritage and creative expression, integrating art, story telling, movement and wellbeing into a cohesive practice.

JayR Mendoza has been guiding individuals through personal training and health coaching since 2014 in Los Angeles, California. His background includes a desire to learn and continuously educate himself in new practices, methods and modalities to provide the best and most appropriate programs for all his clients. JayR utilizes personal training as a platform to reflect his values in health, wellness, hard work, education, science, and service. With the opportunity to work with many individuals from different backgrounds, JayR’s vision remains the same for all: to create and support a community that is greater than fitness but a lifestyle driven to empower one to reach their highest potential mentally, physically and spiritually.

Jorge Chin is a performance coach, personal trainer & educator based out of Los Angeles, California. Jorge believes in a broad spectrum of fitness and practices a wide variety of methods from strength and conditioning modalities and Kettlebell work to Muay Thai and Animal Flow. He values a high-performance lifestyle to inspire and help those around him. Jorge brings to the table a new generation of training. He wants to bring out the best to those who live a fitness-driven lifestyle. Using evidence-based programming and science backed methods, Jorge creates innovative workouts and inspires his clients to own everything and make their health a priority. He uses a four pillar outlook on health and wellness and takes into account your movement, nutrition, recovery and mindset for his clients to become the best versions of themselves. Your best self is important to him and his clients who want to discover that together.

Contact Sarah "Sez" Kane:

Instagram: @mama_sez

Website: http://www.mamasez.com

Contact E/NG Club (JayR Mendoza & Jorge Chin):

Instagram: @earnednotgivenclub

Website: http://www.earnednotgivenclub.com

E-mail: [email protected]

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor is Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan (IG: ‪@harmoniousone‬). Our Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Co-hosts are Sheena Katz (IG: @sheenakatz) and Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga), Co-Creator and Producer.

In our third episode of Season 6, we talk with New Jersey born and raised, but currently Oahu, Hawai'i based, Reiki Teacher and Pangatauhan, Dr. Chris Lipat for Pride Month.

Dr. Chris Lipat, DC (they/siya/she/doc) is the founder of Mind-Body Energy Medicine in Honolulu, where they have spent over 15 years practicing a unique blend of science and soul. As the developer of the KNOWING Method—a multimodal self-healing framework—Dr. Chris facilitates deep-level transformation by addressing the physical, emotional, and energetic layers of the human experience.

A chiropractor and Reiki Master Teacher certified in Functional Medicine and a Pangatauhan (Diviner), Dr. Chris helps clients navigate the intersection of ancestral survival patterns and modern-day stressors by recalibrating the nervous system from the body up. Their sessions explore the multi-dimensional aspects of healing, uncovering underlying causes and offering accessible ways to activate the body’s innate self-healing mechanisms.

Dr. Chris is deeply committed to honoring the legacy of our precolonial, gender-fluid Pilipinx Babaylan and Māhū shamans. By reclaiming these stories of belonging, Dr. Chris empowers others to embrace their own roles as spiritual healers and leaders in the modern world.

Contact Dr. Chris Lipat, DC:

Instagram: @drxlipat

Facebook: https://facebook.com/drchrislipat

Website: https://drchrislipat.com/

E-mail: [email protected]

YouTube: @dr.chrislipatdcmind-bodyenergy

Bituin Elixirs https://drchrislipat.com/collections/enlighten

Baybayin Creatives https://drchrislipat.com/collections/baybayin-creatives-ts-and-stickers

KNOWING: The Intuitive's Guide to Transformative Healing (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08882ZN4S ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_9W2WBH8DBR7EACKKX046&bestFormat=true

KNOWING: The Intuitive's Guide to Transformative Healing (Rakuten Kobo) https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/knowing-16

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor is Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan (IG: ‪@harmoniousone‬). Our Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Co-hosts are MarKing (IG: @artistry_in_life) and Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga), Co-Creator and Producer.

In our second episode of Season 6, we talk with Bay Area based, Clinical Certified Hypnotherapist & Transformational NLP Practitioner, Daniel Bilog, Orange County based Psychotherapist, Jason Bueno, and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico based, Creator of Shift Men's Retreats & Co-Founder of Meld Men, Mike Sagun for AANHPI and Mental Health Awareness Month.

Content disclaimer: Please exercise discretion as we discuss trauma, sexual abuse, divorce, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. If you need a breather— take a break or pause the episode before continuing further or check the show notes on our Youtube Channel for our chapter timestamps to skip sections that may be triggering. We have resources in our Instagram highlights and through our partners, Therapinay, where you will hopefully find what you need to aid you on your healing journey.

Daniel Bilog is a Filipino-American facilitator and founder of DiscoverBeing. He guides men and communities in emotional awareness, embodiment, and decolonial healing through grounded, relational work.

Jason Bueno is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with ten years of experience based in Southern California helping individuals, couples, and families. He offers compassionate, collaborative therapy focused on healing, growth, and authenticity.

Mike Sagun is Somatic Experiencing Practitioner helping men reconnect to their bodies, process emotions, and heal from burnout, stress, and disconnection through grounded, body-first work.

Contact Daniel Bilog:

Instagram: @discoverbeing

Website: https://discoverbeing.org/

Contact Jason Bueno, LMFT:

Oakwood Family Institute (website): https://www.oakwoodtreatment.com/

Proverbs Counseling Services (website): http://proverbscounselingservices.com/

Contact Mike Sagun:

Instagram: @mike.sagun

Website: https://mikesagun.com/

The Practice: https://www.mikesagun.com/thepractice/

MELD Men: https://meld.community/

Episode Resources:

The Unshakable Man Program

https://unshakableman.thinkific.com/courses/program/

Melinda & Kevin Lasit: Lasit Performing Arts

https://www.lasit.com/

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor is Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan (IG: ‪@harmoniousone‬). Our Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Co-hosts are MarKing (IG: @artistry_in_life) and Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga), Co-Founder and Producer.

In our initial audio only episode of Season 6, we talk with members of the Bayou Barkada, A.J. Haynes, Musician & Reproductive Justice Advocate, Rhonda Lee Richoux, Freelance Writer & Historian, and Isa Tablan, queer multidisciplinary artist & storyteller from the Deep South, Louisiana.

A.J. Haynes is a Grammy award winning interdisciplinary enchantress from the Deep South and leader of the acclaimed soul power band Seratones. Her work spans performance, songwriting, and immersive storytelling, rooted in the belief that art is collective community care. As a reproductive justice advocate, she engages sound and ancestral technologies to affirm the body as a sacred site of liberation and pleasure. With a voice both powerful and tender, A.J. plays in the liminal spaces of Black diasporic sound—soul, rock & roll, disco, gospel, folk, and found-soundscapes—conjuring spellbinding experiences that are uniquely her own.

Rhonda Lee Richoux is a freelance writer and amateur historian who writes about her Filipino American family in Louisiana. She gives immersive history walks through her old neighborhood in New Orleans, and makes herself available to educators, students and various media outlets to share the history. She traces her first Filipino American ancestry to Felipe Madriaga of Ilocos Norte, who settled in Louisiana with his Irish bride in 1849.

Isa Tablan (she/they) is a queer Filipino-American multidisciplinary artist and storyteller raised on the outskirts of New Orleans. Her work spans narrative writing, photography, filmmaking, and blogging, and is shaped by the South’s rich oral storytelling traditions—rooted in place, memory, and lived experience.

Grounded in intergenerational narratives and a deep respect for the power of language, Isa explores themes of belonging, community, embodiment, mental health, and reconnection. Through her storytelling, she seeks not only to document, but to heal—inviting audiences to reflect on histories interrupted by displacement and to honor lived experiences across generations.

Contact A.J. Haynes:

Instagram: @luyahealing

Substack: https://ajhaynes.substack.com/

Contact Rhonda Lee Richoux:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rainbow.zen/

Filipino-Americans in Louisiana Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/filamlouisiana/

Contact Isa Tablan:

Instagram: @isabelatablan

Substack: https://aspiringhuman.substack.com/

Bayou Barkada

Instagram: @bayoubarkada

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor is Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan (IG: ‪@harmoniousone‬). Our Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Producer, Host and Co-Founder is Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga).

In our final episode of Season 5, Episode 10, we talk with Founder & Somatic Womb Alchemist of Luya Healing and Herbs, Princess Manuel, and our first guest from Dharawal Country, Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia, Shamanic Womb & Energy Healing Practitioner, Jeanie Smith for Women's History Month.

Princess Manuel, LCSW is a holistic healing arts practitioner and martial artist blending herbalism, Ablon Hilot manual therapy, somatic womb alchemy, spiritual life coaching, and shamanic practices.

Jeanie Smith is a Womb & Energy Healing Practitioner, born of Filipina/Irish immigrant parents in Australia. Through ceremonial bodywork and soulful nurturance, she offers heart-led care to her local community on Dharawal Country – tending to womb spaces throughout all seasons and cycles of life.

Contact Princess Manuel:

E-mail: [email protected]

Instagram: @luyahealing

Luya Healing website: https://www.luyahealing.com

Contact Jeanie Smith:

E-mail: [email protected]

Instagram: @anakandancestress

Jeanie's Linktr.ee: https://www.linktr.ee/anakandancestress

Episode Resources:

Naomi Amaya Love

https://naomilove.org

Instagram: @livinglifeasceremony

Soul Fire Farm

https://www.soulfirefarm.org

Instagram: @soulfirefarm

Sacred Vibes Apothecary & Botanica

https://www.sacredvibeshealing.com

Instagram: @sacredvibesapothecary

Herbalaria

https://herbalaria.com

Instagram: @iamherbalaria

Sacred Woman - Queen Afua

https://www.queenafua.com/sacred-woman

Instagram: @sacredwomanprogram

Sockie Laya Smith, Somatic Womb Alchemist

Instagram: @sockielayasmith

Chrysalis Kali Collective

https://www.chrysaliskali.com

Instagram: @chrysaliskali

Ka Virgil Mayor Apostol

Instagram: @virgilmapostol

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee:

https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi:

https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor is Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan (IG: ‪@harmoniousone‬). Our Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Producer and Co-Founder is Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga). Our host is Sheena Katz (IG: @sheenakatz).

In Season 5, Episode 9, we talk with Executive Director for Centre Kapwa and Canada Co-Lead for Therapin*y, France Stohner.

France Stohner is a mental health counselor and community organizer with a background rooted in anti-oppressive and social justice frameworks. She holds a Masters in Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Spirituality from the University of Ottawa and Saint-Paul. As Executive Director of Centre Kapwa, she leads initiatives supporting Filipino/a/x youth and families through art, movement, and conversations. France is also on the Advisory Council for Kabangka Canada and coordinates Super Inday Art, a program for incarcerated women in the Philippines. Passionate about youth mental health, she has worked in post-secondary education, campus sexual violence prevention, and intercultural dialogue. France is certified in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University and has a rich background in urban development, philanthropy, and community health.

Follow France Stohner:

Instagram: @francestohner

Episode Resources:

Centre Kapwa https://www.centrekapwa.org/

Instagram: @centrekapwa

Therapinxy Canada https://therapinay.com/chapter-canada

Black Healing Centre (BHC) https://www.blackhealingcentre.com/

Le Centre Binetna https://centrebinetna.ca/

Wanda Gabriel https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/wanda-gabriel

Laro Therapy https://larotherapy.ca/

Kabangka https://www.kabangka.org/

Pinoys on Parliament https://www.kabangka.org/pinoysonparliament

Kamustahan flyer on IG https://www.instagram.com/p/DJmXJW_u4dv/?hl=en

FOLLOW US: 🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness:

Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor is Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan (IG: ‪@harmoniousone‬). Our Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Producer and Co-Founder is Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga). Our Co-hosts are Sheena Katz (IG: @sheenakatz) and MarKing (IG: @artistry_in_life)

In Season 5, Episode 8, we talk with Master Trainer of Hilot Binabaylan and Program Director of the Hilot Academy of Binabaylan, Rev. Rolando G. Comon, D.D.Min., IFS, IFM, also known as Apu Adman.

"I am the Founder and Chief Priest/Punong Binabaylan of Templong Anituhan ng Luntiang Aghama that manifest the desire of Babaylan Tamblot who fought for Spiritual Liberation of our Nation against Spanish Colonization since 1620 and the Katipunero on 1899. I am the Program Director of Hilot Academy of Binabaylan that preserves the Cultural and Spiritual Aspect of Hilot which is our Indigenous Filipino Medicine. I am also the Order Head of the Interfaith Order of Peace Weaver of the Correllian Nativist Church of Wicca that is based at Danville, Illinois, USA."

Follow Apu Adman

Instagram: @rgcomon

Facebook: hilotacademyofbinabaylan

E-mail: [email protected]

Websites:

Hilot Academy of Binabaylan https://www.hilotacademy.com

Luntiang Aghama Natural Divine Art Shrine of Healing, Inc. https://landasnglahi.com/

Templong Anituhan https://anituhan.org/

Filipino Magick https://buymeacoffee.com/filipinomagick

Episode Resources:

Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care | https://pitahc.gov.ph/

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (THESDA) | https://www.tesda.gov.ph/

Verma Zapanta | Instagram: @hilotwithverma

Hilot Ebisu, Japan | Instagram: @ebisudehilot

Julay | Instagram: @sacred.spirit.ink

Maria Haswell | Instagram: @mariahaswell

Kapwa Wellness | https://www.kapwawellness.com/ | Instagram: @kapwawellness

La'akea Healing and Spiritual Center, Honolulu, Hawai'i | https://www.laakeahealingcenter.com/ | Instagram: @laakeahealing

FOLLOW US:

🎙️ Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/pilipinxinwellness

🫶 Donate to support Pilipinx in Wellness: Patreon: / membership

Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/pilipinxinwellness

Inquiries: [email protected]

Credits: Our Video Editor is Harmonie T. Tangonan-Kwan (IG: ‪@harmoniousone‬). Our Creative Lead is Ritchie (IG: @ritchramirezart). Our Producer and Co-Founder is Cheryl Samson Ramirez (IG: @angelspointyoga). Our Co-hosts are Sheena Katz (IG: @sheenakatz) and MarKing (IG: @artistry_in_life)