Sa Labas ng Classroom (Outside the Classroom)

"Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed or possessed." - Dale Carnegie

Disclaimer: This episode mentions themes related to dark experiences and the risk of being traumatized.

With 4 years worth of stories and learning, Hello, Mirai talks about her favorite moments related to her job as a mental health service provider and how the pandemic affected their project and the mental health field in the country. Her passion for clinical psychology also fuels her creative projects as she informs us about her plans and comeback after she finishes her thesis.

Check out Mirai's social media accounts:

"There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives." - Audre Lorde

In this episode, ate Loffy talks about the relevance of intersectionality and how everything is political, including mental health. She gives examples about how politics is embedded in how we identify and describe ourselves, and how we can also redefine the political sphere in our own ways.

Check out and support ate Loffy's projects below:

The Marl Fund: https://www.facebook.com/themarlfund

Monthly Monsoon: https://www.facebook.com/MonthlyMonsoon

"If your compassion doesn't include yourself, it is incomplete." - Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Rennyvonne Fae Ledesma shares her insights about the importance of taking care of oneself before taking care of others. We talk about how we set boundaries as psychologists and teachers, and some signs we notice when we start to feel compassion fatigue and/or burnout.

Check out her page, The Mystic Psychologist (https://www.facebook.com/TheMysticPsychologist), for more details about her projects and events!

"Mental health problems don't define who you are. They are something you experience. You walk in the rain and you feel the rain, but you are not the rain." -Matt Haig

Disclaimer: The episode contains themes related to suicidality. The episode also includes an unpleasant experience of the guest with a mental health professional. 

In support of the National Suicide Prevention Week (September 9-13) in the Philippines, Sa Labas ng Classroom will feature episodes that shed light about suicidality. If you think and/or feel that this episode is too heavy to listen to or that you are not entirely ready to listen to the episode, I encourage you to skip this episode. You may return to this episode when you feel better :)

Similarly, if you feel intense negative emotions after listening to this episode, you may send me an email ([email protected]) so we can discuss about your feelings about the episode.

Should you be interested to seek help, you may also refer to the following links for organizations that offer services related to mental health:

Hotlines:

https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline

https://www.mhfirstresponse.org/crisis--treatment-centers.html

https://www.webbline.com/list-of-suicide-prevention-hotlines-in-the-philippines/

https://blog.opencounseling.com/hotlines-ph/

Clinics:

https://mentalhealthph.org/directory/

https://philstarlife.com/self/156907-list-mental-health-care-facilities

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As our discussion continues, Ken shares his goals as a teacher and a mental health advocate. He mentions how his advocacy will help him as a teacher, and how we can help other people without being a mental health professional. In relation to a recent trigger he encountered, Ken narrates an unpleasant experience with a mental health professional. This episode highlights the context of "No one size fits all" especially pertaining to the type of intervention such as psychotherapy techniques that work well an individual. We end the episode with words of encouragement for the audience, and the call for action to genuinely listen to people who express themselves, even if their thoughts are outside their 'usual' or 'norm'.

Send a message to Ken or view his posts and song covers via his Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/kendrick.anthony.77

"What a teacher is, is more important than what he teaches." -Karl Meninger

Disclaimer: The episode contains themes related to depression, suicidality, difficult emotions, and Cordilleran cultural context (ie. language, practices). 

In support of the National Suicide Prevention Week (September 9-13) in the Philippines, Sa Labas ng Classroom will feature episodes that shed light about suicidality. If you think and/or feel that this episode is too heavy to listen to or that you are not entirely ready to listen to the episode, I encourage you to skip this episode. You may return to this episode when you feel better :)

Similarly, if you feel intense negative emotions after listening to this episode, you may send me an email ([email protected]) so we can discuss about your feelings about the episode.

Should you be interested to seek help, you may also refer to the following links for organizations that offer services related to mental health:

Hotlines:

https://doh.gov.ph/NCMH-Crisis-Hotline

https://www.mhfirstresponse.org/crisis--treatment-centers.html

https://www.webbline.com/list-of-suicide-prevention-hotlines-in-the-philippines/

https://blog.opencounseling.com/hotlines-ph/

Clinics:

https://mentalhealthph.org/directory/

https://philstarlife.com/self/156907-list-mental-health-care-facilities

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In an episode like no other, the guest openly shares his story in an eloquent and powerful manner. Kendrick Canuto is a teacher, a mental health advocate, and a mental health survivor. His story highlights the importance of mental health awareness and suicide prevention while giving hope to people who are currently struggling and who feel hopeless about their situation. Ken shares the good news of recently being considered as a tenured teacher, and discusses how this milestone fuels his plans for his advocacy. He also narrates how a student's courageous act affected him. As a survivor, Ken enthusiastically provided tips and nuggets of wisdom as a part of his personal mission to talk about mental health. He even discussed the importance of social support, patience, and medication. Join me as we learn more about Ken and his extraordinary journey.

Ang Patawad (forgiveness) ay ang pagpapalaya ng negatibong damdamin o kaisipan na nagreresulta sa pagtanggap sa bagay na nangyari na. Ito ay katulad ng pagpapawalang-sala, pagpapakita ng habag, at paglalayon na maiwasto ang kamaliang nagawa. Sa pamamagitan nito, nabibigyan ang taong nagpatawad ng pagkakataon na makawala mula sa galit at mapaghiganting hangarin, at ang taong pinatawad ng pagkakataon na magsisi at itama ang kasalanang nagawa. Malaki ang ginagampanan ng pagmamahal sa pagbuo ng pantay na pagsang ayon at paghahadlang sa kagustuhang magpataw ng parusa kapalit ng direktang pagpapatawad. Ang desisyon at abilidad ng isang tao na magpatawad ay lubos na nakadepende sa antas ng pagkakasala at damdamin, mga pinagdadaanan ng mga kalahok na naaayon sa yugto ng kanilang buhay, sa lebel ng pang-unawa at perspektibo, at sa sosyal na relasyong mayroon ang magpapatawad at nagkasala.

Connect with the authors, and check out their small businesses via the following links:

"To give life a meaning, one must have a purpose larger than self." - Will Durant

In this meaningful episode, The Hijabi Coach, Faye Detuyatu Kho openly shares about how her experience changed the way she views her purpose in life. With her passion to empower women, especially Muslim women, coach Faye differentiated living and existence and highlighted the importance of aligning with one's spiritual values. She also gave relevant tips in seeking professional help, comparing it to riding a plane to reach the destination (versus walking or riding a tricycle). I learned a lot from this conversation, and I hope that more people will have a better understanding of the importance of mental health and professional help. Despite our difference in religious affiliation, I deeply appreciated what coach Faye said, "Mental health is not about who believes in God and who doesn't." Listen to our conversation, and be inspired by her words as we continue to live worthy!

Follow her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LiveWorthyCoach

"The weak make others feel inferior. The strong make others feel equal." - Maxime Lagace

In another inspiring and insightful episode, I learn a lot from sir Junix Delos Santos, as he defines and dispels some myths about the SOGIESC construct. He gives practical examples of how gender discrimination exists in our current society. Going beyond the examples, he mentions and briefly discusses technical terms such as lived and dead names and the Minority Stress Model. Lastly, sir Junix shares a few suggestions on how we can serve as safe spaces for people, especially members of minority groups. Listen in on our conversation, and learn a thing or two about how we can express and practice equality, even if we are not a part of the minority.

Connect with sir Junix via email at [email protected].

"Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought." - Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Disclaimer: This episode contains themes related to grief, fear of blood, VAWC, and gender inequality. This episode also briefly mentions suicide attempts as part of a response included in a research. This episode was recorded last year, and some of the projects mentioned by the guest have likely been concluded. Lastly, the episode includes background noises such as the barking of dogs. I tried my best to minimize the said noises, but I couldn't remove them entirely. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience this may cause to your listening experience.

After months of not posting anything, Sa Labas ng Classroom podcast enters 2023 with an episode that features the importance of research and research literacy. Ma'am Maria Jesusa Gambulao graces the podcast with her expertise as she shares how her passion for research started, what researches can contribute to the society, and how research in indigenous communities serve as valuable resources for major life changes. We briefly talk about our fear of blood and our opinions about 'fact checking'. Additionally, ma'am MJ discusses how the mental health field can benefit from researches that utilize multidisciplinary studies. Finally, don't miss how ma'am MJ highlights the importance of the mental health of our teachers!

Disclaimer: This episode mentions rape as part of the context of one of the guest's answers regarding the host's question about possible research topics the researchers are interested in. 

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Exploring Filipino therapists’ experiences on vagueness in online cognitive behavioral therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has urged healthcare services to transition into virtual setting, creating a challenge for both clients and therapists as they try to carry on with their usual routines in therapy, most especially when it comes to communication. With the use of descriptive qualitative design and Bordin’s Therapeutic Alliance Model as guide, this paper looks into therapists’ perspectives and experiences on online psychotherapy, particularly on virtually utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), in the Philippines to learn more about how to achieve positive therapeutic outcomes, despite being presented with communication challenges such as clients’ ambiguity. The researchers explored therapists’ experiences with regards to building therapeutic relationships, as well as therapists’ interpretations on clients’ ambiguity, and investigated therapists’ strategies to continue with the conversation that presents ambiguity. Primary data were gathered, making use of thematic analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. Consequently, the current study shows that clients’ ambiguity is common and even inevitable at times, but chances of happening so may be reduced depending on the foundation of the client-therapist relationship and how therapists’ strategies work on the client. Future research could include a larger sample size, and consider taking into account dialect differences and how it could pose a barrier in communication. 

Keywords: therapeutic relationship, therapist, strategy, cognitive behavioral therapy, COVID-19, pandemic