As part of an excellent MFT traineeship in the mentoring program of the YMCA of the East Bay, I provided 230 hours of one-on-one counseling to adolescents and parents in underserved and diverse communities who were experiencing grief, depression, child abuse, relationship problems, abortion issues and other emotional difficulties. Prior to that, I spent over 3 years as a caregiver to the elderly who suffered from depression and dementia, where I experienced humility and resilience.
In continuing my internship, I worked with the Mobile Crisis Team of Berkeley Mental Health for a year, where I had collaboratively worked with psychologists and psychiatrists in responding to on-call mental health crises via police radio. My caseload included crime victims, 5150 evaluations, domestic quarrels, suicide attempts and psychiatric emergencies of youth, elderly, homeless and disabled. Also, I provided weekly psychotherapy services to a caseload consisting 3-5 clients suffering from severe mental disorders.
Currently, I am working at the Psychiatric Emergency Services and Inpatient Psychiatry of the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center. In here, within a multi-disciplinary professional setting, I get involved in crisis intervention, risk assessments, preliminary case conceptualizations, psychosocial assessments, case management, clinical writing and oral presentations, developing initial diagnostic hypotheses, in coming up with treatment recommendations and discharge plans, linking clients with community programs, and providing brief individual therapy. Specifically, I will be exposed to a full range of presentations, such as thought and mood disorders, personality disorders and drug and alcohol related disorders.
In working with clients, I lean towards a humanistic school of thought where I employ the contemporary Gestalt therapeutic style and methods, where a positive therapist-client relationship and empathic attunement is emphasized. I also use a supportive, compassionate, accepting, dialogical, increased kindness, challenging, and empathic style of therapy. And, depending on the needs of my clients, I interject appropriate techniques from other counseling theories.
I am passionate in helping and working with people on an interpersonal level, and I like people to feel better, plus I enjoy enriching their lives and making them happier when I am able.
I am a listener, comforter, and counselor, among others for my clients. Being a listener is a gift that I carry in understanding and assisting clients in seeking alternatives towards attaining a balanced and integrated whole person. I am also bilingual in Tagalog. I endeavor to integrate multicultural psychology for those who wish to heal and seek alternatives.
