In this What If conversation, we explore Filipino psychology — also known as Sikolohiyang Pilipino — and how it offers a different way of understanding the self, relationships, and healing.

Together, we talk about key concepts within Filipino psychology and how they contrast with more individualistic, Western frameworks. This conversation opens up questions around identity, culture, and the ways our understanding of the self is shaped by the worlds we come from.

Rather than seeing healing as something purely internal, Filipino psychology invites a more relational and culturally rooted perspective — one that considers community, shared experience, and connection.

Whether you’re familiar with these ideas or hearing them for the first time, this episode offers space to reflect on how culture shapes the way we make sense of ourselves — and what it might mean to see the self differently.

Bio:

Jezreel Cornel graduated from San Diego State University's MS in Marriage and Family Therapy program with a focus on Narrative Therapy and received clinical training in the San Diego Unified Outpatient Program as a school-based therapist. Alongside his formal education, Jez studied Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino Psychology) through conversation with established Filipino/a/x mental health professionals and reviewing existing literature. Jez is a community organizer through San Diego Kababayan, and supports Kasamahan’s Board of Directors with social media and resources.

You can find more information about him at:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jezreel-mejia-cornel-san-diego-ca/1721755

https://www.solpathwellness.com/solpathteam

https://www.kasamahan.org/about-us

Your host is Jaclyn Tyson. For more information about Sacred Tea and Nourished Souls, visit www.soubirdcenter.com.

In this episode I speak to Hui Ting, a licensed mental health counselor based in New York, originally from Malaysia.

As a Malaysian Chinese therapist, Hui Ting work centers on supporting Asian American clients navigating family dynamics, intergenerational trauma, relationships, and work-related stress. She integrates parts work and Internal Family Systems (IFS) into her practice, helping clients better understand their inner world and build healthier emotional connections.

Growing up in Malaysia, Hui Ting’s experienced a cultural environment where mental health was often stigmatized and emotional expression was discouraged. As the oldest child in her family, she carried significant responsibility from a young age, shaping how she related to emotions, expectations, and identity. These lived experiences now inform her compassionate and culturally aware approach to therapy.

Hui Ting’s work emphasizes the importance of understanding how culture, family roles, and early messages about emotions impact healing. She is passionate about creating space for individuals to explore difficult emotions, unlearn limiting beliefs, and develop more supportive ways of relating to themselves and others.

Your host is Jaclyn Tyson. For more information about Sacred Tea and Nourished Souls, visit www.soubirdcenter.com.

In this edition of Shelf Talk, I sit with a voice actor whose understanding of voice extends far beyond performance. Together, we explore what it means to treat voice as something sacred — shaped by love, culture, and the stories we inherit.

He reflects on how the values passed down by his mother shaped the way he helped care for his father, who lived with schizophrenia, and how Filipino belief systems informed what it meant to show up with presence and compassion.

We also talk about his work as an artist and his deep appreciation for stories created by diverse voices — and why honoring those voices feels both personal and necessary.

We discuss how love is taught, how care becomes a practice, and how the voices we carry continue to shape who we become.

For more information about Art visit this link https://www.artbautista.com

Your host is Jaclyn Tyson. For more information about Sacred Tea and Nourished Souls, visit www.soubirdcenter.com.