The Psych Atelier

08/07/2025

American Psychiatric Association to Host Full-Day Virtual Event on Burnout, Offers Other Resources https://ow.ly/fbtC50Wmoky

06/07/2025

The world was never meant to be a competition of appearances. It was meant to be a gallery of individuality where every person adds their own colour, texture, story.

We were not made to look the same, talk the same, or live the same. We were made to be different, to carry our own light in our own way. Just like every painting in a gallery tells a unique story, every person carries a story that only they can share. It’s not about who looks better, dresses better, or fits in more. It’s about being true to who you are and your voice, your feelings, your dreams. That’s what makes life rich and beautiful.

So don’t try to shrink yourself to fit in. Don’t hide your story because it’s not like someone else’s. You were never meant to be an imitation. You were meant to be a canvas with full of meaning. The more we honour each other’s differences, the more we understand the true beauty of being human. It’s not in perfect shapes or polished surfaces. It’s in the raw and honest truth of who we are.

Let the world be your gallery, not your judge. Add your colour, leave your mark, tell your story, because no one else ever can. 🤎

— Dorothea.

06/07/2025

You can’t change other people. You can’t fix them.
You can’t shame them into who you want them to be.
Your judgment doesn’t motivate them, and honestly, neither does your advice or ultimatums if that’s not what they already want to do.

The piece that’s always going to move the needle for you is to return to yourself —
to first attune to the places where you feel activated and hurt.
To allow yourself to be present to your own reactions, to feel what you need to feel.
To meet your own hurting parts with patience, understanding, and compassion.
To give yourself the space to notice your own resistance, judgment, shame, and tension, and get curious about what they’re trying to tell you about what you *really* need.
Does this situation remind you of something old?
How can you meet that part with love?

This is how you own your side of the street,
and it better allows you to actually let other people be who they are -
to see them without your lenses coloring the situation as opaquely.
It allows you to create the space for them to come to their own conclusions and show up how they want to show up.

And if how they are showing up doesn’t work for you, that’s okay.
That’s when you adjust and make the changes that allow you to stay present and whole.
Which sometimes involves removing yourself from the dynamic, or stepping back from an activity for awhile.
You’re allowed to take care of you.

Other people’s reactions and behavior are about them.
Their needs, their bandwidth, how their history is showing up in their present moment.

And yours are about you.

If this is one of the patterns you’re working to shift, it takes time! The Cycle Breakers program begins September 2nd. This is a year long program for those committed and dedicated to changing old patterns. Committed to bringing their patterns to light and slowly and intentionally meeting themselves with more safety, generosity, compassion, and accountability as they begin to break old cycles and patterns of relating to themselves, others and the world. And it’s done in small, supportive, heart-centered community.
Register before July 11 and receive a free 1:1 with me before the program begins!
More info & registration at the link below:

https://theeqschool.co/cycle-breakers

03/07/2025

This does not absolve others of anything or mean you *have* to work anything out with anyone.
It simply means look at yourself first when you’re having a big reaction to someone or something.

It can be helpful to see the other as a mirror, showing you where you still have unresolved pain and where you still need to do some tending, healing, growing, and maturing.

In my time at school in Sweden, we were told, “work with the people you can’t stand, because that’s where you’re going to learn the most about yourself.”

I both hated that advice when confronted with the people who triggered me the most, but also had the most profound moments of growth when I learned how to communicate and work through conflict with the people I previously avoided.
The people I initially couldn’t stand are now some of the people I think of the most tenderly when I reflect on that program.
They really helped me to mature emotionally a lot that year, by learning how to see & take greater responsibility for what was mine in these uncomfortable interactions and relationships.

Before you make them into the “wrong” one, take a beat and notice what their behavior is touching on in you.
What part of your value set are they going against?
What old wound are they poking?
What are they not giving you that you deeply desire?
What are they doing that you could never allow yourself to do?

Let them guide you back to yourself.

The year long Cycle Breakers program begins today! There are very limited spots available, and the first 4 people to register can opt into a 1:1 with me before the program begins in September.
Register at the link below.
https://theeqschool.co/cycle-breakers

02/07/2025

Stay humble, no matter how high you soar, because success means nothing if you forget where you came from.

The higher you rise, the more important it is to keep your feet on the ground and your heart in the right place.

True greatness isn't measured by achievements alone, but by how kindly you treat others along the way.

The respect you earn will always matter more than the recognition you receive.

02/07/2025

27/06/2025

In memory of Aeon author, Helen De Cruz, we are sharing their Essay on the crucial role of awe in science. https://aeon.co/essays/how-awe-drives-scientists-to-make-a-leap-into-the-unknown

27/06/2025

Remember those nights when you thought you would never get through?

When everything felt too heavy and you wondered if things would ever change? But you did.

You made it through every tough moment, every heartbreak, every doubt. You are stronger than you think, and no matter what comes next, you will find a way, just like you always have.

And one day, you will look back and realize that every struggle shaped you into the person you were meant to be.

22/06/2025

Thank you to NU Clark Psychology Department for featuring our resident Psychologist. 💙

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅-𝐢-𝐋𝐞: 𝙈𝙖𝙝𝙪𝙋𝙎𝙔𝘾𝙃 𝘿𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 💚🔱
“𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴.”💛💙

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐚 – Championing Mental Health with Heart and Expertise

Ms. Maica Pineda is a licensed psychologist and psychometrician whose work bridges academic excellence and advocacy. A proud alumna of Holy Angel University (HAU) and Angeles University Foundation (AUF), she holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and is currently pursuing her PhD in Psychology, specializing in Clinical & Counseling.

She brings her deep knowledge and passion for mental wellness into every space she enters—whether it’s the classroom, the counseling room, or her work as Co-Chairperson of the Psychological Association of the Philippines’ Environmental Psychology SIG.

Ms. Pineda’s commitment to shaping compassionate and competent psychology professionals makes her an invaluable force in the academic and mental health communities.

Created by: Jomat Payabyab
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𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐊?

𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐇𝐒 𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆. Our campus is open from Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, and Saturday, 8:30am to 12:00pm.

𝑨𝒕 𝑵𝑼 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒌, 𝑾𝒆 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐍 𝐔.

21/06/2025

hey, it’s totally okay to take a break. you don’t have to do it all right now. move slowly and be kind to yourself. you’re doing just fine, really. 🤍

20/06/2025

The waiting season is a reminder that life unfolds in its own perfect timing.

It is not always easy to be patient, especially when you are hoping for something to happen soon.

But trust that every delay has a purpose and that what is meant for you will come at the right time.

Growth, healing, and opportunities are all taking shape, even when you cannot see them yet.

20/06/2025

Sometimes, the best response isn’t a story or advice, it’s presence.
Try asking, “Gusto mo ba ng advice, o gusto mo lang mapakinggan?”

Here are more ways to support without taking the spotlight.