top of page
Magic candles and flowers on tree stump in forest, blurred natural background. Wiccan prac

About Me

My Heritage

Before anything else, I am the body made from the flesh and memories of my ancestors. My known maternal ancestors are from a region of the Philippines called Visayas, and from this branch of my family tree, I am descended from a line of healer-priestesses. These women were known as babaylan (“bah-BYE-lahn”), and dedication to honoring the land and spirits in service to the village was their calling. They served many functions: healer, therapist, warrior, leader, priestess, witch, medium, wisewoman, and teacher.

 

After generations of slaughter and oppression by the Catholic Spaniards, there are very few living babaylan left today, and many of our traditions and practices linked to them are scattered. What remains in us, their descendants, is a will and power to continue their work, bringing healing, wisdom, and respect for earth and community back to a world which has forgotten the sacred. In my journey through the study of witchcraft, communion with the dead, teaching, and becoming a clinical therapist, I had unconsciously followed the path laid out before me by my ancestors. Only in recent years have I come to understand that my purposes and my gifts have always been theirs. 

It is usually considered disrespectful to claim the name “babaylan” for oneself, as very few of us in the Filipino diaspora have the training or experience necessary to hold this title legitimately. I certainly have not. Yet I hold the spirit of the babaylan who have lived and died before me as my inner compass, my constant source of faith and inspiration. These fierce and powerful women left the legacy of their magic in my blood, and every day I do my best to honor them with service to my community and reverence for the sacred earth.

My Identifiers

A significant aspect of my approach to coaching is working from intersectional identities and the pursuit of socially just service to historically marginalized populations. When seeking a coach or mentor, it is helpful to know that you are working someone who can relate to your worldview. Here are some of my assigned and chosen identifiers, in no particular order:

  • First-generation Asian/Filipina-American/BIPOC

  • Cisgender female

  • Spiritualist/pagan/witch

  • Queer/LGBT

  • Polyamorous

  • Kink, sex, and body-positive

  • Low SES background

  • Trauma survivor

  • Neurodivergent/Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

My Education

Though part of me rejects the white/Western notion that degrees or certificates bear any significance upon a person’s qualification to do meaningful work, I recognize that clients have a right to ask and to know about my educational background: 

I graduated from Columbia University in New York City in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a concentration in Religious Studies. I completed my Master of Arts in Human Behavior from National University in 2019. I completed my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the John F. Kennedy School of Psychology at National University in 2022 and am currently in pursuit of licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist. I received my certification in Life Purpose Coaching from Transformation Academy in 2022. I am also certified as a Reiki Level 2 practitioner. 

bottom of page