As a Filipino Canadian therapist, I offer a space where you don’t have to explain the unspoken parts of your story—because I see them too. I understand the weight of “tiis,” the tension between tradition and change, and the deep love we carry for family even when it hurts.

Why Therapy in Tagalog?

In Filipino culture, we are often taught to “magtiis,” to keep our struggles to ourselves, and to prioritize the needs of our family over our own. Whether it's being told “Baka kulang ka lang sa dasal” or “Wala lang yan, lumalaban nga yung iba eh,” the result is the same: we learn to stay silent even when we're hurting.

Mental health is still heavily stigmatized in many Filipino families. There’s a belief that seeking help is a sign of weakness or that it's only for those who are “baliw”, “loko loko" , or “sira ulo”. But the truth is: therapy is for anyone carrying emotional burdens, whether it's from childhood, migration, caregiving, or just the daily grind of life between cultures.

As a Filipino Canadian therapist, I hold space for both your resilience and your pain. You don’t need to translate your pain. You deserve to be understood in your own language.

Therapy for Filipino Individuals and Couples in Ontario

Whether you’re navigating personal struggles or relationship challenges, at Growth Psychotherapy, I work with both individuals and couples across Ontario. Many Filipino clients come to therapy feeling emotionally isolated, even within their families, communities, or partnerships. You might be craving connection, pag uunawa, ginhawa, or healthier communication.

For couples, therapy can offer a space to unpack cultural values, unmet needs, emotional wounds, and family pressures that may be impacting your relationship. Whether you're experiencing conflict, distance, or just want to strengthen your bond, therapy can help you grow both individually and together.

Therapy That Understands Filipino Values

This is therapy with someone who “gets it”, because I understand the invisible weights many Filipinos carry. From “tiis ganda” to “utang na loob,” we’ll explore what you’ve been taught to carry and how you can choose what you want to keep.

• “Ang hirap mamuhay sa ibang bansa.” – Immigration, Homesickness & Identity Loss

Leaving the Philippines for a “better life” often comes with deep grief and adjustment pain. Migration isn’t just a physical move. It’s a deep emotional dislocation. You may grieve the life, people, or version of yourself you left behind. There's pressure to prove your worth (“Sayang ang sakripisyo”), even when you're struggling. There may be guilt for those left behind, pressure to succeed, and confusion around where you belong. Therapy provides a safe space to process the disconnection, guilt, loneliness, and identity shifts that come with being Filipino in Canada.

• “Wala kaming pinapalaki na suwail!” – Intergenerational Trauma & Family Pressure

The unspoken rules we grow up with “Walang hiya ka,” “Dapat marunong kang makisama,” “ Hindi ka man lang mahiya,” “Tiisin mo na lang, ganyan lang talaga sya” can create lasting wounds. These messages can become internalized beliefs that affect your self-worth, relationships, and ability to set boundaries. Many Filipino families express love through sacrifice, obedience, and control, not always through words or affection. You may have been raised to suppress your feelings, maintain family image, and avoid confrontation. But at what cost? Therapy helps unpack the unspoken rules and inherited wounds without shame, so you can heal without dishonoring your roots.

• “Ikaw na ang bahala sa amin ng mga kapatid mo.” – The Eldest Daughter/Son, the Breadwinner, the Overseas Worker

Filipino culture often places heavy pressure and expectations on eldest children, overseas workers, and caregivers. You may feel like your worth is tied to what you provide or kung may maipapadala kang pera. “Kailan ka magpapadala ng pera pang birthday ni bunso?” “Kapag wala na kame, ikaw na ang bahala at alagaan mo ang mga kapatid mo” . You were taught to always show up strong, responsible, and selfless, never tired, angry, or needing help. Therapy is a space where you can finally take off that armor and explore and honor your own needs.

• “Walang hiwalayan.” – Filipino Couples, Parenting, and Marital Struggles

Many Filipino couples were raised with the belief that marriage and parenthood mean endurance at all costs. “Tiisin mo na lang. Para sa mga bata.” “Ano na lang ang sasabihin ng iba?”
Conflict is often swept under the rug to maintain kapayapaan, or the appearance of a stable household. Emotional needs may go unspoken because “hindi naman siya nangangalabit, so ok lang yan, walang problema.” Gender roles often remain traditional. Mothers are expected to sacrifice everything, while fathers are discouraged from expressing their emotions. Parenting approaches may be shaped by discipline, obedience, hierarchy, and silence, passed down from previous generations.

Couples therapy offers a space to break cycles without breaking each other. Whether you're navigating miscommunication, resentment, intimacy issues, or parenting differences, therapy helps Filipino couples explore patterns, set boundaries, and build relationships rooted in mutual care, not just obligation or survival.

• “Magdasal ka lang.” – Religious Guilt and Emotional Suppression

Faith is central in many Filipino families, but it can be weaponized to dismiss emotional pain. You may have been told that separating from an unhealthy relationship, anxiety, sadness, or anger are signs of spiritual weakness. Therapy makes space for your full humanity, honoring your spirituality while also helping you unlearn guilt-based emotional suppression.

• “Huwag mo nang palakihin ‘yan.” – Minimizing, Avoiding, and Shaming Emotions

Filipinos are often taught to suppress what we feel to keep the peace or maintain hiya (shame/modesty). We downplay our pain with “ok lang ako,” even when we’re drowning inside and we do not want to be pabigat. In therapy, there’s no need to minimize. You get to be fully seen, fully heard, and fully human.