Teofilo O. Palsimon Jr., MPsy, RPm, ICAP II

Internationally Certified Brainspotting Trainer (Phase III and Masterclass Training)
Internationally Certified Addiction Professional Level II

Teofilo O. Palsimon Jr. is an addiction professional and psychotherapist in private practice in Lucena City, Quezon. He has worked in mental health settings, government and non-government drug rehabilitation treatment centers, and intensive outpatient and community-based treatment facilities since 2015. He works with adolescents, adults, and the elderly afflicted with all types of trauma, including adverse childhood experiences, sexual abuse, neglect, interpersonal violence, traumatic brain injuries, and trans-generational trauma or those who have an addiction, anxiety, depression, or who have done previous therapy without achieving the desired results.

Although he was trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Technique in 2016, he has a special interest in Brainspotting, where he was trained by Mr. Suzuki Takanobu and David Grand himself; and has been a practitioner and advocate since 2016. He primarily utilizes this neurophysiological approach in his therapeutic work, incorporating tenets of brain science, somatic experiencing, polyvagal theory, and mindfulness into his practice. Individuals who work with him engage in deeper brain and body processing to liberate themselves from complex traumas and problems that they have not been able to resolve on their own.

Teofilo's therapeutic framework is a synthesis of neurophysiological knowledge based on science and the inherent wisdom of the body and mind. He advocates advancing trauma and addiction treatment across the board by dismantling an outmoded, pathological model of framing these human conditions into a more restorative form of recovery. Using the paradigm outlined, he delivers intensive treatment to clients, self-healing and awareness for practitioners, and consultation to therapists and professionals on trauma and addiction. He also consults with therapists in the Philippines who want to get certified in Brainspotting.

The following achievements demonstrate his highlights of competence

• Finishing his PhD in Forensic Psychology at the Far Eastern University-Manila after he completed his M.A. in Clinical Psychology at the De La Salle University Dasmariñas in 2020.
• Amassing experience in clinical research throughout his education, performing various specialized and complex research procedures in evidence-based clinical trial.
• Serving as a resource speaker and lecturer for psychoeducation and awareness campaign on trauma and addiction and skills training in screening and provision of brief intervention in community-based rehabilitation program since 2015
• Performing volunteer works through the provision of evidence-based psychological interventions for Elite soldiers of Marawi Siege, families of extra-judicial killing victims, victims of domestic violence, refugees due to natural calamities, and people afflicted with vicarious trauma and mental health problems during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Pioneering the research and practice of Brainspotting, a brain-based therapy, in the country
• Implements mindfulness-based sobriety and neuro-informed intensive outpatient program for Balay Silangan: Kanlungan ng Pagbabago, Lucena City Anti-Drug Abuse Office
• Practicing in the field of clinical psychology as an Internationally Certified Addiction Professional Level II and a certified practitioner and trainer in trauma-focused interventions (EMDR Phase I; Brainspotting Phase III with Masterclass training)
• Participated as a research presenter in local and international research conferences like Regional Research Forum, Psychological Association of the Philippines Research Conference, DSWD and Department of Health Research Fora, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 36th Annual Meeting in Atlanta, USA

Vanessa Anne Joice T. Haro

Co-Founder of Brainspotting

Vanessa Anne Joice T. Haro, MPsy, RPm, LPT, CHRA, CSMC, CVSAA, CCS, is an Industrial Psychology Practitioner with over eight years of experience spanning human resource administration, consultancy, recruitment, project management, and process improvement. Operating across the Asia Pacific (APAC) and Australia & New Zealand (ANZ) regions, she currently serves as Associate Professor IV at National University Laguna and Senior Positive Behavior Support Practitioner at ORS Group Australia.

Vanessa specializes in leadership, administration, and mental health, achieving significant milestones in team leadership, organizational structure management, and process enhancements. Her expertise extends to HR strategy development, recruitment, and operational delivery in diverse industries such as RPO, BPO, academe, healthcare, and the NDIS ecosystem. She has consistently led end-to-end recruitment processes, implemented HR strategies in start-up environments, and coordinated projects to ensure timely, high-quality outcomes aligned with strategic objectives.

As the Co-founder and top executive overseeing Brainspotting Philippines Training Consultancy Services and Lunduyan, Vanessa plays a pivotal role in advocating for mental health awareness, creating safe spaces, and delivering transformative training. She collaborates with universities, communities, and business leaders to promote well-being and mental health education across the country. In clinical practice, Vanessa is trained in Brainspotting Therapy (Phases I & II) and holds a specialization in Expansion Brainspotting from California.

Vanessa’s academic background includes a Master of Arts in Psychology, alongside certifications in Lean Six Sigma, human resource management, sales and marketing, and communications. She has an outstanding track record in staff training, performance management, and ensuring regulatory and organizational compliance. Her leadership style is deeply rooted in a human-centric approach, prioritizing employee well-being and organizational balance.

Outside of her professional roles, Vanessa is an accomplished creative writer with published works in the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (UBOD), UP Diliman’s Lagda Journal, and Germany’s The Loch Raven Review. In 2021, she launched her own zine, "Maging sa Silid." Additionally, Vanessa is a passionate advocate for women's rights as an active member of Gabriela Southern Tagalog - Women's Party, championing social justice and empowerment.

Angelika T. Matibag

Training Lead

Angelika T. Matibag is a multifaceted professional with psychology, education, human resources, and mental health advocacy expertise. She is a Registered Psychometrician, Licensed Professional Teacher, Certified Human Resource Associate, Certified Lean Six Sigma White Belt, and Brainspotting Professional with Phase 1 and 2 Training.

Angelika graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Southern Luzon State University in 2017, passing the Board Licensure Exam for Psychometrician and Psychologist in the same year. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in Psychology, Major in Counseling Psychology, at Ateneo de Naga University, completing her master's thesis on brainspotting.

Angelika serves as a Secondary School Teacher II at Tagkawayan National High School, teaching research and social sciences. From 2018 to 2021, she lent her expertise to the senior high school in Guinayangan, Quezon, handling cases such as sexual harassment, bullying, and depression. She was the testing coordinator during her tenure there, overseeing the National Achievement Test (NAT) and scheduling limited face-to-face summative exams. This role continues as part of her ancillary duties at her current school.

In addition to teaching, she is the guidance coordinator and Teen Health Kiosk adviser at Tagkawayan National High School. She has authored the school's student handbook and Child Protection Policy, which are currently implemented. Angelika has also organized various events focusing on the welfare of students, faculty, and staff.

Angelika has been a Psychological First Aid and Mental Health Psychosocial Services Provider since 2018, offering services across the Philippines, including Digos City, Davao del Sur (after the 2019 earthquake), Tagkawayan, Quezon (following military encounters), and conducting training in Naga City and Guinayangan, Quezon. She collaborates with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office of Tagkawayan to promote mental health in the municipality.

As a speaker, Angelika has participated in Mental Health Symposiums, Gender and Development Trainings, and Anti-Bullying and Violence Against Children seminars across Southern Quezon and Laguna.

Dedicated to her advocacy, Angelika dreams of establishing the first psychological clinic in her hometown of Tagkawayan, Quezon, to extend mental health services to neighboring municipalities.

Jenny Rose R. Llorin, RPm

Brand Ambassadress / Marketing

Jenny is a Registered Psychometrician and a passionate mental health advocate. She completed her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at Southern Luzon State University.

Currently, she is working remotely as a Senior Happy Ambassador (Customer Experience) at BarkBox, an international company based in New York City, USA.

She is a passionate Resource Speaker about student’s mental health. Her recent talks were about the effects of bullying and suicide. She strongly believes that we, especially children, deserve to live in a safe and healthy environment.

She’s an active volunteer in various community outreach programs and is one of the Founders of Helping Hands - a non-profit organization that helps children in the rural and marginalized areas in Quezon Province.

She deliberately and intentionally makes time to nurture herself – mind, body and spirit. Some of the self-care practices that have been transformative for her are yoga, meditation, and arts. The more engaged she became, the more she started to live in the present moment.

Heavily invested in her inner work, she joined Brainspotting Phase 1 and 2 and serves as the Brand Ambassador of Brainspotting Philippines. In fact, Brainspotting became a catalyst for her inner transformation. She had more awareness and compassion for herself than she ever had before. She’s interested in understanding the complex interconnectedness of our mind, body and soul.

Aside from that, she’s also a Certified Molchanovs Freediver and a Freediving Coach. It was like Eureka moment when they saw the parallelism of freediving and Brainspotting. Jenny dreams of introducing Brainspotting to the freediving community so they can also experience how impactful brainspotting is not just as a freediver but as a human.

Ma. Christina Bernadette C. Aparato

Community Coordinator

Ma. Christina Bernadette “Macki” C. Aparato is a psychology student at National University Laguna. Her interest in understanding human behaviors was established by her experiences working with different individuals while in campus journalism and student leadership councils. Fond of writing, in Junior High School, Macki was a Feature Writer and the Editor-in-Chief of Ang LCBA Chronicle, the Filipino Campus Newspaper Publication of Laguna College of Business and Arts, from the year 2016 to 2018. She received Special Journalism Citation Award and gained 7th place in the 2015 Regional Schools Press Conference – Feature Writing Competition (Secondary Filipino) held at Lipa, Batangas.

Her passion for advocating mental health awareness flourished when she started leading student body organizations. Macki was the Vice President of the Supreme Student Government in Laguna College of Business and Arts, where she received the Gerry Roxas Leadership Award, an award that is given to recognize student leaders for their active participation and devotion of time in community affairs. Her involvement and exposure in these areas led her to deeply learn and believe in the value of connection, inclusivity, and people empowerment.

Invested in learning psychosocial support, in December 2021, she completed a short online course on Resilient Mental Health and Well-being, a psychological first aid training program developed by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation in partnership with the New Zealand Foreign Affairs & Trade Aid Programme. Currently, she is serving as a Class Representative of the National University Laguna Psychology Society.

Jose Jomari Garcia

Brand and Marketing Assistant

Jose Jomari Garcia is now pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the National University of Laguna. He completed internships in both education and industry, providing him with extensive experience of the importance, appropriate approach, and comprehension of dealing with people. He also became a speaker at several academic seminars held in their schools, all of which were related to psychological functions of interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects.

He joined NU Laguna Peers, an organization at his institution that promotes mental health awareness through lectures and trainings for students. He has participated in seminars/webinars such as "Handa Ba Ako?: A Psychological Test First Aid Webinar Workshop," "At Your Service: A Webinar on Psychological First Aid," and "Bridging Barriers: Exploring Cross-Cultural Communication," emphasizing self-understanding, empathy, and healing.

He is certain that having someone to lean on is essential in the process of healing, self-understanding, and progress, based on his internship and seminar experience. Someone to whom we may be ears, hands, and feet, since he believes that in the middle of agonizing circumstances that make our path too dark, we need someone to provide light, allowing us to walk and escape. And he believes that he can be that light for you to have sight.