I am so inspired by this month’s Filipina feature — Roanne de Guia-Samuels and am so thrilled to be able to share more about her with our community! Roanne is a loving mom, dedicated psychotherapist, and creator of the blog, Kalamansi Juice. She is such a resourceful woman and shares beautiful insight on supporting mental health and happiness. Almost every post she shares on her blog and on social media has been so relatable to me as a Filipina mom. It is such a breath of fresh air hearing her perspective on well-being and parenting. Read on to find out more about Roanne.
Q: Where do you currently live? Where are you from?
A: I live in the East Bay in California. I was born & raised in Manila, Philippines.
Q: Tell us a little bit about your cultural background.
A: I come from an ethnically diverse background, my grandmother was Irish/Scottish who married my grandfather from mainland China. My mother grew up with the label- ”mestizang intsik”. My father was born & raised in a province called Marinduque. He came from humble beginnings and sold coffee to help his family make ends meet. Both my parents still live in the Philippines. Together with my brother, I immigrated to the States to live at a relative’s home at the age of 23.
Q: What do you want others to know about the Fil-Am/Filipino culture?
A: Filipino culture is like a song. The songs we know from the heart are not once we necessarily know the exact words to but ones whose hymn, rhythm, tone, and inflection reach the inner recesses of our soul. Filipinos communicate through their food, through their haplos (touch), through their pasalubongs, through the expression of their unique Pinoy Love Languages ( ex. Lambing, Tampo, etc). Filipinos are people whose heart will always speak louder than their voices.
Q: What do you currently do or have you been doing in hopes to contribute to the Fil-Am/Filipino community?
A: I am the creator of Kalamansi Juice, a platform that provides happiness tools that elicit self-awareness and practical tips for Filipino families living abroad. I am also a licensed Psychotherapist that has dedicated my clinical practice in only serving Filipino women, specifically Filipino moms.
Many Filipino women living in America (and abroad) hold traditional cultural dialogues in their head that clash with the Western cultural norms. Through my creative work- my blog, my other writings and free resources, I hope to forge a new way of reflective thinking that reconcile the Western way of living so that you can confidently decide what Filipino values to keep and what to leave behind, living your best life, tailored to you and your family.
Q: What or who is your inspiration behind what you do?
A: My parents were civic-minded people. In particular, my mom taught me the value of serving the community. I remember for 10 years during our Noche Buena, a time where both kids and adults flash their best bestida/baro(dress) and work the whole day towards creating a feast that can feed the entire barangay, my siblings and I spend the day preparing food in styrofoams ala assembly-line style so that we can traverse under the bridge, along the dark alleys in Manila to give the neediest their taste of Noche Buena. This is a reflection of my mother’s and not mine, nevertheless, it gave the lessons of empathy and service beyond any book or class can ever teach.
Since my mother fostered an environment that allowed me to hang out with people from different walks of life, I’ve realized at a young age, that riches lie in the mind. I’ve met both- the rich, happy man and the poor happy man, and conversely, the unhappy rich woman and the unhappy poor woman. True wealth is cultivated in the mind. I became a therapist because I believe in changing the world, by helping facilitate change, one mind at a time. I have the best job in the world because as a prerequisite, it holds me accountable with my own, so I’m always learning, always evolving.
Helpful Resources from Roanne
- 5 Pinoy Love Languages e-Book (FREE): https://app.monstercampaigns.com/c/jxurryxyqhcmr3mw0jtf/.
- Take the quiz: What TYPE of FIlipina Mom Are You? This is a 20-Question Quiz that will generate your results instantly.
Happy boy indoor
For additional Happiness Tools including relaxation exercises for both Adults and kids and Mental Health handouts in Tagalog ( Ano Ang Stress? AND Simpleng Kalungkutan o Depression?) check out our Happiness Tools Page @ https://kalamansijuice.com/happiness-tools/
If you’re interested in online therapy, schedule a free 20-minute session here: https://kalamansijuice.com/contact/
We just launched our YouTube channel, and we would love for you to subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tlYsomNrJk
Thank you for those who support my work, you are my inspiration!
