Introduction: Building Bayanihan
Reclaiming the Roots of Connection:
An Introduction to "Building Bayanihan"
Written by Dr. Therapinay
Founder, Therapinxy
Introduction to our 3-Part series and guide to “Building bayanihan” and shifting from cliques and canceling towards creating community rooted in kapwa care
By Dr. Therapinay
Whether you’ve hiked with our Therapinxy provider Raynelle Rino of hikeitoutcoaching.com, or spent time at the Reimagination Farm founded by our Advisory Board Member Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, you’ve likely felt how nature teaches us about healing, seasons, and regeneration. As bell hooks (2000) reminds us, “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.”
Like a thriving garden, community can bloom in many directions. But even with the best intentions, the soil can get compacted — where only certain plants thrive. We see this across spaces we hold dear — activist, academic, wellness, arts, and spiritual circles — when once-open circles grow rigid, quiet judgments take root, and belonging becomes conditional.
Have you ever felt that subtle, frustrating shift? The moment a space you once loved becomes less nurturing, more exclusive, or just plain hard to be in? That feeling is a sign that the essential architecture of connection needs care.
In our new 3-part series, we're not just lamenting the compacted soil; we're grabbing our tools and getting to work. We’re diving deep into the powerful Filipino concept of Bayanihan—a spirit of communal unity, collaboration, and mutual help—and exploring how we can intentionally build spaces that reflect its true, expansive meaning.
We’ll explore what “Building Bayanihan” truly is, the often-unseen obstacles that prevent us from achieving it, and practical, heartfelt actions we can take to strengthen our communities. Our journey is anchored in the concept of Kapwa, the shared inner self or "shared being," reminding us that true community is built not on condition, but on recognizing our inherent connection to one another.
Join us as we learn to till the soil, remove the weeds of conditional belonging, and cultivate a truly resilient, inclusive, and thriving collective.
Part 1 drops next week! Subscribe so you don't miss it! In the meantime, check out our social media to hear from each of our Therapinxy Kapwa Collective chapter leaders on what “Building Bayanihan” might look like when you connect into Therapinxy!
