Therapinxy Bay Area
Chapter Lead Contact Information:
Christine Melendres, LCSW
Email: info@sweetmangotherapy.com
Phone: 925-665-3668
Instagram: @christine.r.melendres
Bio:
Hello, I’m Christine R. Melendres, Founder & CEO of Sweet Mango Therapy Group, a psychotherapy practice dedicated to serving the Filipina/x/o and AAPI community.
My roots trace back to Iba, Zambales—recognized as the home of the world’s sweetest mangoes, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. I am a descendant of the Kapampangan and Sambal people, and my ancestral ties extend to Bacolor, Pampanga, and Botolan. Having immigrated to the US at 3, I've become the first licensed therapist in my family.
Specializing in helping high-achieving BIPOC women, particularly Filipina/x/o and AAPI, I address issues like burnout, anxiety, depression, and trauma using somatic approaches like Brainspotting. With a culturally responsive, person-centered approach, I draw from over 10 years of experience.
Beyond my practice, I'm active in community work and serve on the board of directors for FYLPRO, a network of high-performing, next-generation leaders dedicated to advancing the Philippines and the global Filipino community through advocacy, expertise, and collaborative multinational relationships.
Additionally, I hold the role of Co-Coordinator of Mentorship for the Asian American Psychological Association Division on Filipinx Americans.
Here are some fun facts about me: I love spending time playing with my two young children, enjoying comedy shows with my husband, listening to podcasts, practicing yoga, and immersing myself in music.
What does Filipino healing and wellness look like to you?
Filipino healing and wellness, to me, combine traditional practices, spiritual connections, and modern holistic approaches, reflecting values like kapwa (shared humanity) and pakikisama (community harmony). It involves using natural remedies, building community support, embracing spiritual rituals, enjoying nourishing cuisine, incorporating joyful movement, and reveling in uplifting music to foster balance and well-being in mind, body, and spirit. Additionally, integrating accessible therapy into these practices ensures that mental health support is readily available, breaking down barriers and nurturing a culture of openness and support within our communities.
Chapter Lead Contact Information:
Jessica Hernandez, LCSW
Email: jessica@empoweredmindca.com
Phone: 925-257-0205
Instagram: @jessica.hernandez.lcsw
Bio:
Jessica Hernandez, LCSW is a clinical social worker and therapist with Empowered Mind Therapy Center who supports BIPOC and QTBIPOC folks with recognizing their own resilience, exploring intersectional identities, and navigating life’s stressors and challenges. Her identities as a mixed Filipina/Latina, bisexual, first-generation, Fat woman inform a therapeutic perspective of anti-oppression and celebration. She utilizes a mix of EMDR, somatic practice, and talk therapy to support folks with moving through trauma and grief, reintegrating their sense of self, and centering in their inner wisdom and joy. She also facilitates Bayanihan: We Heal Together, group therapy for Filipina/x/o adults looking to move through intergenerational trauma and negatively impactful family dynamics through the spirit of supportive community. She is so excited to be supporting Therapin*y's mission and vision as a Bay Area Chapter Co-Lead and being a part of this intentional movement towards intergenerational growth and healing.
What does Filipino healing and wellness look like to you?
Filipinx healing and wellness look like folks coming together, supporting each other, and lifting each other up. Having the hard conversations about colonialism and imperialism, and grieving together what we have lost (and might have never had in the first place). Fellow kasamas holding each other in our shared grief, rage, celebration, and joy. We are not meant to move through difficulties and change in isolation. Taking care of each other, utilizing our ancestral practices and bayanihan spirit, are what allow us to move into spaces of transformative healing.