Hello! My name is Dr. Jeannie Estella Celestial. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I’m a Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PhD) and Psychotherapist in the State of California. I was born on Chamoru land (Guåhan/Guam), after my parents migrated from Cebu and Cavite, Philippines. As a child, I settled with my family in Vallejo, California where I was exposed to rich cultural and spiritual traditions of the Filipino community.
My interest in holistic health (mind, body, spirit, brain, and nervous system) emerged by witnessing the stresses and trauma as well as the survivance and resilience of my communities. My critical consciousness and praxis (theory in reflective action) grew in college at the University of California–Berkeley and in Oakland where I served in artistic, spiritual, and health care settings.
I specialize in supporting high-achieving Filipina/x/o, Asian, and Pacific Islander women recover from trauma including developmental trauma (e.g., abuse, neglect, im/migration, etc.), traumas of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.), and intimate partner violence. I believe that by metabolizing and releasing trauma, my clients can more fully shine their authentic light and manifest visions on behalf of themselves, their ancestors, and future generations.
In psychotherapy, I integrate cognitive-behavioral, somatic, decolonial, and brain-based practices including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Brainspotting. In 2013, I received the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship for my commitment to ethnic minority behavioral health.
For fun and self-care, I enjoy cooking, dancing, and spending time with my family at the ocean. I’m one of the bestselling authors of The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook (Rocketships & Wonderment, 2019) and the co-editor/co-author of Clinical Interventions for Internalized Oppression (Cognella Academic Publishing, 2022).