Degree

• Ph.D. Clinical Psychology minor in Developmental Psychology, University of the Philippines - Diliman
• M.A. Psychology, University of the Philippines - Diliman
• B.A. Social Sciences: Behavioral Studies (magna cum laude), University of the Philippines - Manila

Certifications

• Registered Psychologist (RPsy)
• Certified Specialist in Clinical Psychology (CSCLP)
• Certified Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT ®) Practitioner

Biography

Grace is a Professor II, the Executive Director of Integrative Lifestyle And Well-being (ILAW) Center and has served as the Chair of the Department of Psychology for 6 years at Miriam College. She is also a  Clinical Psychologist and a certified Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT®) Practitioner, Clinical Supervisor, Consultant, and Trainer. She has been practicing in the field for almost 20 years. She led a national research project on developing mental health protocol within school system under the Department of Health (DOH) & Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD). She is the principal author of the School Community Well-Being and Mental Health Care Protocol Manual (the offshoot of the research). Her work, researches, and publications cover arts-based psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions for different communities, family and human development, mindfulness, school and community-based mental health, child abuse and online sexual exploitation, disaster psychology and resilience, street families, among others. She was the head Clinical Psychologist of social action projects (Project HeArt) of the Metrobank Foundation that won a Gold Anvil Award in 2015. She won two Presidential Awards for Research (one in 2011 and the other one in 2013) and a Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence as Senior Faculty in 2017. 

She obtained her BA Social Sciences (Behavioral Studies) at the University of the Philippines, Manila (magna cum laude), MA Psychology and PhD Clinical Psychology  at the University of the Philippines, Diliman (Presidential Scholar). She is a Certified Focusing-Oriented Expressive Arts (FOAT ®) Practitioner & Focusing Trainer (with specialization in FOAT ®) by the Focusing and Expressive Arts Institute based in Santa Rosa, California, USA, where she is also invited as a faculty. She finished her 4-year term as the Chair of the Clinical Psychology Division of the Psychological Association of the Philippines;  and she is a professional member of various local and international organizations.

She is married to Dr. Francis Evangelista and they have two wonderful children, Aletheia and Justin. They have a cute buddy, Mochi!

Publications

• (Principal Investigator) Developing Mental Health Protocol Within School Systems: A Participatory Action Research (2021). Under the grant of DOST-PCHRD and DOH-AHEAD
• (Principal Author) School Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Care Protocol Manual (2021). Under the grant of DOST-PCHRD and DOH-AHEAD
• “Visual Arts and Poetry Usage for PTSD: Considerations for Treatment”. Comprehensive Guide to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (2015). Colin R. Martin, Victor R. Preedy, & Vinood P. Patel (Eds). Published by Springer International Publishing.
• (Co-author) “Civil society responses to the Bohol earthquake: Good practices and lessons learned”. 2015 International Conference on Building Resilience and Developing Sustainability. Chapter 9 of Resilience and Sustainability (2016): Fourteen Narratives (referred book). Alexander Flor, Alejandro Ciencia, Jr., and Cecilia Fe Sta. Maria-Abalos (Eds). Published by Cordillera Studies Center (CSC) University of the Philippines Baguio.
• (Co-author) “Transdisciplinary Phenomenological Study on Street Families in Metro Manila”. Funded by ASMAE-SENMAP, June 2014 (Asmae is a French International NGO that caters for marginalized communities in different parts of the world. SENMAP is a network of NGO in the Metro Manila that caters for street families and their children)
• (Co-author) “Social Networking Site Use, Behavior, Self-esteem and Online Identity Construction among Female College Students” (Presidential Award for Research Winner). Leaps Miriam College Faculty Research Journal, Vol. 37, March 2014.
• “Evaluation of visual arts and poetry as therapeutic interventions with abused adolescents”. Arts in Psychotherapy Journal, Vol. 30, February 2013. Published by Elsevier Science Direct, UK based journal.
• “Visual Arts as Therapeutic Interventions with Abused Adolescents” (Presidential Award for Research Winner) Faculty Research Journal (Presidential Research Award Edition) Vol. 34, March 2011.
• “Manual of Experimental Psychology”. Psychology Department Miriam College, December 2010.
• (Co-author) “Strengthening Family’s Competency in Re-abuse Prevention (Action Research)”. Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program (PACAP), 2006-2008. Child Protection Unit, UP-PGH.

Awards

• President’s Award for Teaching Excellence (Outstanding Senior Faculty) Winner, 2017, Miriam College
• Gold Anvil Award as Head Clinical Psychologist of Project HeArt for Metrobank Foundation-MADE (April 2015)
• Presidential Research Award Winner 2013, Miriam College
• Presidential Research Award Winner 2011, Miriam College