Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research

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Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research XCMHR is an arm of the XU Psychology Department, especially created to extend psycho-social assistance and services to the university and community.

AN INVITATION to School Administrators, Teachers and School HeadsThis event is organized and will be facilitated by the ...
07/05/2026

AN INVITATION to School Administrators, Teachers and School Heads

This event is organized and will be facilitated by the XCMHR MA Psychology Intern-Affiliates in collaboration with the Carmen National High School. Dr. Magno will provide valuable insights and practical strategies for the effective integration of SEL in classroom settings. This initiative forms part of our continuing efforts to support educators in fostering student well-being and cultivating safe, inclusive, and nurturing school environments.

In addition, the session will present key findings from a recent research study conducted by Xavier University MA Psychology students among CNHS learners, focusing on resilience in relation to emotion regulation, social support, and experiences of bullying.

Specifically, the event aims to (1) enhance awareness of SEL as an effective approach to preventing bullying and promoting holistic student development; (2) encourage engagement with available professional development resources, such as NEAP online modules; and (3) support educators in developing practical action plans for integrating SEL strategies into their daily teaching practices and interactions with students.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHEDLast April 8, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research, led by its Director, Luel Mae ...
06/05/2026

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Last April 8, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research, led by its Director, Luel Mae P Contreras, Phd, RPsy, assisted by MA Psychology Interns, gave a Seminar-Workshop on stress management, coping strategies, and building resilience to 129 first-year Computer Science students of Xavier University. This project focused on helping students manage stress through practical coping strategies, such as "Debug the Thought", which involves identifying and reframing distorted thinking patterns. Another key strategy introduced was recognizing one's "Safety Algorithm: A Personal Coping Plan" which is a method for maintaining emotional stability.

Students were encouraged to practice these coping techniques and share their insights with their seatmates, promoting peer learning and reflection. The seminar-workshop concluded with a symbolic activity where students crumpled, tore, and threw their "Bug Cards" worksheet, representing their intention to let go of their negative or distorted thoughts and, instead, focus more on constructive ways to feel better and face challenges head-on.
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IMPACT: When asked about action/s the students will you do after the session and activities that morning, responses reflect a strong intention to apply the learnings from the session into concrete, personal actions; or the responses demonstrate that the session not only increased awareness but also inspired practical, intentional steps toward healthier coping and personal growth, indicating a meaningful translation of learning into action.

๐’๐€๐…๐„ ๐’๐๐€๐‚๐„ ๐’๐“๐€๐‘๐“๐’ ๐‡๐„๐‘๐„ ๐Ÿ’™Last ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—น 13, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research (XCHMR) successfully condu...
23/04/2026

๐’๐€๐…๐„ ๐’๐๐€๐‚๐„ ๐’๐“๐€๐‘๐“๐’ ๐‡๐„๐‘๐„ ๐Ÿ’™

Last ๐—”๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—น 13, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research (XCHMR) successfully conducted the โ€œ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒโ€ ๐˜„๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ธ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ฝ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ 27 ๐˜€๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ก๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—›๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—น. This initiative was designed to empower young leaders to become active advocates against bullying and strong pillars of support within their school community.

๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ต highlighting the prevalence of bullying among students, the workshop focused on strengthening peer support, empathy, and resilience. Through meaningful reflections, discussions, role-playing, and collaborative activities, participants were equipped with practical skills to respond responsibly to bullying, support their peers, and lead student-driven initiatives that promote a safer school environment.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Carmen National High School, spearheaded by ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐——๐—ฟ. ๐——๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ต ๐—ญ๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ, for warmly welcoming us. We also sincerely thank our dedicated researchers, ๐— ๐˜€. ๐—”๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐˜†๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐— ๐˜€. ๐—”๐—บ๐—ถ๐—ฒ ๐—๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ, for making this collaboration possible and for allowing us to be part of this meaningful initiative.

๐‘ป๐’๐’ˆ๐’†๐’•๐’‰๐’†๐’“, ๐’˜๐’† ๐’„๐’๐’๐’•๐’Š๐’๐’–๐’† ๐’•๐’ ๐’ƒ๐’–๐’Š๐’๐’… ๐’‚ ๐’”๐’„๐’‰๐’๐’๐’ ๐’„๐’๐’Ž๐’Ž๐’–๐’๐’Š๐’•๐’š ๐’˜๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’† ๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’š ๐’—๐’๐’Š๐’„๐’† ๐’Š๐’” ๐’‰๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’…, ๐’†๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’š ๐’”๐’•๐’–๐’…๐’†๐’๐’• ๐’‡๐’†๐’†๐’๐’” ๐’”๐’‚๐’‡๐’†, ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐’Œ๐’Š๐’๐’…๐’๐’†๐’”๐’” ๐’๐’†๐’‚๐’…๐’” ๐’•๐’‰๐’† ๐’˜๐’‚๐’š. โœจ

After its reopening, the eStorya project was well received, reaching out to clients from various parts of Luzon, Visayas...
09/04/2026

After its reopening, the eStorya project was well received, reaching out to clients from various parts of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Notably, it attracted a client from United States. Clientsโ€™ ages ranged from 18 to 68 years old, presenting concerns such as excessive worry, persistent low mood, work-related stress and challenges from family relationships. These outcomes suggest that the eStorya project has been effective in providing support to individuals who need someone to talk to, both nationwide and outside of the Philippines

The eStorya project has now ended. Registration will now be closed. Until the next eStorya, take care and remember ALL IS WELL.

Last March 24, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research (XCHMR), together with the faculty members of the ...
28/03/2026

Last March 24, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research (XCHMR), together with the faculty members of the Department of Psychology at Xavier University โ€“ Ateneo de Cagayan, successfully conducted an assessment for 60 kindergarten pupils at City Central School.

This meaningful initiative reflects our shared commitment to supporting childrenโ€™s early development and well-being through psychological assessment and educational collaboration. By working closely with young learners at this crucial stage, we aim to better understand their developmental needs and help create a stronger foundation for their growth, learning, and future success.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to City Central School for welcoming us and allowing us to be part of this valuable endeavor in promoting child development and mental health awareness within the community. ๐Ÿ’™โœจ

Hereโ€™s a look back at our virtual orientation held last March 20 for the Xavier Center for Mental Health Research (XCMHR...
28/03/2026

Hereโ€™s a look back at our virtual orientation held last March 20 for the Xavier Center for Mental Health Research (XCMHR) graduate student interns at Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan. Led by XCMHR Director Luel Pilayre-Contreras, the team gathered to prepare for the administration of cognitive ability measures. This assessment was carefully prepared for the aspiring Grade 1 Science class applicants of City Central School here in Cagayan de Oro City.

A special thank you to our lead psychometricians for this project, Ma'am Ann and Ma'am Esther, for joining the meeting to ensure our interns were fully equipped and confident for the successful test administration. We are proud of our interns' dedication to quality psychological assessment! ๐Ÿ“‹โœจ

On March 5, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research, together with XU Social Development, successfully he...
09/03/2026

On March 5, 2026, the Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research, together with XU Social Development, successfully held โ€œLaag Konsulta,โ€ a meaningful community outreach at the El Gaucho community as part of SD Week. During the activity, XCMHR nurtured hope and resilience by conducting mental health awareness sessions for children through expressive art therapy, empowering them to recognize their feelings, tell their stories, and envision a brighter future.


No obstacle can stand in the way of helping others when the heart is willing to extend grace to those who need it the mo...
04/03/2026

No obstacle can stand in the way of helping others when the heart is willing to extend grace to those who need it the most.

The XCMHR Interns are fully prepared and ready to serve the people in the community. All tokens are set for the Laag Konsulta event on March 5, 2026, at El Gaucho, Upper Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City.

XCMHR Director Luel Mae Pilayre-Contreras conducted the final briefing and issued key instructions for the kick-off even...
04/03/2026

XCMHR Director Luel Mae Pilayre-Contreras conducted the final briefing and issued key instructions for the kick-off event of "Laag Konsulta" happening on March 5, 2026 in celebration of Xavier University Social Development (SD) Week 2026. The MA Psychology Graduate Studies Interns of Xavier Center for Mental Health and Research (XCMHR) will lead the provision of mental health consultations and the facilitation of psychosocial activities together with our standby Psychologists Luel Mae Pilayre-Contreras, PhD, RPsy and Dorothy Zoe Drilon, MA, RPsy at the El Gaucho, Upper Puerto, Cagayan de Oro City.

๐‘น๐’†๐’”๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’„๐’‰ ๐’”๐’‰๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’๐’๐’• ๐’”๐’•๐’‚๐’š ๐’๐’ ๐’‘๐’‚๐’‘๐’†๐’“. ๐‘ฐ๐’• ๐’”๐’‰๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’„๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’•๐’† ๐’„๐’‰๐’‚๐’๐’ˆ๐’† ๐’˜๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’† ๐’Š๐’• ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’•๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’” ๐’Ž๐’๐’”๐’•. Today, the XCMHR Director, along with ...
03/03/2026

๐‘น๐’†๐’”๐’†๐’‚๐’“๐’„๐’‰ ๐’”๐’‰๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’๐’๐’• ๐’”๐’•๐’‚๐’š ๐’๐’ ๐’‘๐’‚๐’‘๐’†๐’“. ๐‘ฐ๐’• ๐’”๐’‰๐’๐’–๐’๐’… ๐’„๐’“๐’†๐’‚๐’•๐’† ๐’„๐’‰๐’‚๐’๐’ˆ๐’† ๐’˜๐’‰๐’†๐’“๐’† ๐’Š๐’• ๐’Ž๐’‚๐’•๐’•๐’†๐’“๐’” ๐’Ž๐’๐’”๐’•.

Today, the XCMHR Director, along with the lead graduate student interns of XCMHR had a meaningful exploratory meeting with researchers Ms. Amie I. Jacobe and Ms. Amelia Luz A. Agbayani, regarding the key findings from their study on resilience, bullying, emotional regulation, and perceived social support, opening important conversations about the real experiences of young learners.

This meeting marks the beginning of crafting a ๐˜€๐˜‚๐˜€๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ฒ, ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ-๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ฝ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—บ anchored in enhancing the ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ผ-๐—ฒ๐—บ๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด among teachers and students alike paving way for a more supportive learning environment.

We are grateful for the openness and collaboration of our researchers. Together, we move from research to actionโ€”toward lasting impact. ๐Ÿ’™

Address

Xavier University/Ateneo De Cagayan
Cagayan De Oro
9000

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm
Saturday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

+639510811110

Website

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