PAU Alumna Dr. Jeannie Celestial: Breaking Stigmas and Building Community in Mental Health

New connections can have a lasting impact in unforeseen ways and that has certainly been the case for Jeannie Celestial, PhD ’15. After earning her LCSW and practicing as a master’s level therapist for seven years, Jeannie decided she wanted more expertise in neuropsychology. Having met current PAU professor, Dr. Rowena Gomez, during their undergraduate days at UC Berkeley Jeannie was able to reach out and learn more about the PhD program before deciding to apply. 

Dr. Celestial initially became interested in a career in mental health because she saw a lack of resources for Filipino Americans in the field. Growing up during the 80’s, Jeannie took note of the deep stigmatization of seeking therapy and considering psychotropic medications in the Filipino American community. Her work has been devoted to breaking down this stigma by providing resources, mentorship, and culturally responsive services especially to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. 

Providing help to others is a core value for Dr. Celestial, as she also received guidance and support from elders and peers along her journey. She cites the mentorship of former PAU professor and a founder of the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA), the late Dr. Stanley Sue, as a profoundly important part of her life. In addition to sharing his wisdom, Dr. Sue also recommended Jeannie for the APA Minority Fellowship Program, a prestigious training program focused on increasing the cadre of culturally competent clinicians in the U.S. Her acceptance into this program not only funded one year of her schooling, but also introduced her to a larger network of practitioner-scholars supporting underserved populations.

The impact of her community and this program can still be seen today, as Dr. Celestial was selected by the Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) in October 2024 to receive the 2024 Edwin J. Nichols Cultural and Diversity Grant in recognition of her work with Asian American communities. Dr. Nichols will be on hand to  present at the AAPA Convention in Atlanta, Georgia on October 4, 2024 to bestow the eponymous award to Dr. Celestial. Distinguished professor and co-founder of the AAPA, Dr. Derald Wing Sue will also be at the AAPA Convention Banquet in part to honor his late brother Stanley. Dr. Celestial’s scholarly work includes co-editing and co-authoring a textbook, Clinical Interventions for Internalized Oppression, and a bestselling cookbook, The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook, which recently received acclaim in Food & Wine. Jeannie’s work includes co-authoring a textbook, Clinical Interventions for Internalized Oppression, and a cookbook, The Filipino Instant Pot Cookbook, which received acclaim in Food & Wine. 

Asked about what advice she may offer to current PAU students and early professionals, Jeannie immediately recalled the insights of Dr. Leny Strobel, a pioneer in decolonization and re-indigenization. Dr. Strobel urged Jeannie to build trust with partnership communities through presence, service, and advocacy. In Dr. Celestial’s dissertation work, this meant avoiding the trap of swooping in to collect data and then vanishing. This advice brought her to volunteer work within the Filipino American community in San Francisco, and eventually to her role as one of the founding leaders of the Filipino American Mental Health Initiative of San Francisco. As her mentors emphasized to her, she hopes new clinicians be rooted in service and justice. 

As a special feature for the PAU community, Dr. Celestial has shared her recipe for Ginataang Mais (Sweet Corn Porridge)! Jeannie says that this 10 minute dish, “can be served as a snack or as a dessert. It’s a simple, sweet rice porridge suffused with coconut milk and corn. Like ginataang bilo-bilo, this dish can be served hot or cold, though my tummy has always enjoyed it warm. Depending on how much time you have to prepare it, you can use fresh, frozen, canned, or roasted corn. Also, you can play around with different types of rice or toppings.”

Ginataang Mais (Sweet Corn Porridge

Serves 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Active Time: 2 minutes

Pressure Cook Time: 3 minutes 

Release: Natural + Quick

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup water

1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn with liquid 

3/4 cup glutinous rice

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk

1/4 cup white sugar

Sea salt

Toppings (optional):

Mango

Toasted shredded coconut

Toasted rice crispies

Brown sugar

Condensed milk

Chia seeds

Sesame seeds

Sliced almonds

Instructions:

1. In the inner pot, place water and corn with liquid.
2. In a small strainer, rinse the rice under the kitchen faucet. Do not soak the rice.
3. Add the rice immediately to inner pot. Stir gently until all ingredients are combined.
4. Turn and lock the lid into place, making sure the steam-release valve is in sealed position. Select Manual and program for 3 minutes on High Pressure. When cooking is complete, release pressure naturally for 10 minutes then manually release remaining pressure. 
5. Unlock and carefully remove the lid. Add coconut milk and sugar. Select Sauté and stir constantly for 2 minutes as porridge thickens. Turn off Instant Pot.
6. Serve in small bowls and add toppings as you desire. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste.

Tips: 

You may grill 2-3 cobs of corn or use a torch to char the kernels. Carefully cut the kernels off the cob and add in Step 1 along with ⅔ cup water. The corn will cook thoroughly in the Instant Pot, so there’s no need to fully cook it on the grill. The charred kernels will add a roasted flavor to the dish. 

We cut the sugar amount to 50% of traditional recipes, so add more sugar to your taste.

Learn more about Jeannie at drcelestial.com.