Nicole is reclaiming her Filipino culture by learning the language. She is a PhD student in clinical psychology, and formed a racialized student group to build community and connection. She said it is important to be loud and celebrate all parts of your identity.
Nicole Tongol (she/they/siya) is a Filipina Canadian, a second-generation immigrant, and a settler on Treaty 1 territory. She is a clinical psychology PhD student at the University of Manitoba. She is passionate about immigrant family mental health and barriers to family well-being and service access, particularly within the Filipino/a/x community. Her current research aims to explore Filipino Manitoban family mental health needs, service utilization, and the co-development of a culturally specific resource using Sikolohiyang Pilipino methodology. Nicole finds great value in celebrating people’s identities. She is the founder of the first racialized graduate psychology student group at her university, the SPIRIT (Supporting Psychology Initiatives for Racialized Individuals and Trainees) group. She also co-founded the first Filipino graduate student group at her university (Pagsama: Filipino Graduate Students and Scholars in Manitoba). She enjoys serving her communities through volunteering and engaging with community organizations. She also aims to be an advocate for mental wellness for Filipino families in the diaspora. Outside of her work, Nicole enjoys playing with her cat, crocheting, music, video games, and spending time with her loved ones.
