Dr. Kat Besas

Sala Talks with Dr. Kat Besas

Society EN ↓ 6 episodes

Welcome to Sala Talks — a storytelling podcast exploring identity, ambition, healing, faith and creative becoming through a first-generation immigrant lens. Hosted by Dr. Kat Besas, a Filipina-American Doctor of Nursing Practice, speaker, storyteller, and creative exploring what it means to build a life beyond survival. Through vulnerable solo episodes and heartfelt conversations, we unpack bicultural identity, mental health, therapy, family dynamics, creativity, purpose, and personal growth. In many Filipino homes, the Sala is the living room — a space where stories are shared and people gath...

Author

Dr. Kat Besas

Episodes

Rebuilding Confidence After Grief, Loss, and Survival with Raquel Michel, FNP 09.07.2026 48:18

What happens when the woman who has spent years taking care of everyone else finally decides to choose herself too? In this episode of Sala Talks, I sit down with my longtime friend Raquel Michel — nurse practitioner, entrepreneur, mother, and Founder of Vida Wellness & Aesthetics. After 16 years in healthcare and navigating the emotional weight of the COVID pandemic, Raquel opens up about bur...

Education as The Immigrant Armor: Unpacking The Constant Pursuit for More 02.07.2026 8:18

Education became my armor. But what happens when achievement stops feeling fulfilling… and starts becoming the only way you know how to feel worthy? In this deeply personal solo episode of Sala Talks, I open up about the hidden emotional cost of being a first-generation immigrant daughter constantly chasing success. From growing up in the Philippines raised by my grandparents, to navigating bullyi...

Daisy De Anda on the First-Gen Blueprint to Success 25.06.2026 54:49

Welcome back to another episode of the Sala Talks Podcast — a space where we unpack identity, ambition, healing, and what it means to build a life beyond survival. 🤍 In today’s episode, I sit down with Daisy De Anda, Founder of Dayz & Co, for a powerful conversation about the first-generation experience, navigating professional spaces without a blueprint, and learning to redefine success on y...

Straddling Two Worlds: Not Filipino Enough, Not American Enough 18.06.2026 11:00

What happens when you grow up feeling like you don’t fully belong anywhere? In this deeply personal episode of Sala Talks, I share my story as a Filipino immigrant who came to America at 13 years old — caught between two cultures, two identities, and two versions of myself. From being bullied for speaking Bisaya, to struggling with internalized shame, people-pleasing, and identity confusion… this...

The Sala is Now Open 11.06.2026 6:46

Welcome to the very first episode of Sala Talks. 🤍 In this introductory episode, I share the story behind why I started this podcast, the meaning of the “sala” in Filipino culture, and the journey that led me here. For almost 15 years, nursing was the center of my identity. But this season of my life is about learning who I am outside of achievement, survival, productivity, and the roles I’ve alw...

Sala Talks Season 1 Official Trailer (2026) 28.05.2026 0:49

Sala Talks Season 1 Official Trailer (2026)— Scrubs to Studio: “Coming Home to Myself” Written, Produced, and Directed by: Dr. Kat Besas, DNP After being in nursing for almost 15 years, it was not until now that I fully gave myself permission to explore my creativity— and I have completely surprised myself in this process. I have found that “thing” that truly lights up my soul on fire and I hope t...