Ernesto Vega 05/18/06
Title:
Drawn to Healing
Header:
From a simple exercise comes catharsis. From an act of reflection come tears. From drawing comes healing. And for LMU graduate Ernesto Vega [CFA '05], from compassion comes satisfaction.»
Feature:
As an art therapist for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, LMU graduate Ernesto Vega [CFA ’05] travels to various parishes to do his work. He counsels people from all walks of life -- from recent immigrants to substance abusers -- and has also taught art to preschoolers. In his current weekly session with adults, he asks participants to, for example, draw a picture of their hands. Then he asks each person to talk about his or her artwork – a prompt that usually leads to a discussion about their personal struggles.
"Sometimes people share painful stories, [like] when they crossed into the United States," Vega says. "And when that happens, people start crying. So the whole group becomes like a support group, and also a second family where they can express things."
Vega knows firsthand the hardships of an immigrant's journey. Born and raised in Mexico, he arrived in the United States when he was eighteen and labored alongside his parents in central California picking strawberries. When he improved his English skills and was ready to advance his education, he began visiting universities via the Internet. At lmu.edu, Vega discovered his calling: art therapy training offered by the Department of Marital and Family Therapy.
"I didn't know they existed, programs like that," Vega says. "But when I found it, it was like, ‘yeah, this is what I'm looking for, the combination of art and psychology.’ And I know that spirituality is [part of] the program."
In his work, Vega is both healer and educator. "I'm teaching them through the arts," he says, "and through classes on spirituality and psychology. I'm [also] teaching them strong communication skills."