Press & News

In Gilroy, troubled young Latinas in therapy embrace ancient Mexican wisdom

Nancy Villagran and her mother weren’t getting along, but that wasn’t the worst of it.

I was running away from home, said the petite 14-year-old Mexican-American from Gilroy. My mother and father weren’t getting along, and I had depression.’’

She’s back home now, and the whole family is in therapy, thanks to a special research project that introduces troubled young Latinas to the culture and wisdom of their Mexican ancestors. The thinking behind the approach is that the girls’ personal foundations have been shattered or were weak all along and the best way to build moral strength and pride is by connecting them to the philosophical and spiritual teachings of ancient Mexico.

This is part of their ethnic identity, said Rosalva Vargas, a therapist at Rebekah Children’s Services in Gilroy. It gives them strength to know they come from people who built great pyramids and civilizations. According to Vargas, who holds a doctorate in child social development, a lot of mental health programs preach cultural relevance but don’t actually use culture in treatment. So she and colleague Randall Ramirez designed a treatment program with hefty doses of Mexican culture.

Since it began three years ago, Vargas and Ramirez have enrolled about two dozen girls. They’re working with girls first, Ramirez said, because they tend to be more open to examining personal identity. If the project shows good results, the therapists will add boys.

Some of the girls were physically or mentally abused or abandoned at an early age. Some witnessed fathers beat their mothers. Some took to drinking, drugs or both. Others are confused about their sexuality. Some had joined gangs. Most of them suffer from depression or acute anxiety.

In addition to talk therapy, the girls go on field trips where they can meet people like Luis Gova.

At 63, Gova is a semiretired classical music teacher whose lifelong passion has been studying the history and philosophy of pre-Columbian Mexico. He runs the Inter Americas Center, a small museum and library crammed into a former racquetball center at San Jose City College.

Gova is one of a handful of elders in California baptized by Mayan priests, but he doesn’t belong to any one church or religion.

After giving the girls a whirlwind tour of the museum recently, he gave them a quick introduction to Aztec philosophy, touching on the ideas that might appeal to troubled teenagers.

For example, he held up a paper with In Ixtli, In Yollotl in large type.

The Aztecs believed that when you have acquired wisdom and peace, your face will reflect it. That’s what this says in Nahuatl, their language. Elaborating a bit, he added that kindness, helpfulness and wisdom are often gained through pain and suffering.

Your heart should be as hard as a rock and as soft as a flower.

As they left, Nancy and the other girls said they found Gova’s words poetic and inspiring. Most of what they had learned at school about the Aztecs, they said, centered on human sacrifice.

Ramirez said Nancy and most of the girls previously found it difficult to communicate with their parents, teachers and sometimes even their therapists. If the girls could connect with elders like Gova through a common heritage, then they might regain the trust and respect of their parents.

The elders are a bridge back to the parents, Ramirez said. There’s really no difference between them. The goal is to get back to a normal relationship.

In Nancy’s case, that would be with her mother, father and brother. Each family member is being treated individually by a Rebekah counselor using the same cultural approach. The former runaway said it’s working for them.

One of the things I’ve learned is that people love you, Nancy said, even when they say they don’t.

A week after the Gova visit, Vargas had the girls build a Day of the Dead altar at the Rebekah campus. While some of them worked enthusiastically, a few looked bored as Vargas explained the ritual.

The ancients believed that the spirits of their ancestors returned to Earth each Nov. 1 and 2, and should be honored with offerings of their favorite foods placed on altars adorned with marigolds and candles. Some of the girls added photos of their late grandparents.

After they decorated the altar, Vargas got them talking about their lost loved ones, and that’s when the girls opened up and the tears flowed. Building the altar had become a lesson in dealing with loss and grief.

As our indigenous ancestors would say, death is not the end, Vargas told them. We can still connect to them, pray to them, talk to them with our hearts and become strong again.

A few days later, Tania Avila and Mayra Canela, both 17, said the session had helped them come to terms with the guilt and depression after losing a grandparent.

In Tania’s case, her grandfather, Jose Avila, was the family’s peacemaker.

When he died the family began to break apart, she said.

After his death, she ran away from home and school for three days. An older sister was already in therapy at Rebekah, so Tania followed and joined Vargas and Ramirez’s initial group. Her relationship with her grandmother, who is raising her, is now better.

I used to yell and scream and cuss at her,’’ Tania said. Now she’s seen the improvement in me. I see her as an elder.

Mayra, who suffers from depression, has been in therapy since August.

In a recurring dream, Mayra’s late grandmother kept trying to tell her something but the girl couldn’t make it out. Her depression deepened.

Even though her mother had told Mayra that her grandmother was trying to say goodbye in the dream, the therapy session reinforced the interpretation. So far, Mayra said, the new brand of therapy is working for her.

I know about my people, where I come from,’’ she said. Your self-esteem grows."

You can contact Joe Rodriguez at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Los Gatos couple, children's group claim special United Way awards

By Chris Vongsarath
Campbell Reporter
Posted: 09/16/2009

A Silicon Valley couple and a children's support organization were recently recognized for their outstanding contributions to the local chapter of the United Way.
Michael and Susan Eckhardt of Los Gatos were handed the Philanthropist of the Year Award for their annual contributions at a reception on Sept. 9, and Rebekah Children's Services — with offices in Gilroy and Campbell — earned the Partner Agency Excellence Award.

The Eckhardts have been donating to the United Way for nearly 20 years, earning membership into the Tocqueville Society in 2003 for their annual contributions of more than $10,000.

A partner in charity

News briefs: Local charity wins United Way award
Sep 15, 2009
By Dispatch Staff

United Way Silicon Valley awarded Gilroy nonprofit Rebekah Children's Services with its Partner Agency Excellence Award. Rebekah Children's Services offers children with severe emotional, mental or behavioral issues and their families a wide range of services. Last year, the United Way invested in an agency program that helps parents and adult caregivers more effectively support their children's development, including children with challenging behaviors and special needs. The agency provided weekly family workshops in English and Spanish, which included two hours of curriculum-based instruction for parents that focused on developing effective parenting skills. As a result of the program, more than 95 percent of participants were more confident in their parenting skills, better able to establish rules for their children, and better prepared to help their children in school, according to the United Way. Details: www.uwsv.org

Brother, can I spare a dime?

Sep 28, 2009
By Sara Suddes

Even in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, Gilroyans are giving up their own comforts to meet the needs of the less fortunate.
The amount donated might be down, but the desire to give is stronger than ever, local and national organizations reported. A recent survey of the Dispatch's digest section revealed a weekend crowded with fundraisers and charity events to benefit various local nonprofits. And even though do-gooders might not be able to give as generously as they'd like, they're turning out in droves, offering their time and resources to help others.