Mary Straub Pargas, M.A., Resident in Counseling

Biography

I specialize in the holistic mind-body approach to integrated therapeutic wellness for individuals and couples. With my 20 years of holistic training and advance certifications in yoga therapy, I believe in approaching counseling from an evidence-based mind, body, spirit perspective. I invite my clients to use gentle body movements, breath techniques, simple diet changes, health education, self-study, and meditation to support the counseling process. I specialize in working with women, college-age population, and issues of anxiety, trauma and chronic pain.

My experience includes working with stress, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, self-identity, relationships, emotional and mental balance, grief and loss, spirituality, sexuality, gender identity, career goals, body pain, digestive issues, and overall physical health.  I believe in the client center perspective, combining talk therapy with Yoga Therapy, Focused-Oriented Therapy, Somatic Healing and Biofeedback. I am passionate about facilitating groups, classes, intensive workshops and retreats for over 20 years.

My education, training and background include: Master’s in Counseling, Certified Yoga Therapist, Focused-Orientated Therapy, Biofeedback, Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Advanced Kundalini Yoga Certifications including Vitality/Stress and Mind/Meditation, Certified Pregnancy Yoga Instructor, 500 hours of Advanced Kundalini Vidya and Vedic Teachings, and Certifications in CranioSacral Therapy, Massage Therapy, Acupressure, Reiki and other Healing Modalities. I have degrees in Counseling, Applied Health Science, Education, Public Health and Biology.

I am a Resident in Counseling at Harrisonburg’s Center for Relational Health.

Summary Of Certifications and Memberships

Master of Arts in Counseling, Eastern Mennonite University

STAR- Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience, Level 1 (40 hour)

ASIST- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training

Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy, Basic Training (20 hour)

Mid-Atlantic Biofeedback and Behavior Medicine Society- Member and Scholarship Recipient

Certified Integrative Yoga Therapist (RYT 500)

Certified Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Instructor (200 hour)

Advanced Yoga Certifications in Vitality and Stress, Mind and Meditation (120 hour)

Self-Illumination Therapy Training Intensive, Advanced Kundalini Science (500 hour)

Certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor (80 hour)

Certifications in Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Massage Therapy, Acupressure, and Reiki

Specialty Areas

  • Mind-Body Integrative Counseling
  • Holistic Health
  • Stress, Anxiety, Panic Attacks
  • Personal Growth
  • Women’s Issues
  • College Population
  • Yoga Therapy
  • Focus-Oriented Psychotherapy
  • Biofeedback

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

Rumi