Mary DuParri
Mary DuParri is a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor in private practice in Chesterfield, MO . She counsels individuals, couples and families to help them build the emotional strength and assertiveness to live more authentically. Mary provides therapy for major life issues such as depression, anxiety, divorce, relationship and family crisis. She also helps with fine-tuning life’s smaller issues to improve communication and connection. Mary has spent a lifetime in “helping professions.” Starting in the healthcare field as a clinical microbiologist, she is now a counselor, consultant, group facilitator, speaker and businesswoman. Her warmth, humor and connection to others combined with her psychological training and communication skills help people identify and work toward improved relationships and more satisfying lives.
Mary holds a Master's Degree in Counseling from Webster University, St. Louis, MO. and an undergraduate degree in Medical Technology from the University Of St. Francis, Joliet, IL. Mary has been in private practice in west St. Louis County since 1992. She has presented over 100 seminars and classes on Self-Esteem, Assertiveness, Communication, Parenting, Women’s Issues and other topics for the St. Louis Community College, Working Women’s Survival Show, Parents As Teachers, The Gateway National Multiple Sclerosis Society and other local organizations. Mary mixes stories, humor and practical tools to give her audiences an enjoyable focus for learning.
Mary writes Authentic Living, a newsletter containing tips on personal growth, family issues and emotional health. Her newsletters have appeared in The Counseling Corner, People First of Missouri and MS Connection. Mary serves on the Clinical Advisory Committee for The Gateway National Multiple Sclerosis Society, is an instructor in the community education program for St. Louis Community College at Meramec, is a volunteer for the Rockwood School District Partners In Education program and is a member of the Internal Family Systems Association.
Articles by this Author
Assertiveness Is More Than Learning Skills
- By Mary DuParri
- Published July 25, 2007
- General Themes
- Unrated
Many of us who label ourselves as lacking in assertiveness skills, tend to misunderstand what being assertive really means. Each semester, when I teach a class on assertiveness, I am reminded how many of us confuse assertiveness with the bossy, demanding, sometimes angry behavior that is actually a hallmark of aggression. If we think such antagonistic behavior defines assertiveness, it is no wonder that so many of us prefer to remain silent. Rather than being perceived as selfish, overbearing or unreasonable, we keep our opinions to ourselves. We are reluctant to tell people when we have a schedule conflict. We hesitate to voice our preference for a movie we want to see or a restaurant we want to visit. We fail to tell people when they delight us and we fail to tell them when they have overlooked or offended us. Our relationships, therefore, stay distant or lukewarm and we feel not only overlooked and offended, but probably resentful or angry. Although we feel frustrated and misunderstood, we blame ourselves for not being assertive and internally berate ourselves for not standing up for our values or wants. We want to be more assertive, but we fear being selfish bullies.
How Can I Get You To Trust Me Again?
- By Mary DuParri
- Published July 25, 2007
- Relationships
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Rating:
Anyone who has experienced a breach of trust knows the pain and confusion of trying to rebuild it. Many couples and families have experienced situations in their lives that lead to the loss of trust in someone. It can be a fairly minor incident, like a teen being late for a few too many curfews, or it can be major, like an infidelity in a relationship. The person who lied feels they can never do enough to be trusted again. The one who was lied to feels they would be foolish to become too accepting, too soon. Here are some guidelines that can help in rebuilding trust:
Parts of Self Are Really Trying to Help
- By Mary DuParri
- Published January 14, 2007
- General Themes
- Unrated
Are there parts of yourself that you do not like? Do you sometimes wish that you did not have an angry part or a shy part or some other part that gets in the way of you being who you want to be? Do you feel, at times, that you have been hijacked by your emotions or that you are reacting to things in extreme ways that do not reflect who you really are?
On Being Mr. Miyagi
- By Mary DuParri
- Published January 14, 2007
- Spirituality and Religion
- Unrated
On my journey to finding my truer self, I keep having thoughts about Mr. Miyagi. He is the character from the movie Karate Kid; the Sensei or master who is ostensibly training his student in karate skills, but is really training him in life skills and wisdom. What draws me so about Mr. Miyagi is the richness of his life. In Karate Kid, we eavesdrop on a man who seems to be strongly connected to his inner self.
