Founder

Mariola Strahlberg received a Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science from Columbia University in 1976 and pursued a successful career of 25 years in the corporate computer field at Bell Laboratories and Telecom Italia.

She earned her Master’s of Science in Acupuncture with honors from Tri State College of Acupuncture in June, 1999. She has been in private family practice (Shining Mountain Acupuncture, LLC) in Rockland County, NY since then. Mariola is also a Certified Enzyme Nutrition™ Therapist, licensed Brain Gym® Consultant/Instructor and is certified in Color Acu-Light Therapy (Colorpuncture™). She also has extensive training in the application of therapeutic grade essential oils and tuning forks in Oriental Medicine.

While raising her daughter, Mariola witnessed the struggles many children had at school and she embarked on a search for natural modalities to help them. She dreamed of starting a center where helping children achieve their highest potential would be implemented in a loving and constructive way. Mariola founded Shining Mountain Children’s Center in March 2004. Subsequently, she opened Shining Mountain Center for Peaceful Childhood, Inc., a not-for-profit company in 2007 in order to provide scholarships to children who could otherwise not attend the program.

When Mariola works with children and their families, she takes her time observing and processing until she understands not only with her head but with her heart. At Shining Mountain, each child is approached individually: deficits and difficulties are noted while strengths are encouraged and developed. Mariola uses a comprehensive, integrated approach which allows children to notice visible progress in a matter of weeks while the parents benefit from learning what makes their children succeed in various areas of their lives.

Mariola is grateful to her key teachers: Kiiko Matsumoto (Japanese Acupuncture), Manohar Croke and Dr. Akhila Bourne (Dr. Peter Mandel’s Colorpunture™), Dr. Paul Dennison and Gail Dennison (Brain Gym®), Dr. Svetlana Masgutova (Reflex Integration), Dr. Donna Carey (Acutonics®), Dr. Gary Young (Young Living Essential Oils) and many, many other wonderful teachers.

Over the years, she has met many children and their parents and she listened, observed, wondered and played. What manifested in her work is guided by the spirit of Drs. Janusz Korczak, Rudolf Steiner and Georg Kuhlewind.