July 2026 Newsletter

Hello ELS Family,

Happy Friday! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far and staying cool! My AC died last week, so my holiday weekend was a HOT one! Thankfully, someone came yesterday to fix it. (Whew!!!) I did not realize how much heat could mess with your circadian rhythm! Grounding exercises and mindful breathing were really useful for keeping me cool and helping me wind down for bed each night. I also learned about a handy dandy acupressure point at the outer crease of your elbow that helps release excess heat from the body. It can also lower blood pressure and calm the nervous system, I will definitely introduce it to my children when they are stressed. Try it for yourself or with your kiddos and let me know if it works! (Click the graphic for more info.)

RESOURCES

I recently wrote an article, 10 “Good” Habits That Can Quietly Hold Your Child Back from Whole-Child Learning. I hope you find it helpful, and please feel free to share your thoughts!

There are tons of programs for families around the DMV, but I wanted to share these three with you. I know each of the practitioners personally and highly respect each one of them professionally. Each of these programs caters to a unique need and is well run too.

The Mental Wellness Check by Montgomery County Counseling Center

The Mental Wellness Check is designed to be the mental health equivalent of an annual physical: a one-time appointment that takes a preventative approach to mental health by helping you better understand your or your child's emotional well-being, identify strengths and areas for growth, and receive personalized recommendations for next steps. It's intended for individuals and families who want a professional perspective without committing to ongoing therapy. Families receive a written summary with practical recommendations tailored to their unique needs, helping them make informed decisions about future supports and services.

To learn more about the Mental Wellness Check, visit https://mccounselingcenter.com/mental-wellness-check/. You can also read this recent MoCoShow article explaining the concept and why this type of preventative mental health care matters: https://mocoshow.com/2026/06/08/the-mental-health-version-of-an-annual-physical-is-here-mon2/

This is the mental-health equivalent of The Whole Child Collective's Whole-Child Audit, and Shari and I love the program so much that we secured a discount for our clients!

Gifted and Distractible Course and Community (for parents of twice-exceptional children)

This in-depth course, run by Julie Skolnick, provides 5 hours of bite-sized webinars you can watch or listen to while you drive to work, walk the dog, or do laundry! The course also includes 6 hours of in-person support with Julie, via Zoom, plus a community of parents learning and supporting one another. The course is based on Julie's award-winning book, Gifted and Distractible — so if you've read it, this is your next step. She runs the course three times each year and her last session just ended, however, registration to the next round will be opening soon. Learn more and register here.

Mom's Morning Reset Workshop

This is an active, three-hour in-person workshop that includes: yoga, stretching, nervous system regulation tools, somatic and breathing exercises, as well as thoughtful conversation with other moms to help you build community, feel more present, regulated, and refreshed.

Participants will receive a workbook with tangible exercises to utilize at home after the workshop. As an added bonus, on-site childcare will be offered during the workshop (for an additional fee)!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Info@PRNcounseling.com

Personalized Resources

Are you interested in resources that specifically fit your needs or do you have questions you would like answered?

Fill out our “Ask the Coaches” Google form and I will anonymously respond with what you’re looking for in my ELS social media feeds (Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn). I use these accounts to provide free support and resources to the community and am happy to tailor my posts to provide the specific information individuals need.

That's all for now.