Who is Courtney Snyder Elhardt, M.S., M.A.?
Courtney Snyder Elhardt, M.S., M.A.
Founder, Elhardt Family Wellness
Director of Therapeutic Child & Family Services
Courtney Snyder Elhardt is a child development specialist, psychoeducator, and licensed Resident in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with over 20 years of experience supporting children and families. Her diverse professional background includes teaching; running SEL programs for at-risk youth in Washington, DC; working at a children’s home in South Korea; and providing trauma-informed counseling in community settings. She is also a biological, adoptive, and foster parent, offering a deeply informed and compassionate perspective.
Courtney holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a Master of Science in Child and Adolescent Developmental Psychology, and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This combination of advanced education and real-world experience allows her to provide personalized guidance to families navigating behavioral, developmental, and emotional challenges.
Through Elhardt Family Wellness, Courtney offers trauma-informed parent coaching, emotional literacy resources for young children, and psychoeducational support for foster and adoptive families. She also leads workshops and professional trainings for caregivers, educators, hospitals, and foster care agencies on topics such as trauma, attachment, emotional regulation, and resilience-building.
Courtney’s greatest passion is helping families move from chaos and confusion toward clarity and connection. She believes healing happens in the context of safe, nurturing relationships—and she is dedicated to equipping caregivers with the insight and tools they need to foster lasting change.
In 2026, Elhardt Family Wellness will expand to offer independent counseling services as Courtney completes licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
When she's not teaching or working with families, Courtney enjoys spending time with her husband and ten children, baking cupcakes, and walking through the quiet beauty of Virginia’s wooded trails.
What we offer
🌿 What We Offer at Elhardt Family Wellness
🧠 Trainings & Psychoeducation on Trauma, Attachment, and Abuse
🧠 Trainings & Psychoeducation on Trauma, Attachment, and Abuse
At Elhardt Family Wellness, we walk alongside families navigating trauma, attachment, and emotional growth. Our services are designed to support healing, deepen connection, and bring clarity to even the toughest parenting moments.
Here’s how we can help:
- Trauma-Informed Parenting Support
Compassionate, practical tools for parenting kids from hard places — without shame, fear, or burnout.
- Emotional Literacy Tools for Children
Developmentally appropriate printables, games, and guides to help kids name, express, and manage big feelings.
- Foster & Adoptive Family Guidance
Real-world support from someone who’s lived it — tailored help for the unique challenges of foster and adoptive parenting.
- Behavior & Attachment Consultations
Get to the root of tough behaviors with insight grounded in brain science, trauma theory, and attachment needs.
- Psychoeducation & Parent Coaching
One-on-one or group support that empowers caregivers to better understand trauma, regulation, and child development.
- Therapeutic Resources & Workshops
Printable tools and in-person or virtual trainings to help families, educators, and professionals grow together.
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum
Fun, research-backed SEL resources designed especially for preschool and early elementary learners.
- Child Development Expertise & Strategy
Custom strategies that meet your child where they are — not where the textbook says they “should” be.
🧠 Trainings & Psychoeducation on Trauma, Attachment, and Abuse
🧠 Trainings & Psychoeducation on Trauma, Attachment, and Abuse
🧠 Trainings & Psychoeducation on Trauma, Attachment, and Abuse
Looking to bring trauma-informed insight to your organization?
We offer customized trainings and psychoeducational workshops on topics such as:
- Childhood trauma & healing
- Attachment challenges in foster and adoptive families
- Understanding and responding to sexual abuse
- Regulation strategies and relationship-based interventions
Our trainings are engaging, practical, and grounded in real-world experience.
Whether you're supporting children in a foster care agency, hospital, school, church, or another care setting, we tailor each session to your team’s unique needs.
Let’s work together to create safer, more supportive environments for kids and families.
📩 To inquire about availability or book a training, please email:
🤝 Parent Coaching That Supports You and Your Child
🧠 Trainings & Psychoeducation on Trauma, Attachment, and Abuse
🤝 Parent Coaching That Supports You and Your Child
Parenting a child with a trauma history takes more than love — it takes insight, tools, and support.
At Elhardt Family Wellness, we walk alongside all parents -- including foster, adoptive, and step-parents -- who want to parent with intention, insight, and heart.to help you build the kind of connection that heals.
Our coaching sessions are personalized, practical, and grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience.
We help parents:
- Strengthen communication and attachment with their child
- Understand psychological development and support social-emotional growth
- Learn how trauma impacts behavior — and how to respond with empathy and structure
- Identify parenting goals, build boundaries, and maintain consistency in the home
- Use calm, effective discipline — no yelling, threatening, or physical punishment
- Develop emotional regulation and coping tools for themselves
- Navigate the foster care system and access the resources they need
Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, unsure, or just want to grow your toolbox, we’re here to help you show up for your child with confidence and compassion.
👨👩👧👦 Family Relationship Coaching
🤝 Parent Coaching That Supports You and Your Child
Because healing happens in relationship.
Our Family Relationship Coaching supports caregivers in creating safe, connected, and emotionally healthy homes. Whether you're navigating behavior challenges, power struggles, or generational patterns, we provide guidance that is both practical and deeply rooted in attachment and trauma-informed care.
We help parents:
- Build stronger communication and connection with their child
- Identify parenting goals, create healthy boundaries, and stay consistent
- Use calm, effective discipline — no yelling, threats, or physical punishment
- Understand child development and support social-emotional growth
- Break unhelpful patterns from their own upbringing
- Learn to regulate their emotions and develop healthier coping tools
These sessions are ideal for all parents (including foster, adoptive, and step- parents) who want to parent with intention, insight, and heart.
🧠 Growth Mindset & Social Skills Sessions
🧠 Growth Mindset & Social Skills Sessions
Helping kids believe in their own ability to grow.
Through one-on-one sessions, children learn how their brains are capable of change — and how their choices and attitudes can shape their future. Even young children can grasp the basics of neuroplasticity and begin applying a growth mindset in everyday life.
Using real-life scenarios and fun, developmentally appropriate tools, we help children:
- Understand what it means to “grow their brain”
- Build resilience and flexible thinking
- Practice social-emotional skills through play and guided reflection
- Learn how to respond to challenges with confidence and problem-solving
These sessions are ideal for children who struggle with frustration, self-doubt, or social challenges — and for families who want to empower their kids with lifelong tools for success.