Our Staff

Julie Ross, M.A.

Julie Ross is the Executive Director of Parenting Horizons, an organization devoted to enriching children's lives through parent and teacher education. She holds an M.A. in Psychology from New York University. She is the author of How to Hug a Porcupine: Negotiating the Prickly Points of the Tween Years, in which she offers tangible techniques for optimal parent to Tween communication. This popular book was listed as one of The Only 20 Parenting Books Worth Your Time by New York Magazine. Other books include Practical Parenting for the 21st Century: The Manual You Wish Had Come with Your Child, Joint Custody with a Jerk: Raising a Child with an Uncooperative Ex, and Now What Do I Do? : A Guide to Raising Elementary Aged Children. Ms. Ross has led parenting workshops nationwide. In New York City, she frequently works with Parents in Action, The Parent's League, The Board of Jewish Education, the NYC Public School system, and several NYC private schools. Keynote speeches include the Los Angeles County Bar Association, the Long Beach Superior Court and the Oregon State Bar Association's Annual Convention. Workshops include the National Symposium of the Family Therapy Networker. Her work can be found in Working Mother, Good Housekeeping, New York Family Magazine, and Real Simple, among other national publications. Ms. Ross has appeared on the Today Show, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Montel Williams show, NPR: Weekend America, Good Day New York, and Oprah and Friends Radio's "Meet the Peetes." Julie Ross is currently a member of the American Counseling Association, and runs ongoing parent workshops and support groups.

Jill Holmes M.S.

Jill A. Holmes, M.S, holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and earned a Master of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College in Manhattan.  An educator at both the preschool and elementary school levels, Jill taught in various public and private schools in New York City, including The Brearley School.  In addition, she was an admissions evaluator for both The Brearley School and Avenues.  Jill has been training with Julie Ross for over ten years in both her workshops and advanced groups.  She currently resides in Larchmont, New York with her husband and two children.

Elyssa Ackerman, LCSW, CPC

Elyssa Ackerman, LCSW, CPC (Certified Professional Coach) Elyssa's 20+ year career as a social worker spans services to individuals, couples, families and groups in schools, clinics and hospitals with a specialty in tweens to young adults. Elyssa's coaching credential coupled with her clinical background offers an action oriented approach.  Elyssa is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, a Parenting Journey Facilitator and a volunteer offering parenting classes at Year Up, a national non-profit dedicated to closing the opportunity divide.  Elyssa offers workshops annually at Brooklyn Technical High School to provide parent education on the social and emotional aspects of raising tweens and teens.