Building foundational skills to last a lifetime.
Who:
Hello! I am Kristen Sudnik, a school psychologist who works with clients privately and independently. You can read more about my experience and training here.
What:
We help parents and their children thrive through evidence based coaching services. Our background in mental health, education and child development allows us to specialize in executive functioning coaching and life coaching.
Where:
Services are available virtually or in person, within your home or at a public location of your choosing. We provide therapeutic services in private schools as well.
Why:
School psychologists have extensive training in the fields of education and mental health. We have a deep understanding of the dynamics between school and home. We go beyond the basics by empowering young minds and encouraging young hearts. We are passionate about helping students succeed, and use research based strategies to make it happen!
When and How:
As of Fall 2023- Kristen is unfortunately unable to take on new clients at this time. If you’d like to receive an update once appointments reopen, please text or email your contact information to (773) 998-4123, or ksudnik@risethroughlearning.com. Thank you and we look forward to reconnecting!
Services
Executive Functioning Coaching
Does your child have difficulty with organization and sustaining attention?
Executive Functioning skills encompass our ability to focus, hold and work with information in our mind, pay attention to multiple streams of information at once, filter distractions, set goals and achieve them, revise plans and switch gears as needed. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, “Acquiring the early building blocks of these skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years. Their strength is critical to healthy development throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood.” Children with EF difficulties may have trouble paying attention, setting and working through goals, organizing materials and activities, remembering instructions, and controlling their emotions and actions.
We use research based tools to improve focus and attention, working memory, self-monitoring and regulation. Other areas of intervention may include setting up and maintaining a homework routine, organizing a backpack, binder and desk on a consistent basis, planning for long term assignments, learning test preparation strategies, and assisting with impulse control. If desired, we can stay in contact with your student’s teachers and educational team to provide recommendations, allow for the transfer of skills and monitor progress at school.
We aim to empower students by teaching them about their developing brains and how executive functioning plays a key role in our behavior. We go beyond the “basics” of organization and planning by teaching and practicing growth mindset, self-compassion and mindfulness. We understand that increased pressure at school often leads to increased emotional distress. We work with students to recognize and begin to change negative thought patterns. With a background in mental health, we are equipped to help students succeed.
Coaching is also available for adults who may struggle with attention, working memory, planning and organization. Check out Kristen’s recent blog about EF here. Please text or email us your contact information to receive updates when appointments reopen: (773) 998-4123; ksudnik@risethroughlearning.com
Life Coaching for Children, Teens and Young Adults
We help children and youth flourish in school, at home, and in life.
According to the 2016 Children’s Mental Health Report as quoted by the Child Mind Institute: “Mental health disorders are the most common health issues faced by our nation’s school-aged children. One in five children suffers from a mental health or learning disorder, and 80% of chronic mental disorders begin in childhood. There is an urgent need to identify the signs of these conditions early in life if children are to get the care and support they need to thrive.”
School psychologists are trained mental health interventionists. We use evidence based methods and provide compassionate coaching that promotes the well being of the whole person: mentally, physically, and emotionally. We embrace each student’s unique talents and resiliency, and aim to shine a light on those strengths. We recognize the positive outcomes that can result from short term coaching and mentoring.
Children and youth may benefit from our coaching services if they are struggling with increased stress, low self esteem, social and communication difficulties, handling their anger, understanding their emotions, having relationship difficulties, or if they require assistance with goal setting and following through.Children and teens can go through near constant ups and downs in their day to day interactions. Sometimes it is easier for a child or teen to speak with someone other than their parent or guardian about what they are dealing with.
All coaching services are provided by a licensed school psychologist as oppose to a clinical psychologist. Coaching services are meant to be short term, opposed to clinical therapy, which can be a much longer and more intensive process. You can read about the differences in our FAQ page. Coaching services can occur virtually, or in person at a location of your choosing. Please text or email us your contact information to receive updates when appointments reopen: (773) 998-4123; ksudnik@risethroughlearning.com
Meet Kristen, Founder
A graduate of DePaul University and passionate about social justice and spreading kindness, Kristen graduated at the top of her class and earned a degree in Psychology. She went on to earn an Education Specialist degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. With years of experience working with children from pre-K through high school, Kristen has practiced school psychology in Evanston, Cicero, Oak Park and Chicago Public Schools, where she has conducted over 500 psychoeducational evaluations. While working in public school settings for many years, Kristen continuously saw a gap between need and available resources for students and their families. Kristen’s desire to create easily accessible, comprehensive, and compassionate mental health and wellness services became the catalyst for the creation of Rise Through Learning. Her aspirations to assist children become kind, knowledgeable, and contributing members of society drives her work. Kristen’s intention is to support the whole child and family by addressing physical, mental, and social emotional needs in a positive and caring environment.
Kristen has received formal training in Coaching Classroom Management, Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training, Restorative Practices, Anger Coping, and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools. As a school psychologist, she maintained an individual and group counseling caseload, provided consultation to teachers, parents, and administration, and provided various academic and behavioral interventions. Kristen has been a member of her school’s PBIS team, Crisis team, and Behavioral Health team. Kristen is a certified life coach through Shft, where coaches are trained in evidence-based techniques and empirically-based human development theory. She has tutored with Sylvan and the Princeton Review, taught yoga and mindfulness for Mindful Practices, and has been a mentor and teacher for a myriad of organizations including Cabrini Green Tutoring, Jobs for Youth and America Reads. Kristen is a certified trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid. In her free time, she enjoys traveling the world, yoga, meditation and listening to live music.
Mission Statement
At Rise Through Learning, our goal is to provide access to comprehensive, transparent, and compassionate wellness services that promote the growth and well being of the whole person: mentally, physically, and emotionally. We aim to dispel myths and eliminate stigma surrounding mental health and special education. We view disabilities as having different abilities. We believe that all humans have the capacity to learn. Our goal is to work together to assist you reach your highest potential. This is completed through a strength based perspective, with an emphasis on evidence based practices. We embrace and encourage your unique talents and resiliency, and recognize that we were not meant to do this alone. We build on your strengths to help you rise through learning.
Testimonials
Kristen is extremely helpful in treating my child’s Selective Mutism (SM) at school. Selective Mutism is a rare and poorly understood symptom when someone cannot talk in certain circumstances, particularly at school. Children with SM are often lonely, alienated, bullied in school and even punished or exasperated by teachers and parents. Kristen worked with my child’s therapist and took over the treatment and care after my child’s therapist left. We cannot believe how much more suffering my child would have without her. She is passionate, deeply caring and loving with rigorous and up to date training as an exceptional psychologist. I simply cannot speak more highly for her work.
Kristen Sudnik and I worked together in a school setting with high need students and families. Kristen is one of the most empathetic individuals I have worked with in my fifteen years as a school social worker in the Chicago Public School systems. She is the largest advocate for those who often don’t have a voice and will go over and beyond to help others achieve their goals. She has a kind and positive energy that encourages others to do their best in their day to day activities. Our school was lucky to have her as the psychologist as she helped our students and families more than she knows with her work.
I had the pleasure of working along side Kristen Sudnik during the 2015-16 school year. She was our assigned CPS school psychologist. From the minute she stepped in the building it was clear that students came first. She was warm, inviting and passionate about helping students succeed. She developed relationships with students, families and staff quickly. Her professionalism was unmatched and she was incredibly thorough when giving recommendations and writing reports. On a personal level, Kristen is one of those people whose positivity is constantly shining through. I feel lucky to have worked beside her last year and hope our paths will cross again in the future!
Kristen is exceptional, both personally and professionally. She is extremely knowledgeable about the academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs of children and adolescents and also highly skilled in areas of assessment, consultation, counseling and restorative practices. She is a warm, thoughtful and competent psychologist who applies the utmost professionalism and integrity to her work.
There are many things I admire and enjoyed about working with Kristen but what really mattered to me was the way she treated our students. She truly loves and cares about each individual that she assists. Her compassion is immeasurable. This characteristic, in my honest opinion, makes all the difference.
After working with different school psychologists for my son, Kristen is one of the best school psychologists I have ever worked with. Not only does she show a lot of care and love to children but she is also well organized and always shows positive energy around kids and family members. She has a lot of experience in cognitive coaching. She is always passionate about helping other people and making a difference in children’s lives.
Kristen is the most professional, kind, caring and resourceful person we’ve met in her field. She is attentive to details and simply a delight. She always goes the extra mile to do research, answer / address our concerns and questions as well as follow up to ensure the treatment, advices or recommendations are to our satisfaction. I highly recommend her. Her positive energy is exquisite. We are fortunate to have met her to guide our son.