KATHARINE HILL, MS, MAT, ET/P - FOUNDER
I’m an innovative learning specialist, educational therapist, and parent educator who works with children and adults in developing executive functioning skills, understanding their own learning processes, and developing strategies to support success. My private practice, UpNext Learning, serves children, families, and institutional clients. I use an educational therapy lens in order to support the whole person, including academic and socio-emotional needs, and have been accredited as an Educational Therapist, Professional (ET/P) through the Association of Educational Therapists. (Please note, educational therapy is not psychotherapy or counseling; the focus is on the client’s academic outcomes at a holistic level.) I have over 20 years of experience as a learning specialist, classroom teacher, and university administrator. Among others, I am trained in and use the Hochman Method, SRSD, and Orton-Gillingham approaches in my work.
ELLEN CUTHRELL, MS
Ellen has ten years of experience as a learning specialist in an independent school. She is certified in Reading (K-12) and English (7-12) in Pennsylvania. She holds BA degrees in English and Psychology, as well as an MS in Reading and a post-graduate certificate in Dyslexia and Language Based Learning Disabilities. Ellen is also a certified life coach, and an accredited Educational Therapist through AET. She specializes in decreasing anxiety in students and helping them to find their inner motivation and ability to learn and progress. She enjoys working with students with learning disabilities and students who struggle with executive functioning skills.
CRISTINA SEPTIEN, MS, OTR/L
Cristina is a pediatric occupational therapist who works with students on becoming more independent. A graduate of Amherst College and NYU, Cristina has twenty years of experience working with children. Her practice has focused on sensory integration and executive functioning, writing skills, and social-emotional development, and she has worked in school-based settings, sensory gyms, and homecare. She also provides consultations, evaluations, and professional development for independent schools, advises summer programs, and counsels the families of special needs students. Currently a Senior Instructional Therapist for the NYC DOE, she lives in Kensington with her family.
SARAH STRAUSS, PhD
Sarah has more than twenty years of experience at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and at The Calhoun School in Manhattan. At the center of her approach to teaching is developing connections with each of her students–connections that help students grow and achieve beyond what they had believed was possible. She specializes in helping students of various learning profiles engage as critical and thoughtful readers and writers of texts. Additionally, she has taught college and graduate school, and has served as a tutor in academic resources serving students with a wide range of learning profiles. Dr. Strauss holds a BA in American Studies from Amherst College, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in Sociology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.
ANNE VENABLE
Anne is a learning specialist with 15 years of experience working in schools as a classroom teacher and an academic support specialist. She is a certified teacher (K-6) and supports students with writing, reading, math, and social and emotional development. Anne has also worked with non-profit organizations as an art educator. She earned a BA in education from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, and completed graduate coursework in school counseling. Anne uses these combined experiences to develop and support the whole child, and particularly assists students in the development of their executive functioning skills. She enjoys working with students with learning differences to build on their individual strengths. Most recently, she worked as an academic support specialist in an International Baccalaureate school.
