Built by people who have done the work
We’ve been the teacher, the clinician, the consultant, and the one asking for help, so we know how much it matters to be met with kindness and a plan. Change is possible, and you don’t have to do it alone.
How Phoenix Rising Began
We wanted to build the kind of support we wished we could hand to every family and professional we met.
Between us we have worked in homes, classrooms, district and state education offices, private schools, hospitals, prisons and ABA companies. We have seen the good and the struggle in how support gets delivered, and we kept running into the same challenges.
Schools and educators
Need strategies that work with real time, staff, and resources
Families who want a different approach
Want support that builds their own skills and confidence, not a rotating cast of staff and no clear end point.
Families navigating the IEP process
Want clear answers and the tools to speak up for their child.
Clinics and organizations
Need plans that prepare for change, and practical systems that turn good intentions into effective practice.
Why Phoenix Rising
Rising doesn’t mean going back to how things were. It means coming out stronger.
Life can fall apart around any of us. You stand up, build your supports, and come out stronger. That is what we help parents, teachers, clinicians, and organizations do: move beyond frustration, find practical solutions, and make what once seemed impossible feel possible, with more confidence and less stress.
Casey Gressmen
MBA, MEd, BCBA, LBA
The best plans are measured by whether a tired parent or a busy teacher can use it on a hard day, and whether the child in the middle of it feels more understood.
I am a licensed special education teacher and board certified behavior analyst. I have been a classroom teacher, district specialist, private school director and school consultant, so I tend to ask one question first: will this work in the real room? What keeps me in this work is the people who are sometimes forgotten, and the parents and caregivers building stronger families, who deserve to feel supported and to simply enjoy loving their child.
ASK ME ABOUT
IEPs and special education law
Training parents and teams
Behavior plans that get used
Building systems that last
Kelsey Gressmen
MS, Licensed Educator and School Administrator
People can share the same goal and still see the problem differently. Progress begins when we understand those perspectives and find a practical path forward.
I am a licensed elementary and special educator and school administrator, with experience in classrooms, a district office, a state board of education, and private school leadership. I know how a decision made in one room lands in another. I am drawn to the students and families who are sometimes forgotten. At Phoenix Rising, I help clients clarify challenges, navigate systems, and find practical ways forward.
ASK ME ABOUT
IEPs and special education law
Navigating complex decisions
School and district systems
Supporting families through the process
How We Work, Every Time
Our Values Framework
01
Practical Support
Every plan has to work in a real home, classroom, or clinic. If it cannot be carried out on a normal Tuesday, we redesign it. We take the time to understand the people and resources involved, so our ideas work beyond the meeting room.
02
Ethical Decisions
We are honest, kind, and on your side. Your best interest comes first, and everyone else at the table is treated with respect, so even hard conversations end with trust intact.
03
Sustainable change
Our goal is for the people around the child, student, or team to own the plan, so they can keep it going without us. We build the confidence and skills that last long after our direct involvement ends.
We have worked inside the system, at every level
The Classroom
Teaching students with a wide range of needs, and seeing firsthand what helps and what gets in the way.
The District
Supporting schools and teams across a district, from compliance to day-to-day problem solving.
School Leadership
Developing and running private schools and leading teams, programs and budgets.
State Level Work
Working at and with the state board of education and in state education administration for corrections.
Clinical and Consulting Work
Behavior analysis, school consulting and clinician training for families, schools and agencies.
