My Focus on Gifted and Talented Child Psychology

I have worked as a school psychologist in many public, private, and parochial schools for over 40 years and with gifted students, PreK-12, for 40 years. I am providing the following services to parents or schools in the field of gifted education:

A good time to seek counseling for a gifted child is when he or she has a change in their educational program. This change may occur when the child transitions from elementary to middle school or from middle to high school. It could also happen when the child has a change in their program of acceleration or a change in teaching style. Counseling can also help when a child has a problem such as anxiety, poor interpersonal relations, or sadness that lasts for more than a few weeks. Most parents agree that it is very helpful to get a professional measure of the severity of the problem, reasonable expectations of the child, and recommended treatment of the problem.

However, it is difficult to find a therapist who is knowledgeable about gifted and talented children. I have a great deal of experience working with gifted children in the areas of assessment, program planning, staff and parent consultation, research, and counseling. I have recently completed a 30 year survey of gifted children I have assessed which was presented at the 2005 annual meeting of the Minnesota Council of Gifted and Talented. As a Licensed Psychologist, I am also experienced in counseling children with a variety of problems including adjustment reactions, anxiety, depression, ADHD, interpersonal relations, and "stressed out" feelings.

When you do seek counseling, you can tell your child you are getting professional help in planning so as to make family and school experiences more enjoyable. You may indicate to your child that the family has concern rather than labeling the child with a problem to be remedied. I will ask parents and the child to fill out questionnaires or take brief psychological tests to help understand the issue. In most cases, I will also ask the child's teachers, with parent permission, to fill out rating forms. A treatment plan will be developed if counseling is needed. Parents will be kept informed and often included in counseling sessions. I will suggest specific behaviors or techniques for your child to try at home and/or at school.

My preferred counseling technique is Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). CBT combines the effective strategies of cognitive therapy and behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy teaches your child how certain patterns in his or her thinking are causing your child's symptoms such as sadness, anger, or worry. Behavior therapy helps your child break the link between problem situations and his or her usual reactions to them and to teach your child to calm his or her mind and body. Gifted children are excellent thinkers and will be able to use CBT in order to think more clearly, feel more satisfied, and make better decisions. Extensive research by psychologists and other mental health professionals have shown that CBT has been very effective and a preferred treatment technique for many problems gifted children experience. Research in the field of gifted children's services finds that counseling during several stages in the child's life are well worth the benefits.