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COUNSELING NEEDS AND CONCERNS OF
GIFTED ADULTS AND CHILDREN


Self-Knowledge and Awareness

  1. Recognizing my behavioral impact on others
  2. Seeing how mistakes are learning experiences
  3. Understanding my personal options and choices
  4. Understanding the reciprocity of healthy relationships
  5. Seeing how inner conflict is often a part of growth
  6. Learning how to restructure negative thoughts into more positive and realistic ones
  7. Recognizing my different learning styles and preferences
  8. Noticing how people change and develop
  9. Developing the ability to view myself and events/situations with a sense of humor
  10. Accepting others’ strengths and weaknesses
  11. Accepting my strengths and weaknesses
  12. Establishing a desirable balance between work (school), family, and social/recreational activities
  13. Understanding that perfectionism is often unhealthy
  14. Understanding the difference between the “pursuit of excellence” and the “pursuit of perfection”
  15. Learning how to fit in
  16. Knowing what it is like to be different
  17. Recognizing how others perceive me
  18. Understanding how I feel about myself
  19. Recognizing my assets and talents
  20. Knowing the triggers that cause me to be unhappy or nervous
  21. Identifying values by which to live
  22. Identifying and correcting distortions in my thinking
  23. Overcoming resistance to beneficial advice or suggestions
  24. Attaining social maturity

 

Personal and Interpersonal Skills

  1. Developing problem solving skills
  2. Establishing desirable friendships
  3. Developing conflict resolution skills
  4. Communicating effectively with others
  5. Dealing with hostility or jealousy from others
  6. Setting appropriate interpersonal boundaries between myself and others
  7. Completing projects that I started
  8. Coping with the stress of daily living
  9. Giving myself affirmations and positive self talks
  10. Developing leadership skills
  11. Taking another person’s perspective
  12. Learning and using relaxation exercises
  13. Sustaining motivation
  14. Visualizing worst and best case scenarios
  15. Using humor to defuse conflict
  16. Identifying things or situations that are in or out of my control
  17. Developing core standards of behavior by which to live
  18. Identifying and pursuing short and long term goals in my life
  19. Developing positive and lasting family relationships
  20. Developing independence and self regulation of behavior
  21. Learning how to manage time, organize, and prioritize
  22. Managing sensitivities, intensities, and moral issues
  23. Developing creative thinking skills

 

Pursuit of Excellence

  1. Understanding my school’s, job’s, family’s, and/or society’s definition of
  2. Recognizing my desire or need for perfection
  3. Dealing with loneliness and isolation
  4. Understanding what it is like to be a person with a gift or talent
  5. Resisting the pressure to hide my gifts or talents from others
  6. Recognizing the pressure to achieve
  7. Dealing with depression
  8. Dealing with anxiety or worry
  9. Recognizing issues of justice and fairness
  10. Producing a high level of work (creative, scientific, etc.)
  11. Recognizing the expectations I have for myself
  12. Seeing the expectations that others have for me
  13. Recognizing my contribution to society
  14. Learning how to deal with frustration
  15. Developing self determination and passion to help fulfill my potential
  16. Understanding the value of sustained effort, persistence, and struggle
  17. Learning how to study and take tests
  18. Seeking mentorships
  19. Self-advocating for educational acceleration
  20. Designing a career path which includes timelines, talents, interests and future goals
  21. Accessing opportunities for community service and/or volunteer work
  22. Developing a high level of quality of life

 

Gifted with a Disorder and/or Disability (2-e) – Twice Exceptional

  1. Task initiation and completion
  2. Sustained attention
  3. Working memory
  4. Time management
  5. Procrastination
  6. Organization
  7. Planning ability
  8. Cognitive flexibility
  9. Establishing routines
    • Ready to begin the day
    • End of day
    • Homework initiation and completion
    • Homework plans
    • Paying attention
    • Desk cleaning/room cleaning
    • Long term projects
    • Organizing notebooks, homework
    • Taking notes
    • Stress reduction
  10. Controlling anger and other emotions
  11. Controlling impulsivity
  12. Managing anxiety
  13. Managing changes in plans or schedules
  14. Achieving goal directed persistence
  15. Shifting from one task to another
  16. Developing good social skills
  17. Learning good communication skills
  18. Developing sensory integration
  19. Taking advantage of academic coaching
  20. Developing assertiveness

 

Variables in the Counseling Relationship

  1. The counselor understood “giftedness” and had knowledge of gifted education and resources.
  2. The counselor was empathetic toward your concerns
  3. Your concerns were dismissed
  4. The counselor genuinely desired to understand you
  5. You were misunderstood
  6. The counselor implied something was wrong with you or your concerns
  7. The counselor took time to truly listen
  8. The counselor understood your desire to understand things
  9. The counselor understood your personal philosophy, i.e., what you believe to be important in life
  10. The counselor understood your love of learning
  11. The counselor understood your drive and motivation to achieve
  12. The counselor understood that not all parts of you work at the same level
  13. The counselor understood your level of ability and potential
  14. The counselor understood that further assessment of your abilities, skills, and characteristics may be beneficial
  15. You were supported and encouraged
  16. Your time was well spent

Many items are from Wood, Susannah, (2010) “Best Practices in Counseling the Gifted in Schools: What’s Really Happening?”  Gifted Child Quarterly, 54(1) 42-58