The Burden of Potential: Therapy for Gifted Adults Navigating Burnout, Identity, and 2e Considerations
Gifted adults do not usually come to therapy naming giftedness as the issue. More often, they present with burnout, anxiety, depression, underperformance, identity confusion, relationship strain, or existential distress. In this continuing education episode, Katie Vernoy and Curt Widhalm explore how gifted adults show up in therapy, how to distinguish giftedness from high achievement, and how 2e considerations can complicate assessment and treatment.
Curt and Katie discuss the hidden cost of success, including masking, perfectionism, chronic overfunctioning, executive functioning workarounds, code-switching, and the pressure of living up to potential. They also look at what helps in therapy: deeper assessment, intellectual attunement, self-compassion, sustainability, accommodations, and values-aligned treatment.
In this podcast episode, we discuss:
common presenting concerns for gifted adults in therapy
the difference between giftedness, achievement, and eminence
burnout, perfectionism, and chronic overfunctioning
masking, self-editing, and existential loneliness
2e considerations and hidden neurodivergence
treatment strategies that go beyond basic coping skills
This episode is eligible for 1 CE credit through the Modern Therapist Learning Community. To receive CE credit, listen to the episode, register for your free profile at moderntherapistcommunity.com, purchase the course, pass the post-test, and complete the evaluation.
Full show notes, transcript, and episode resources will be available at mtsgpodcast.com.
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Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: https://groomsymusic.com/
