In episode 41, Chris and Emma talked with Catherine Zakoian, MA, NCC, LPC, a counselor and educational consultant from Boulder, Colorado. Catherine is also the author of Raising Gifted Children: A Practical Guide for Parents Facing Big Emotions and Big Potential.

We discussed emotional tension and the issue of confronting our individual shadows, as well as the shadow in groups, such as families and communities. Catherine shared valuable insights on navigating this type of inner work, which can be helpful for individuals and clinicians on their personal growth journeys.

Catherine shared her experiences of applying Dabrowski’s theory in her clinical practice, offering practical guidance for therapists and clients alike. Whether you're just starting to study the theory or working on yourself, you'll find plenty of worthwhile nuggets in this conversation.

We talk about Catherine's expertise, which extends to educational consulting, where she provides guidance to schools and organizations serving gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) populations. She also shared some of her insights from working with gifted children and their families, offering practical advice for parents and educators.

Catherine and Chris know each other thanks to participating in the Dabrowski Study Group that was recently mentioned in one of our posts on Substack.

Links from this episode

Raising Gifted Children: A Practical Guide for Parents Facing Big Emotions and Big Potential by Catherine Zakoian

We discussed past Dąbrowski Congresses. Consider joining us at the 2024 Dąbrowski Congress!

Learn more about the Dabrowski Study Group in Chris’s post, The Positive Disintegration Study Group.

Episode 28 with Kate Arms was mentioned.

Catherine mentioned Michael M. Piechowski’s 1975 monograph (PDF download).

Chris mentioned the Parents of Gifted and Twice-Exceptional Kids Facebook group.

Connect with us!

Positive Disintegration on Substack

Visit the Dabrowski Center website

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The Positive Disintegration YouTube Channel

Adults with Overexcitabilities group on Facebook

Dabrowski Center and Positive Disintegration Podcast Community on Facebook

The Tragic Gift blog by Emma

Email us at [email protected]

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