Get the real conversations and mom therapy you need to understand your gifted nervous system. Discover why sensitivity is a strength and how to find emotional regulation.In this episode of Notes to My Nervous System, Erin Vandermore sits down with therapist Gordon Smith to explore what it means to live in a gifted nervous system — especially after burnout, crisis, or long-term emotional overwhelm. Giftedness and high sensitivity (HSP) are characterized by "Depth of Processing." A gifted nervous system doesn't just see the world; it processes it with a higher degree of neural complexity and emotional intensity.

Giftedness is often misunderstood as simply high intelligence. As Gordon explains, it is a neurodivergent nervous system that processes the world more intensely — emotionally, cognitively, and sensorially. For many gifted adults, this heightened sensitivity can make life feel louder, heavier, and harder to navigate, particularly in systems that weren’t built for how deeply they experience the world.

• The Gifted Nervous System (06:15): Why giftedness is a form of neurodivergence that impacts emotional regulation.

• Real Conversations on Sensitivity (15:30): Why the world feels "louder" and "heavier" for sensitive adults.

• Mom Therapy & Overwhelmed Systems (24:10): Why traditional environments fail gifted systems and how to rebuild safety.

• Creative Tools for Regulation (32:45): Using improv and storytelling as a nervous system reset.

This episode serves as essential mom therapy—providing the real conversations and psychoeducation needed for those navigating life with an intense, gifted nervous system.Together, Erin and Gordon explore:

• Why gifted people often feel “too much” or misunderstood

• How chronic overwhelm and self-doubt can develop over time

• Why traditional school and work environments often fail gifted nervous systems

• How creativity, imagination, and improv can support regulation and recovery

Gordon shares how storytelling and creative expression can help the nervous system feel safer, expand capacity, and rebuild meaning after stress or trauma — without forcing performance or perfection.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt different, emotionally intense, overwhelmed by their own mind, or exhausted from trying to fit into systems that don’t quite fit them.

Tired of feeling "too much"? Download Mind Circuit for a science-backed Nervous System Reset and tools for Emotional Regulation designed for sensitive systems: :Google Play →⁠⁠⁠⁠https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.ageOfUncertainty&hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Disclaimer: Notes to My Nervous System is an educational and psychoeducational resource created by Erin Vandermore, LCMHC. While Erin is a licensed therapist, this podcast—including episodes described as "Mom Therapy" or "Real Conversations"—is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute psychotherapy, medical advice, or a therapist-client relationship.

Emergency Resources: If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, please do not rely on this content. Call or text 988 (in the US and Canada) for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, call 911, or head to your nearest emergency room.

The Mind Circuit App "EASE": Use of the Mind Circuit app is a self-help tool for emotional regulation and is not a substitute for clinical treatment.

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