Gifted Unleashed

Feeling “too much” for friendship is a quiet ache many gifted and twice-exceptional adults carry. We unpack why connection can feel risky, how masking erodes trust, and what it takes to find people who welcome your full volume: curiosity, intensity, joy and all. With Dr. Erin Krellwitz back on the mic, we share honest stories of belonging at SENG and BloomCon, the relief of being mirrored, and the...

Gifted adults often carry a quiet ache: the sense of being “too much” for most rooms and somehow not enough for the ones that matter. In our conversation with neurodivergent coach Erin Krellwitz, we unpack what it means to be gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) beyond grades and test scores. Giftedness shows up as intensity, sensitivity, divergent curiosity, and deep moral drive, not just perfect ho...

What if the essence of giftedness extends far beyond a number on an IQ test? Join us on "Gifted Unleashed" as I chat with Gloria Jensen, an inspiring coach and energy healer with a mission to uplift highly sensitive and gifted adults. Gloria opens up about discovering her giftedness as an adult with a cultural background where such conversations were virtually non-existent. Her candid re...

Unlock the secrets to understanding and supporting gifted and twice exceptional individuals in our latest episode with Gail Post, a clinical psychologist with over 35 years of experience. Gail's expertise in intellectual and musical giftedness, coupled with her personal journey as a parent of two gifted children, brings invaluable insights to our discussion. We promise you'll gain a deep...

What if the traditional education system isn't just failing students with ADHD, but also those who are gifted? This week on Gifted Unleashed, we welcome Alícia Couto from Brazil, a twice-exceptional adult who navigates the complex world of ADHD and giftedness. Alícia opens up about her transformative journey, from her sister's initial research into ADHD to her own discovery and acceptanc...

Unlock the secrets to navigating the maze of giftedness with our guest, Matthew Zakreski, affectionately known as Dr. Matt. As a clinical psychologist and professional speaker, Dr. Matt sheds light on his personal journey from being identified as gifted in second grade to becoming an advocate for neurodivergent individuals. Together, we explore the trials and triumphs of gifted education, the conc...

Ever felt like your mind runs on a different operating system than everyone else's? Discover the powerful connection between neurodiversity and their specific coaching needs with my guests, Kate Arms and Tracy Winter, the dynamic duo behind the Neurodiversity Coaching Academy. As we unpack their personal narratives, we illuminate the emotional rollercoaster of living at the intersection of in...

When Kaitlin Smith and I sat down to unravel the complex world of giftedness and twice-exceptionality (2e), our conversation ventured deep into the heart of what it means to be labeled 'gifted,' particularly for those navigating the dual challenges of exceptional intellect and being part of a minority. Kaitlin shares her battle against the stereotypes that sought to undermine her journey...

Feeling misunderstood or out of place can be a common experience for twice-exceptional (2e) individuals. This episode of Gifted Unleashed welcomes Julie Skolnick, author of "Gifted and Distractible," to shed light on the unique challenges faced by this remarkable group. Driven by self-love and understanding, Julie navigates us through the wide spectrum of conditions under the 2e umbrella...

Ever felt like a square peg in a round hole? Maybe it's not you, maybe it's your giftedness. I, Nadja, once wrestled with this notion, but through my journey of self-discovery, I've come to embrace my giftedness and ADHD, viewing them as unique strengths rather than limitations. Join me on this exciting journey of Gifted Unleashed, where we talk about personal experiences of how we...

Eshwari is a young woman who grew up in India, feeling out of place and intense. She learned about giftedness and Overexcitabilities through the Unleash Monday podcast and got inspired to learn more about the topic and is on her journey of finding her way in the space and field of neurodiversity. TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: Your job title doesn't define you Currently there is no gifted psych...

Ludmila N. Praslova, Ph. D., SHRM-SCP uses her extensive experience with global, cultural, demographic, and ability diversity to help create inclusive and equitable workplaces. She is a Professor of Psychology and the founding Director of Graduate Programs in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California. Prior to her academic career, she built and led successf...

Dr. Sarabeth Berk is the leading expert on hybrid professional identity, and a hybrid professional herself. She was featured in Forbes, and is a TEDx speaker, author of More Than My Title, and recipient of a Colorado Inno on Fire award for her innovative work. Her hybrid title is Creative Disruptor because she works at the intersection of being an artist, researcher, educator, and designer. Throug...

Colin Seale was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, where struggles in his upbringing gave birth to his passion for educational equity. Tracked early into gifted and talented programs, Colin was afforded opportunities his neighborhood peers were not. Using lessons from his experience as a math teacher, later as an attorney, and now as a keynote speaker, contributor to Forbes and author of Thinking Li...

Alice Bauer was born under the zodiac sign of Virgo and she is an orderly and organized type of person by nature. She is curious, inquisitive and likes to develop herself in all areas of life. Her interests are wide-ranging, including yoga, travel, art and music, but she is particularly fond of interior design. Already in her childhood she was constantly browsing through her mother's home mag...

Ilana Grostern is a Montreal-based Self-Attunement and Somatic Coach. Her early career took her from graphic design to the launch of a sustainable business venture – a cloth diaper company that she ran for fifteen years. Her sensorial over-excitability attuned her to the needs of the body, leading her to pursue a certification as Canada’s first Whole30 coach.  TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: People w...

Bayo Moses has 8+ years as a Book Coach and Developmental Editor. When he's not looking into manuscripts, you can find him on Google Meet catching fun as a personal development coach. He shares his story growing up neurodivergent in rural Northern Nigeria and how he learned about autism in adulthood.  TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: Bayo could not connect with his peers in school but was able to...

John Syc’s background includes his own 2eAm (twice-exceptional autism male) discovery leading to his own call to action for integration and a life commitment to the path of higher levels of consciousness in tandem with psychological wholeness. His lifelong personal journey, a psychological and social work advanced educational background, and over ten years of being a psychotherapist provide insigh...

As a psychologist, trainer, assessor, writer and advocate, Jennifer Harvey Sallin is dedicated to raising awareness about adult giftedness and twice-/multi-exceptionality (2e/me) and meaningfully supporting gifted/2e/me people in their personal and social development. She has specialized in supporting gifted adults for the last decade, and in 2015, she created InterGifted to allow gifted people to...

Lucy Knight always knew she was different and was finally diagnosed autistic at 31. A lot in her life has changed for the better since she got diagnosed and now she advocates for myself and other autistic people. She has a blog called Autisms Alright where she shares her own story and important resources on the topic of autism. TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: Without a diagnosis you might choose a ca...

Christiane Wells, PhD, LSW, is the Director of Qualitative Research at the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development. She studies the lived experience of giftedness and emotional development through the lens of Dąbrowski’s theory of positive disintegration and critical psychology. She has investigated the history of Dąbrowski’s constructs and their evolution and also studies Polish in order...

Julie Skolnick is the Founder of With Understanding Comes Calm, LLC, through which she passionately guides parents of gifted and distractible children, mentors 2e adults, trains teachers on how to understand and address 2e strengths and struggles. Julie serves as Secretary to the Maryland Superintendent’s Gifted and Talented Advisory Council and is an advisor for “ The G Word ” film. Julie is the...

Lotte van Lith is a lecturer, instructor and senior trainer on the psychology, practice and art of personal and creative development (amongst others at the School of Thinking at Free University of Brussels and the Buckminster College). In her own company, A Lot of Complexity, she guides intense and driven adolescents and adults in their personal and creative development and regularly organizes viv...

Aileen Kelleher is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in Chicago. She specializes in working with gifted and twice exceptional children, adults and families. TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: Being able to have some distance from your thoughts, being able to not over identify yourself, your sense of self with the thoughts that come into your head and knowing not everything you're thin...

Happy Birthday Unleash Monday! Exactly a year ago I launched this podcast on the topic of gifted adults. In this episode I am sharing on how it all started, what I experienced in my own personal gifted journey over the last year and where Unleash Monday is going in year two!  I would like to use this opportunity of this episode to say thank you to all my past guests who have helped form this show...