Hi - Its been forever since I've posted here. I have let giftedness slide from focus for ages, as it hasn't seemed a major aspect of the kids' day-to-day lives and we've just focused on getting through school and life. But as we struggle with our 2e 16yo son's needs, I'm realizing this is an aspect of who he is that I likely should re-explore.

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, but thought I'd start here. Please redirect me if this is better posted elsewhere.

He'd like to see a therapist, and I've reached out to one so far from the SENG list. Does anyone know anything about or have experience with Dr. Matt Zakreski? It would be telehealth, as he's not in our area, but he is taking new telehealth patients, which is kind of amazing right now! (I've seen loads of local moms post in our regular mom's FB group saying they can't get their teens in anywhere locally...)

Any experience with this doc (or any others) would be super helpful, as would any other general feedback or thoughts! Thank you all!!!
Pinecroft

Nice to hear from you, Pinecroft, for any reason!

I don't know anything from personal experience about this particular therapist, but his website doesn't seem to have any red flags at a quick glance.

And yeah, your region is simultaneously supplied with more than usual providers, yet has long waitlists...

Thanks so much, aeh!! Both for looking at that and for the warm re-welcome to the forums. :-)

What are red flags for therapists, particularly those marketing themselves for 2e/GT kids?

The more I"m truly thinking about my DS's life right now, the more I realize he has a LOT going on -- in addition to all the stuff we're ALL going through with covid, he's a very asynchronous GT kid, with inattentive ADHD symptoms (looking into that with a Dr), AND who is undergoing treatment for Lyme and Bartonella infections (who knows how long he's had - it wasn't an acute infection that caused us to look into it, we went to a doc who looks at medical as well as neuropsych stuff for behavioral symptoms... it could be an underlying issue that created some of his childhood sensory stuff and his current inattentive issues). I'd really like to get him set up with someone he can connect with... So hard to know though. I'm supposed to call this therapist Monday to chat. Fingers crossed.

Thanks again!

Personally, I look for therapists for 2e/GT populations who have a nuanced and contextualized understanding of giftedness, and, if at all possible, evidence that they are GT themselves. And, obviously, professional competence in psychotherapy.

I would steer clear of sweeping generalizations about their GT clients ("all", "every one of my clients"), and disproportionate focus on narrow types of GT models (those who force everything through, say, a visual-spatial learner lens, or tag all behavioral concerns as mainly motor or emotional overexcitabilities). Along those lines, therapists that are oriented much more highly toward either the giftedness or the disability, rather than viewing a client holistically, in all of the complex, contradictory and intertwined glory of their 2e-ness, will likely miss the forest for the trees. You might be able to see this in how their professional writing and practice are distributed.

And another quality I'm not into in a therapist is arrogance. If we don't bring humility and humane curiosity to working with 2e learners, we won't be able to reach or help them. Anybody who says they know everything about 2e doesn't. A good therapist should be able to say, "I haven't necessarily worked with someone exactly like you (your son), but I can see some possible areas to explore that might connect to patterns I've seen in the past, of x nature." So, knowledgeable and confident, but not presumptuous or condescending.

...on another note, seeing your list of some of what your DC has been going through--whew! That is a lot! And with many possible interactions between physical/organic, neurobehavioral, and emotional concerns.

Wishing you the best for your call tomorrow!