Meanings ascribed to the concept of "giftedness": Implications for counselling with young people.

Abstract

This article focuses on social constructions of giftedness and on what these perceptions and understandings mean for helping professionals, most notably counsellors, working with gifted young people. It also looks at the apparent impacts of these perceptions and understandings on the mental and emotional wellbeing of young people who are identified as gifted. The article is informed by findings from a doctoral research project (Wong, 2018), a study that drew on the professional and personal experiences of members of a Facebook group dedicated to the exploration of different constructions of giftedness. Two key conclusions were reached: first, that the "gifted mind" is often described in ways, such as sensitive or intense, which might not immediately be recognised or acknowledged as characteristics of giftedness; second, that unhelpful constructions of giftedness appear to have an impact on the mental and emotional wellbeing of gifted individuals. The implications of these findings suggest the need for counsellors and other helping professionals to have greater awareness of the meanings attributed to individual giftedness and to establish a safe space in which to work effectively with gifted young people, their families and whānau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of New Zealand Journal of Counselling is the property of New Zealand Association of Counsellors and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)