****NWGCA is in the process of updating its website. One of our goals for the update is to better connect NWGCA parents with providers that will best fit their needs. As such, we are requesting that providers, who wish to be listed on NWGCA’s updated website, fill out a form to help families gain a better understanding of the services provided. If you are a provider who serves the gifted community in Washington State, please request a form by e-mailing [email protected].****
NWGCA frequently receives inquiries for the names of professionals who serve the gifted community. We have compiled a list of professionals who have come to our attention. This list is not all inclusive. This list is not a recommendation. This list is provided as a resource to you. You will need to do your “due diligence” in vetting a professional that is the right fit for your family.
Counselors & Therapists Who Specialize in Giftedness
Donovan R. Bigelow, JD, LLM, MA Seattle 206-940-6732 [email protected] donovanbigelow.com
Amy Chilcote, MA LMHC Seattle 206-526-9529 [email protected] amychilcote.com
Lisa Erickson, MS, LMHC Seattle 206-352-0363 [email protected] lisaerickson.net
NWGCA sent out a form to gather more detailed information about each therapist/counselor to help you make the right choice for your family.
The counselors who responded are listed below with their answers.
If you are a provider and wish to fill out the form to have your details posted, please click here and then e-mail your completed form to [email protected].
Do you have experience working with gifted individuals? Do you typically work with children, teens, adults, and/or families? Yes. I work with kids over the age of 13, adults and families. Do you have a specialty or preferred area of expertise? Do you have additional certifications or training that may be of interest to families with gifted children? I am trained as a family systems therapist. This means that I see individuals and their behaviors as deeply connected to their network of relationships within their family of origin. As such, I ground my therapeutic work in helping families see that the problem does not just rest within one person, rather it is hosted within a larger system of interactions. Externalizing the struggles the family is experience is hugely impactful on gifted and 2e individuals because it removes being pathologized, which they already experience everywhere else in their lives. I also hold a Masters in anthropology, and this training helps me sit with people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. As a first generation Indian American, and bilingual (Tamil/English) cis gendered woman and a mom to two exceptionally gifted boys, one who is 2e, I bring a unique voice into the therapy space. I also hold a Masters in anthropology, and this training helps me sit with people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. As a first generation Indian American, and bilingual (Tamil/English) cis gendered woman and a mom to two exceptionally gifted boys, one who is 2e, I bring a unique voice into the therapy space. Have you worked with twice-exceptional children/teens and their families? I have experience working with children with ADHD. I have supported families in navigating the initial diagnosis of ADHD, creating structure in the household and the emotional impact on parents. Briefly state how your understanding of the needs of gifted/2e individuals and families inform your approach? Gifted, 2e and families are by no means homogenous! I often say if you meet one gifted or 2e individual, you have met one gifted or 2e individual. As such, therapy has to be uniquely tailored to meet the asynchronous needs of these individuals. I delight in the fact that I could be tending to a client who could be presenting as a 15 year old in one moment and then shift into a 5 year old the next. Being adaptable, flexible and providing a therapeutic space that allows for and honors the full range of experience is so essential.