Listen now (55 min) | In episode 11, Chris and Emma were joined by Tina Harlow, LCSW, a child and family therapist specializing in giftedness in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, who shared her experiences as a neurodiversity-affirming clinician. She talked about how overexcitabilities can differ among family members and the importance of understanding and honoring these differences. She also shared strategies for dealing with the different types of overexcitability. We discussed how positive disintegration can manifest in children and teens, and how Tina supports children and their families through existential depression, physical signs of stress, spiritual crises, and more. We learned about the prevalence of gender-nonconforming children among her gifted clientele, and the importance of affirming these children rather than denying their authenticity. We addressed the importance of language, and being intentional in its use, in the spirit of Dabrowski’s theory, which gives us a non-pathologizing lens to help us view differences that are often seen as deficits or disorders. Tina also shared about her work with the World Hope Project, which allows children from around the world to share their message of empathy, inclusivity, and hope.