The Positive Disintegration Study Group
Generativity and Building Community with Dąbrowski's Theory
During my early years of studying the theory of positive disintegration and giftedness, I was blessed to be a part of the Dąbrowski Study Group. It was the modern incarnation of a group that met and studied Dąbrowski’s theory in the 1980s in Denver, Colorado.
Dr. Linda Silverman (2009) described the original group:
Our Dabrowski study group met weekly for 5 years—even during holidays—to read all of the books in English on TPD, to study the theory in depth, to conduct research on emotional development of adults and adolescents, and to develop ways of assessing overexcitabilities and levels of development (e.g., Miller, 1985). Michael Piechowski spent an entire summer with us interviewing gifted preadolescents, coding narrative data, and providing advanced training on rating OEQs. In July 1983, the nest of our study group, Buchtel Chapel, burned to the ground. Frank responded by obtaining a grant from the Sociology Department to create an Emotional Development Office in another building. The group attracted members of the community, as well as students and faculty, and one summer 40 individuals from the United States and Canada participated. (p. 144)1
The original study group provided a foundation for much of the early research and work on overexcitabilities in the field of gifted education. When I learned they planned to start a new group, I was thrilled to attend.
Our first meeting was in October 2016, and we gathered at Betty Maxwell’s apartment thanks to Dr. Frank Falk, who organized the group and shared our monthly readings via email. Core members included several people who’d been members of the original group in the 1980s, along with Linda, Frank, and Betty, including Frank’s wife, Dr. Nancy Miller.
You can imagine how exciting it was for me to get together monthly with this fantastic group of people. Our discussions centered around the readings, and we’d talk for two or more hours together about papers, chapters, and other materials connected with the theory. We had snacks and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company while having serious conversations about the theory.
When the group started, I was still a doctoral student in psychology specializing in education. I had put my dissertation on hold to engage in autoethnography and studying Dąbrowski’s theory. I’m not recommending anyone else should do such a thing, but it’s what I did. Once I dove into the theory, I couldn’t easily bring myself to stop.
At our meetings, I sometimes felt frustrated because I felt so much urgency about the problems I saw in the field of gifted education. This was Linda’s field, and it wasn’t easy to bring up these issues, but I knew there was no choice but to face them. The challenge for me was to sit patiently while paying attention even when I disagreed and find the courage to bring up my point of view even when it was at odds with the status quo.
These conversations were critical to my growth in multiple ways. I loved being a part of the group and feeling like we had a real community of scholars and practitioners invested in studying the theory. We grappled with the original works, with the controversy of the overexcitability research in gifted education, and always managed to be kind and civil with each other. (There’s more on the problems in gifted ed in Episode 2 of the podcast and Interesting Quotes, Vol. 5.)
During COVID, we had to stop meeting in person. The study group was one of the first things that was canceled in my life back in March 2020. The group’s last face-to-face meeting at Betty’s apartment was in February 2020. The reading was Piechowski (1989), “Developmental Potential and the Growth of the Self.”2 The group reconvened in May 2020, and I began hosting it on Zoom.
While we missed gathering in person, it was wonderful to have people join us from out of state, and even from outside of the United States.
The Positive Disintegration Study Group
The pandemic made me want to bring people together to discuss the theory through a neurodiversity lens, which I had already been working toward, so I decided to start the Positive Disintegration Study Group. I couldn’t have done it without the help of Kate Arms, who you may remember from episode 6 and episode 28. Kate helped me figure out the logistics, and her confidence in my ability to host my own group propelled me forward.
The first group included ten other people who joined us, almost all women, and we were a blend of parents, gifted adults, professionals, graduate students—all brought together by an interest in Dąbrowski’s theory. We met on Zoom for 90 minutes, and more than three years later, we’re still meeting monthly on Zoom with a few of us remaining from that initial session.
We have a small, hidden group on Facebook for our communication. It had to be changed over the past year because the original group grew too big for our small group conversations in between meetings.
One of the objectives of the Dąbrowski Center is to cultivate community, which I’ve tried to do in my own imperfect way. I have very limited capacity for dealing with communication and social media. Reading and writing, the cornerstones of what I do, are mostly incompatible with spending hours daily on social media or messaging with people.
Yet I realize that I have to remain open to feedback and messages, and I need to keep bringing the theory to people who want to study it, apply it, and do research. I want to help people who are suffering and in the process of disintegration.
That’s why I’m opening up more avenues for communication, learning about the theory, and connecting with others. One of the most important things for neurodivergent adults is connection and realizing they’re not alone in their experiences. Many of us see ourselves in this theory from backgrounds that might otherwise seem disparate.
I’ve purposely kept the original Positive Disintegration Study Group very small because that’s what I thought I could manage. I needed a place that felt safe for me to talk about my work. Giftedness and other types of neurodivergence are always present in our conversations.
Through October 2022, I was still a member of the Dąbrowski Study Group, and I helped Frank by hosting that group on Zoom while also hosting my Positive Disintegration Study Group. I asked Frank to take over hosting the DSG because I felt overwhelmed by obligations last fall and needed a break.3
A Second Cohort is Opening Up
It has changed my life to have these groups of people to share my thoughts and work with as I continue studying the theory. The Positive Disintegration Study Group is a place where we can discuss the existing literature, our experiences with positive disintegration and neurodivergence, and our current research and writing projects. After three years of meeting with the original cohort monthly on Zoom, I’m looking forward to expanding our community.
I’ve decided to start a second study group cohort this fall. You are invited to join a new monthly discussion group on Zoom that will begin on Friday, October 20, 2023, at 4 p.m. MDT.
We’ll have a small group for discussions on Facebook, but paid subscribers are also encouraged to ask questions and share thoughts on posts here on Substack. I realize that 4 p.m. Mountain Time doesn’t work well for those of you in Europe, and if there is enough interest, I’d be willing to start a third cohort after the holidays in January 2024.
The group is considered an official Dąbrowski Center program with a $10/session recommended donation. No one is denied access because of money, so if that’s more than you can afford, please let me know.
If you’d like to join the new group, email me for more information at chris@dabrowskicenter.org.
Silverman, L. K. (2009). My love affair with Dabrowski’s theory: A personal odyssey. Roeper Review, 31, 141-149.
Piechowski, M. M. (1989). Developmental potential and the growth of the self. In J. VanTassel-Baska & P. Olszewski-Kubilius (Eds.), Patterns of influence on gifted learners: The home, the school, and the self (pp. 87-101). Teachers College Press.
I’m very sorry to report that Frank passed away on April 23, 2023. I’ve been planning to share a tribute post, but his obituary is available here. The DSG continues to meet monthly, thanks to Kathee Jones taking over as host.
I remember you mentioning the study group a few times in the podcasts. What a gathering of interesting minds! I would love to join the Europe cohort in January 2024 if there is enough interest. My degree in Psychology is starting this autumn and I want neurodiversity and TPD to be at the heart of my studies in the next few years. Have a great second cohort start this autumn :-)
Interesting to read about the history of the Study group. And great to hear you're starting a second cohort!