Giftedness these days in the research community is being understood more as an inner experience or process than external products like symphonies and films and dance companies and things of that order.

The inner process of the gifted is little understood by both the general public and the gifted themselves. Stereotypes and misconceptions about giftedness often prevent support of those with talents and visions most needed by society.

It is because these gifted children and adults have a finely tuned psychological structure and an organized awareness that they experience all of life differently and more Intensely than those around them. These characteristics, however, are frequently perceived by psychotherapists and others as evidence of a mental disturbance because most of the population lacks accurate information about the special characteristics of gifted individuals, couples and families.

The term "gifted" is often misunderstood. I have heard people respond to that label by saying, "Well, everyone is gifted in some way," as if to mitigate the implication that "gifted" is synonymous with "elitist." I have also encountered the false assumption that giftedness is circumscribed by what society values from generation to generation, most notably in the arts and sciences.

This article describes the issues most frequently encountered in therapy with gifted and talented adults, particularly those in the performing arts. A distinction is drawn between those clients who knew they were gifted and those who at first did not.