The conditions for establishing a therapeutic alliance between the counselor and the gifted client

Abstract

This article examines the issue of therapeutic alliance in counseling the gifted, focusing on the conditions essential to build a therapeutic alliance between the counselor and the patient. The subject of therapeutic counseling has been widely discussed by many psychologists, both from theoretical and practical points of view in many works. It has also been mentioned that such an alliance is the most important condition for achieving the goals of any psychological intervention. This work challenges some of the accepted principles about counseling in general and counselling the gifted in particular. While I do accept that having access to subjects that are of interest of the gifted client helps the therapist to connect with them, I have found that the issue of intelligence, not mentioned in any of the previous works dealing with therapeutic alliance, has been the most important one for establishing such an alliance. In my experience the most frequent complaint I have heard from gifted children and adolescents has been "they cannot understand me because they are not smart enough". It can be concluded that high intelligence is a necessary condition for a therapeutic alliance with the gifted.

Keywords

• therapeutic-alliance
• gifted
• counselling

The conditions for establishing a therapeutic alliance between the counselor and the gifted client

Abstract

This article examines the issue of therapeutic alliance in counseling the gifted, focusing on the conditions essential to build a therapeutic alliance between the counselor and the patient. The subject of therapeutic counseling has been widely discussed by many psychologists, both from theoretical and practical points of view in many works. It has also been mentioned that such an alliance is the most important condition for achieving the goals of any psychological intervention. This work challenges some of the accepted principles about counseling in general and counselling the gifted in particular. While I do accept that having access to subjects that are of interest of the gifted client helps the therapist to connect with them, I have found that the issue of intelligence, not mentioned in any of the previous works dealing with therapeutic alliance, has been the most important one for establishing such an alliance. In my experience the most frequent complaint I have heard from gifted children and adolescents has been "they cannot understand me because they are not smart enough". It can be concluded that high intelligence is a necessary condition for a therapeutic alliance with the gifted.

Keywords

• counselling
• gifted
• Therapeutic alliance

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