Conceptual Evolution of Overexcitability in Dabrowski’s English Works
Conceptual Evolution of Overexcitability: Descriptions and Examples from the Work of Kazimierz Dąbrowski This dataset was produced by Chris Wells for NAGC 2017 as part of her systematic review of the literature on the theory of positive disintegration. Note that this document includes only selected excerpts from 1938 because that paper hadn’t yet been fully […]
Inner Growth Handout
Handout from Inner Growth: Unilevel and Multilevel Development According to Dabrowski’s Theory by Dr. Michael M. Piechowski.
February 2023
February 2023 Newsletter Click above to download the latest newsletter! Subscribe to our newsletter If you’d like to stay informed about our work, please subscribe to our mailing list. You’ll receive our monthly newsletter, as well as any updates about the upcoming Dabrowski Congress. Edit Form Email (required) * Select list(s) to subscribe to General […]
Episode 16: Overexcitability and Openness to Experience
In episode 16, Chris and Emma were joined by Dr. Shelagh Gallagher, for a discussion of overexcitability (OE) and openness to experience (OtE), based on her paper which compares the two frameworks. Shelagh is an independent consultant in gifted education and President-Elect of the National Association for Gifted Children. We discussed the controversy in the field of gifted education about OE and OtE, and the value both frameworks can provide in informing us about the gifted student experience in education.
Episode 10: Nature, Spirit, and Disintegration
In episode 10, Chris and Emma were joined by Dr. Eric Windhorst, a counsellor, coach, and psychotherapist committed to helping others connect with their inner nature (their true, authentic selves) and outer nature (the wider, more-than-human world). Eric shared his story with us and connected his experiences of personal growth and development with Dąbrowski’s theory as well as other frameworks. He discussed spirituality, an aspect of self that is often overlooked in intellectual frameworks, and we learned about Eric’s journey to becoming his authentic self.
Episode 9: Complexity and Positive Disintegration
In episode 9, Chris and Emma were joined by Lotte van Lith, a coach, lecturer, and author from the Netherlands. Lotte has been studying and working with Dąbrowski’s theory of positive disintegration for more than a decade, and she brought her personal and professional expertise to this discussion of complexity and emotional development in gifted and creative people. She feels that once you view the complexity of life through the lens of emotional development, you can see the paradoxes inherent in human experience. We talked about complexity as a hallmark of giftedness and discussed how the drives for authenticity and self-actualization can be supported in this population.
Episode 8: Surviving Disintegration
*Content Warning: Please be aware that sensitive issues such as suicide attempts, hospitalizations, police-related trauma, and drug use and treatment are mentioned. In episode 8, Chris and Emma share their personal experiences of positive disintegration, in an intimate, honest (and brave) discussion. They connect these life stories with constructs from Dąbrowski’s theory, and explore the dynamisms which other people might be experiencing during their own times of crisis and disintegration.
Episode 7: Gifted Minds and Empathy
In episode 7, Chris and Emma were joined by Fiona Smith, a psychologist from Sydney, Australia. Fiona brings to life the issue of living with intensities and sensitivities, from her perspective of a parent as well as her own experiences. We learn (again) that having an intense experience of life brings challenges, and we hope that listeners will resonate with her words. We discussed empathy, overexcitabilities, what it’s like to be image-free (aka aphantasia), and how Dąbrowski’s theory has played a role in Fiona’s life and work.
Episode 6: Autopsychotherapy and Self Leadership
In episode 6, Chris and Emma were joined by Kate Arms, JD, PCC, a leadership coach who talked about her personal experience of development through positive disintegration, and how she created her own autopsychotherapy practice… What is autopsychotherapy? Kate talks about some of the strategies and methods that have worked for her, and we share our ideas and stories on what we have found useful, in the hope that others in the process of development will benefit.
Episode 5: Researching Overexcitability
In episode 5, Chris and Emma were joined by Dr. Frank Falk, who has been dealing with the construct of overexcitability as a researcher for more than 40 years. Frank talked about his work with the original Overexcitability Questionnaire (OEQ) and the subsequent development of the Overexcitability Questionnaire-Two (OEQ-II). We discussed the challenges of researching OE and the effort that Chris and Frank are making to rectify misunderstandings about Dąbrowski’s theory in the gifted community.