Guest speaker Dr. Matthew Zakreski presents
Riding Out the Storm:
Managing Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students

Emotions are the cause of many disruptive and problematic behaviors that our gifted children face.  The “Gifted Brain” is marked by structural and functional differences that manifest in increased emotionality, from vocal expression to behavioral activation.  Understanding these differences allow for the gifted individual and their support team to take meaningful steps towards adapting more functional and prosocial behaviors to manage their emotional intensity.  Drawing on years of psychological experience, Dr. Zakreski will walk participants through several different trouble areas (i.e., peer relations, failure, social outings) and give concrete strategies on how to manage those feelings and behaviors.  

Matthew Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodiverse clients.  He specializes in working with children and adolescents, as well as their families, in providing therapy and conducting psychological evaluations.  He is proud to serve as a consultant to schools, a professor at the university level, and a researcher and author on his specialty, Giftedness.  Dr. Zakreski is a member of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), and the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC).  He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) Board of Directors.  He has given professional talks, trainings, and keynote addresses at these organizations and others.  Dr. Zakreski is the founder and lead clinician at The Neurodiversity Collective, where he provides therapy, coaching, training, and psychological assessment.