Top Ten Signs You Might be in a Gifted Relationship

Gifted children often need a little extra support when learning to manage their intensities and sensitivities. They need the compassionate ear of a gifted individual who has “been there and done that.” For seven years I have been referring families of gifted children to Bob Yamtich for both. There is not another person I trust more with my gifted and often twice-exceptional students. There is something special about Bob that seems to instantly click with gifted children. He brings just the right mix of empathy, authority and friendship to gifted children. When they are talking with Bob, they know they are speaking with an ally.

I have attended a few different workshops of Bob’s and have left each one feeling blessed by his insights and his shared wisdom. I always come away with new tools that can be implemented in the everyday situations, as well as those unexpected tricky ones. Bob does an awesome job adapting his workshops around the needs of those who are there, whether it is a large room full of adults or a small group mixed with kiddos. He is terrific at getting everyone involved and participating so they can get the most out of the information. We as a family have learned a lot from him, he has given us new understanding of our son, as well as ourselves, and I know we have a ton more we can learn. I look forward to attending more of Bob’s workshops and hope to be able to work with him on an individual basis sometime in the future.

I would highly recommend Bob Yamtich for any family with gifted children who want to provide additional gifted mentoring, expand their horizons, learn about self connection, and develop stronger communication pathways. Bob is himself gifted, bringing creative approaches and ideas to every interaction, and he is capable of the intuitive leaps of imagination needed to follow and guide our son’s thoughts and conversations. Bob has worked with all of the brothers to resolve conflict, and he has been an important guide to me in assessing their emotional state and needs. Engage with him, you cannot help but grow through the interaction.

Bob was the first to identify our son as gifted. It was very illuminating to learn that some of his more “difficult” episodes were really side effects of his giftedness and should be treated more as opportunities for connection instead of discipline. Bob helped us understand our son’s gifts and make sense of his challenges as a part of asynchronous development. Our son was able to share his inner world in a way that empowered us to better advocate for him. Further, our son was able to advocate for himself by expressing his feelings and requests when he felt overwhelmed in different situations.

Bob’s workshop was eye opening. I’ve been enjoying a more patient and empathetic approach to my daughter since then and my husband and I are much less stressed because of it! That’s not to say that we have it all figured out or that she hasn’t had any meltdowns, but it’s lets scary when she does!

Bob’s support has been transformational. His astute ability to listen and understand, combined with his ability to toggle between details and the big picture, always gifts me with priceless, heightened self-awareness. He’s gentle. He’s present. He’s encouraging. I experience his understanding and application of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) to be catalytic, dynamic, and affirming of his own inner work. I just can’t see anyone not benefiting from working with Bob if they are truly determined to create lasting life changes.