Gifted Support Group: Beyond Mindfulness

Our bodies, like the natural world, operate on cycles of upstates and downstates. Many gifted children spend their waking hours in hyper-stimulation from the demands of school, extra-curricular activities, and social media. The result of this hyper-stimulation can lead to sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression. In this presentation, Dr. Wilkes will share ways to nourish the parasympathetic nervous system in order to promote the wellness of our body, mind, and spirit.

About the Speaker

Dr. Paula Wilkes has been an educator and coach for more than 40 years. She earned her B.A. at UCLA and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon. During the first 25 years of her career, Dr. Wilkes was a public school teacher in Eugene, Oregon. During that time, she worked with gifted students both within a heterogeneous classroom and as a gifted specialist. For nearly 10 years, she worked as a professor of education at Pacific University’s Eugene campus where she created and coordinated the Center for Gifted Education. Dr. Wilkes currently works at Summit Center as a coach and consultant for gifted and twice-exceptional kids, teens, and adults, as well as with parents needing support in dealing with the academic, social, and emotional issues of their children.