Gifted individuals have a particular sense of their giftedness as a central part of who they are. This self experience can have a positive or negative quality; intellectual prowess or creative talent can be experienced as something good or burdensome. If giftedness is ridiculed by others, or strongly equated with high achievement, for example, the resulting anxiety and shame can destabilize emotional wellbeing and negatively affect performance. Counselors, parents, and teachers can learn what steps are needed to create an environment that sustains or fosters improvements in self understanding and acceptance, self esteem, and performance in gifted individuals.