Aileen Kelleher, LCSW

04/29/2026

Perfectionism leads us to struggle with knowing when we are doing “enough.” Even though having high standards can be helpful in some cases, it can also be paralyzing. Getting a sense of what the “norm” is for a task can sometimes help us narrow down what is necessary.

I can’t promise that this will mean you are okay with lowered expectations, but it can be relieving to just know that you are doing some things at a higher level than most and that it is okay to relax a little.
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

03/31/2026

03/26/2026

Being able to start tasks is one of our executive functions and it can be difficult for gifted and twice-exceptional people when the task is boring, repetitive, tedious, etc.

Here is one strategy to help yourself get started.
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

03/11/2026

Hygiene, executive functioning and sensory sensitivity struggles for gifted and twice-exceptional people.
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

01/15/2026

Thoughts on the “everyone wants a village but no one wants to be a villager” discussion that is going around right now.

Getting involved in your local disability rights organizations can be one way of addressing these structural issues!
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

01/13/2026

January feelings
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

12/17/2025

Giftedness and the concept of making an “effort” can be a loaded topic. Some call it gifted “underachieving” but I don’t think that’s completely accurate. It think it has more to do with gifted people getting stuck in an existential dilemma about what matters and what is worth the effort.

What do you think?
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

12/12/2025

Do you sometimes have trouble knowing/feeling the difference between the stories we tell about our reality and the real world itself?

Is your anxiety about what “could” happen overriding your ability to show up for your life?

This video explains why gifted and twice-exceptional people, who have imaginational intensity or “overexcitability” may struggle with anxiety.
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

12/01/2025

Memes for when you can’t do anything but scroll
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

11/16/2025

Perfectionism is trying to protect us from feeling. It keeps us moving, hustling and hypervigilant because it is afraid. It is afraid of pain.

Unfortunately the cost of running from pain is often higher than allowing ourselves to feel our pain. Sometimes we can only tolerate feeling it one small dose at a time. That’s okay.

It’s okay to struggle. It’s okay to feel pain. It doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.
Aileen is a therapist and coach based in Chicago, who works with coaching clients across the globe. She helps gifted and twice-exceptional people (and their loved ones) understand their brains, embrace their differences and reach their goals. Head to the link in bio to learn more about services.

10/17/2025