Meet Katja

Parent. Educator. Advocate for gifted children.
Founder of the Taranaki Neurodiversity Trust and The Head Office, supporting gifted children, families and schools across Aotearoa | New Zealand.

Someone who understands how lonely and complex this journey can feel

I vividly remember how overwhelmed and lonely I felt.

Knowing that your child is bright is something that should fill you with pride — and yet I often felt utterly out of my depth. Raising a family is a rollercoaster at the best of times, but raising two gifted children felt like the next level entirely.

Our early years

Like many parents, my husband and I were incredibly proud of our children. Both were reading and writing by the age of three, and their curiosity seemed endless. Because this was simply our normal, we didn’t think too much of it at first.

What we didn’t expect was that all this potential wouldn’t translate into ease at school — or into friendships.

School was a mixed bag. Some teachers really understood our children, while others didn’t see anything unusual at all, or felt their inquisitive nature was disruptive. Yet at home, I saw their intensity, sensitivity, and depth every single day.

Socially, the early school years were particularly hard. Finding friends with similar interests felt almost impossible, and my eldest child felt the absence of friendship deeply. By the age of seven, this had already begun to affect their mental health.

Both of our children were formally assessed and confirmed as being gifted — but that didn’t mean support was suddenly available. In reality, very little changed.

What I missed most

More than anything, I missed having someone to talk to.

Someone who understood this path.
Someone who had walked it before.
Someone who could offer reassurance, perspective, and practical guidance along the way.

Katja Eager, Parent Ally, consultant and founder of The Bright Line

Living rurally in Aotearoa New Zealand meant there were no local support or interest groups to turn to. So I had to find ways to support my children through those difficult years — while keeping their spark alive.

Turning necessity into support for others

What began as a search for support for my own family gradually grew into work that supports many others.

I experienced how limited understanding and provision for gifted children often were, and I knew families deserved better. I teamed up with other concerned parents, teachers and principals and we established the Taranaki Neurodiversity Trust in 2014 and started The Head Office, a one-day-a-week pull-out programme for gifted children that now supports around 150 children across seven classes each week.

A large focus of our work was the building of strong collaborative relationships with 42 local primary and intermediate schools and ongoing advocacy for gifted learners through tailored Professional Learning for educators from early childhood through to high school.

At the heart of this work is a simple goal: helping gifted children be understood, and ensuring parents don’t have to walk this path alone.

When you work with me, you won’t be rushed, judged, or handed generic advice.

Instead, I offer:

  • a respectful space to talk openly

  • deep listening, shaped by lived experience

  • a strengths-based approach that values your child’s individuality

  • practical guidance that fits real family life

My aim is to help you feel clearer, more confident, and less alone — so you can move forward with trust in yourself as a parent.

If any part of this story resonates, I would love to support you.

I know how heavy this journey can feel — and how much easier it is when you don’t have to walk it alone.

If you’re ready, please reach out. I would truly love to help make your journey a little easier and less lonely.

👉 Book a session
👉 Get in touch

Ngā mihi nui,

A signature that reads 'Katja' written in blue ink.

Testimonials

  • Laura, parent from Cumbria, UK

    I would recommend speaking to Katja to any parent, guardian, teacher or any one who comes into contact with gifted/high learning potential children.

    I have found her to be warm and knowledgeable and talking to her has been incredibly helpful in navigating my journey of parenting a HLP child! Whether its about how to communicate better with your child or others you come in contact with to address social and emotional needs, or teachers around educational needs and academic abilities, Katja's lived experience means she can help you through it all and communicate things in a way that just can't be found/replicated in books or information online.

    She has made me feel less alone, and helped me to identify my needs as well as what I need to do to better support my child. I have gained a lot of confidence and peace of mind through Katja's help and support. 

  • Cushla, Deputy Principal from New Plymouth, Aotearoa | New Zealand

    Katja Eager is a relentless advocate for gifted kids. 

    In the past two decades she has raised two gifted children, researched approaches to parenting and educating the neurodiverse, set up a charitable trust and a complementary educational programme.  But beyond this, she has built a community of educators and parents in the pursuit of collaborating with others to share experience and knowledge around neurodiversity.  Her influence in our community has been significant.

    As a Deputy Principal of a large school, I have seen the pressures that teachers are under to cater for neurodiverse students.  They can arrive to school anxious. Some struggle with perfectionism and have trouble with friendships.  Some are bored and struggle to engage in learning and may even be showing underachievement at school.  Some students can mask their sensitivities, build up tension during the day, and then explode at home.  Through her advocacy, I have seen her help teachers and families navigate the challenges and celebrate the unique joys that gifted learners bring. 

    I highly recommend families and educators to reach out to The Bright Line for support with their precious neurodiverse kids.  

  • Fiona, parent and fellow trustee at The Head Office from Taranaki, Aotearoa | New Zealand

    I know that I could never have done what I did for my own kids without all the hard work, vision and connections that you created. I’ve always said that progress comes from standing on the shoulders of giants… and you for sure are one of the best.

    You’ve been a steady hand, a generous heart, and a source of deep comfort to not just me, but so many. You are the kind of person that makes others feel less alone simply by being there. Knowing that someone truly understands makes the world of difference.

  • Kirsty, parent from Taranaki, Aotearoa | New Zealand

    You completely opened my eyes into a world of education for neurodiverse children. We are changed forever.