Current gifted education clearly has its problems as outlined by Ziegler and Phillipson. The focus on personal traits and the assumption of an autocatalytic development of gifts into extraordinary achievement has not been proved a valid approach for designing effective supportive measures. At least one of the reasons proposed by Ziegler and Phillipson--lacking consideration of the very individual contexts the gifted persons find themselves in--is also acknowledged by counselors in the field of giftedness. Their needs and common approaches to handle this matching problem will be exemplified in this commentary. Although systemic ideas have been put forward for years in the field of giftedness, still there is only very little research leading to precise indications for the creation of effective environmental support in a system-theoretical sense. Gifted education as well as counseling practice show the need for a paradigm shift which has already begun. But the empirical and theoretical foundation must extend dramatically to ensure the required professional standards an educational system should fulfill.