Have you ever been told by others that you are “too sensitive”? That you overthink things? That you are being “dramatic” or “too much”? Do you get easily overwhelmed by sights and sounds in your environment? Do you need alone time after a day of being out with other people? If you answered yes, you might be a Highly Sensitive Person.

A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is one of 15-20% of the population who possesses the trait of a sensitive nervous system. This means that you process greater sensory information more deeply than non-HSP folks, you are aware of subtleties in your environment, and can become more easily overstimulated and overwhelmed than non-HSP’s.

The term Highly Sensitive Person, was created by Dr. Elaine Aron, an HSP herself!

Our society caters more towards non-HSP’s, often leading HSP’s to feel misunderstood, frazzled, and ashamed. The truth is that HSP’s can thrive when we understand our trait and how to care for ourselves in a majority non-HSP society.

High Sensitivity is a strength!

• you are conscientious

• you are able to sense danger sooner than non-HSP’s

• you are aware of other people’s moods and emotions

• you have great insight

• you may be deeply creative

Therapy for highly sensitive people:

• learning about your trait of high sensitivity

• reframing your past experiences (particularly early childhood experiences) with the new knowledge of your trait

• set important boundaries so you can minimize overstimulation going forward