Highly Sensitive People
Understanding the Gift of Sensitivity
If you've been told you're "too sensitive," feel things deeply, or get overwhelmed by environments others seem fine with, you're not alone. You may be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
High sensitivity is not a disorder or something to fix. It's a natural trait found in 15 to 20 percent of the population, identified and researched by Dr. Elaine Aron. Being highly sensitive means your nervous system processes information more deeply, notices subtleties others miss, and experiences the world with heightened awareness.
Dr. Elaine Aron's Research
Dr. Elaine Aron is a psychologist and researcher who brought the concept of high sensitivity into mainstream awareness through her groundbreaking work in the 1990s. Her research shows that Sensory Processing Sensitivity (the scientific term for high sensitivity) is an innate trait present in humans and over 100 other species.
This trait has evolutionary advantages. Highly sensitive individuals are more aware of subtle changes in their environment, process information more thoroughly, and are often the first to notice when something is off balance, whether in relationships, environments, or systems.
Dr. Aron's work has validated what many sensitive people always knew but were told to ignore: their deep processing, emotional responsiveness, and sensitivity to stimulation are not flaws but valuable ways of experiencing and navigating the world.
The Four Pillars of High Sensitivity
D.O.E.S. Framework
Depth of Processing
You process information deeply and thoroughly. You think about things from many angles, consider implications, and often need time to reflect before responding. This can look like overthinking, but it's actually your brain doing its natural, thorough work.
Overstimulation
Because you process so much information, you can become overwhelmed more easily than others. Busy environments, loud noises, strong smells, or emotionally charged situations can leave you feeling drained or needing to retreat.
Emotional Responsiveness & Empathy
You feel emotions deeply, both your own and others'. You're naturally empathic, picking up on subtle emotional cues and feeling moved by beauty, art, music, or nature. This emotional richness is a gift, though it can feel overwhelming at times.
Sensitivity to Subtleties
You notice what others miss: the slight change in someone's tone, the tension in a room, the small details in your environment. This awareness helps you navigate complex social and physical landscapes with precision.
Sensitives Signal What's Healthy for All
Here's what I've learned through my own journey and working with highly sensitive people: sensitive people signal what's healthy for all of us.
Highly sensitive nervous systems are like tuning forks for wellbeing. When a sensitive person needs rest, authentic connection, slower pacing, or depth over surface level engagement, it's often pointing toward what we all need to truly thrive. Sensitives just feel these needs more clearly and earlier.
The world is changing for the better. More people are recognizing the value of rest, the importance of nervous system care, the need for genuine connection, and the wisdom in honoring our bodies. Healing is part of this beautiful shift. What was once dismissed as "too sensitive" is now being recognized as attuned, aware, and wise.
This is why my approach, though informed by highly sensitive nervous systems, naturally serves everyone. When we create conditions that allow sensitive people to flourish, pacing that honors the nervous system, depth that allows for true processing, safety that permits vulnerability, we're creating conditions where all humans can heal and thrive.
Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?
Take Dr. Elaine Aron's self-test to learn more about yourself and the trait of high sensitivity.
Take the HSP TestWhether you identify as highly sensitive or simply want a holistic approach that honors your mind, body, and soul, I'd love to support your healing journey.
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