In this podcast, Dr. Lourdes Viado and I discuss how to recognize an abusive vs. toxic relationship and how to start the healing process — plus how you might be uniquely impacted from this experience as an Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
If you’re a Highly Sensitive Person, simple changes can go a long way to maximize your therapy experience
As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), therapy can be an incredible tool for self-exploration, personal growth, healing past wounds, or bettering your relationships.
You can learn the basic traits of being an HSP. You can learn to finally speak up for yourself. You can learn what to do when you just can’t stop thinking and ruminating about the past. You can learn how being a sensitive child has influenced you today.
Continue reading “Coming May 2019 – Summer Group For Sensitive Souls”
If you aren’t familiar with the term Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) it refers to about 15-20% of the population who possess a unique sensory processing trait which allows them to pick up more on subtleties in the environment, resulting in deeper processing and often being easily overwhelmed with stimuli. HSPs are often gifted with having a rich inner life, complex imagination, and deep empathy for others. Continue reading “For Therapists: 6 Reasons Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) Matter to Your Therapy Practice”
As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) or empath, your time and energy is a limited and precious resource you have to spend wisely. This seems obvious, right? Yet, we live in a society that fosters the opposite idea. We hear the silent chant – do more, be more, never stop – leading us to believe we can do everything if we just “try hard enough” or have “better time management.”
As a Highly Sensitive Person or empath, this message is especially troublesome. You have to be even more mindful about where your time and energy goes due to your ability to get overwhelmed easily and absorb the sensations (i.e. emotions, energy, etc) around you. You have much to contribute and give to this world, but if you are not clear about where your greatest gifts lie, or your point of highest contribution, you will spend your days feeling both overwhelmed and dissatisfied with life. Continue reading “What Are Your Top 5? A Critical Question For Highly Sensitive People (HSPs)”
What is your best life worth to you?
Let’s be honest — sometimes it can be hard to pay for therapy.
How often do you tell your friend or co-worker the following: “I’m going to the gym today,” “I got a pedicure,” “I went to church/spiritual practice this weekend,” “I had all day to myself to relax,” or “I took a sick day.”
We say this daily to friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and store clerks without batting an eye. Continue reading “The Value of Therapy”
Travel is an essential part of modern life. We travel to see far-off family and friends, renew ourselves, get away from the day-to-day grind, serve others, and see the world.
For a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), travel can be inherently overwhelming. New smells and sensations can be both exciting and alarming. Unfamiliar routines require extra processing or planning. Different cultural expectations create more emotional stress or material to process. Jet lag and time zones can mess up an HSPs sensitive internal clock. It’s enough to make an HSP want to resign themselves to never leaving their zip code.
However, fear of overstimulation is not a reason for HSPs to avoid or limit travel. In fact, I would argue travel is essential for HSPs in order to deepen and enrich their lives – but it has to be done in a way that is both nourishing and mindful of HSP qualities. Continue reading “Travel Tips For Highly Sensitive People (HSPs): When Your Travel Companion Is Not Highly Sensitive”
April was an extraordinary month. For two very different reasons.
To start, the month was filled with an unusual amount of family visits. Given that most of my immediate family and relatives reside in other states (Alaska, Florida) or countries (Europe, New Zealand), the ability to have all my weekends this month filled with family time was truly glorious and unprecedented. Continue reading “The Gift of Illness”
Happy Thursday!
It’s almost the weekend, which has me thinking about play! Did you know play is essential for both children and adults? Continue reading “Thursday Pick-Me-Up: The Importance Of Play (a.k.a. The Great Grape Toss of 2016 )”
Quiet Moon Counseling 