Podcasts about highly sensitive person

— In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to become disconnected—from ourselves, from one another, and from the natural world. We're constantly chasing the next task, the next notification, the next destination, often forgetting that some of life's greatest healing happens when we simply slow down and pay attention. But what if one of the most powerful practices for reducing stress, restoring mental clarity, and reconnecting with a deeper sense of peace wasn't another productivity hack—but simply spending intentional time among the treesToday, we're exploring the beautiful practice of forest bathing, also known as Shinrin-yoku—a gentle invitation to step away from the noise of everyday life and immerse ourselves in nature through our senses. We'll talk about the growing science behind this practice, how it supports our emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being, and why slowing down may be one of the most profound pathways to joy. Valeria sits with Amanda Chapman   — She has been a Licensed Professional Counselor since 1997 and has worked with people from all walks of life and ages from diverse backgrounds.  Amanda is also a Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy; a Certified Heart Math Practitioner; a Certified Mindfulness-Based Ecotherapist; and a Certified Life Coach, with a specialty in Spiritual Direction. Amanda currently offers both counseling and nature-based services through a branch of Elizabethton Counseling and Arts Center, located at Shakti in the Mountains, in Johnson City, Tennessee.  Within her practice, Amanda specializes in what she calls Psycho-Spiritual Counseling, a blend of traditional psychotherapy or "talk therapy", outdoor or nature connection experiences, and spiritual direction or guidance. In addition to her counseling services, Amanda offers seasonal forest bathing experiences, which are guided nature walks, inspired by the Japanese practice of "shinrin-yoku," an outdoor practice that opens doors for physical and mental system regulation and relaxation and a reconnection to Mother Earth.  Amanda also offers workshops and facilitates community talks on various subjects, such as Spiritual Awakenings, How to Age with Grace and Gusto, the Hidden Powers of the Highly Sensitive Person, Animal Communication, and Embracing the Inner Child. She also hosts and guides a local monthly group that explores the nature of reality and spirituality.  Amanda's personal story of spiritual awakening will be coming out in a soon-to-be published nonfiction anthology, What Happened Next: Stories of Life Altering Encounters, and she is currently working on her memoir.  Amanda is a proud native of her community and loves sharing the magic of what nature and spirit can do for our hearts, bodies, and minds. When not working, Amanda can be found spending time with her granddaughter or just sitting in silence in her backyard woods, listening to the birds and watching the deer and squirrels, and the occasional neighborhood bear.  To learn more about Amanda Chapman and her work, please visit: https://www.oneforestworld.com/

What if you're not actually indecisive? What if you're taking in so much information that you can't hear yourself anymore? For empaths, making a decision can mean processing far more than the decision itself. There's what you want - and then there's someone else's disappointment, your partner's opinion, your family's expectations, another reading, another podcast, another Reddit thread, another certification, and one more attempt to get absolutely certain before you move. In this episode of Your Yes Filled Life, Brenda shares how she knew as early as 2000 that teaching was no longer sustainable for her... and then spent 22 more years finding her way out. She explores what happened when she allowed other people's opinions about her career to become more valuable information than her own lived experience. You'll learn three ways to begin separating what you actually know from all the additional information you're processing: Capture what you know before you poll the room. Stop automatically treating someone else's reaction as information about your decision. Notice when “I need more information” may actually mean “I want certainty.” Brenda also shares a client story about what changed when one woman developed enough nervous-system capacity to stop organizing her choices around other people's reactions, and what Brenda is noticing among people who repeatedly seek another reading or answer even after they've already received one. Because self-trust doesn't mean knowing the right answer every time. It means trusting yourself to respond to what happens after you choose. ✨ YES TO ME happens live September 15 from 6–8 PM Pacific. Bring the decision, relationship, boundary, opportunity, change, or desire you've been circling. You don't need to arrive knowing your answer. You can come fully in the wobble. Details coming soon. ✨ Enrollment for POWER: Self-Trust for Empaths opens in September. The next cohort begins September 29. https://www.brendawinkle.com/power Join us in the Empowered Empath Collective - https://www.brendawinkle.com/membership Reflection questions from this episode: What did I think before I asked everyone else? Whose reaction am I trying to prevent or manage? What information do I genuinely still need—and what am I collecting because I want certainty? What do I know today? What is one honest next step? Download your free energy audit: https://www.brendawinkle.com/audit Keywords: Empath, Empaths, Empath Life, Empowered Empath, Highly Sensitive Person, Self Trust, Trust Yourself, Overthinking, Indecision, Decision Making, Intuition, Intuitive Living, Nervous System Regulation, Somatic Healing, Emotional Healing, Personal Growth, People Pleasing, Boundaries, Empath Boundaries, Spiritual Growth, Self Awareness, Healing Journey, Mindset Shift, Yes To Me, Your Yes Filled Life, Brenda Winkle

Being seen can feel deeply vulnerable for highly sensitive people.Whether you are sharing an honest thought, setting a boundary, expressing a need, sharing something creative, or letting more of your true self be known, visibility can bring up anxiety, self-doubt, overthinking, and fear of judgment.In this episode we explore why visibility can feel so activating for highly sensitive people, because being seen often touches old fears of rejection, criticism, misunderstanding, or not feeling safe to be fully yourself.You'll learn the difference between exposure and supported visibility, and why self-expression does not have to mean pushing past your limits or overwhelming your nervous system.This episode offers a grounded approach to visibility as a nervous system stretch - something you can practice in small, supported ways rather than forcing yourself into the biggest, scariest version of being seen.You'll explore questions like:What am I protecting myself from?Is this fear trying to protect me from real danger, or from the vulnerability of being known?What is one small, supported way I could let more of myself be seen?What would help my nervous system feel supported before, during, or after that step?If you are a highly sensitive person, empath, introvert, deep feeler, creative person, or someone who struggles with visibility anxiety, fear of judgment, people-pleasing, self-expression, over-explaining, or hiding your true self, this episode will help you understand your fear with compassion and begin practicing small moments of honest expression.You do not have to become fearless in order to be brave.Inside Rooted Resilience, we practice this kind of supported growth in gentle, practical ways.Rooted Resilience is my monthly membership for highly sensitive people who want nervous system support, emotional resilience, mindfulness practices, and tools they can actually use in daily life.It is a space to learn how to come back to yourself in real moments: when you feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, emotionally stretched, afraid to speak honestly, or unsure how to honor your sensitivity without making your life smaller.You can learn more about Rooted Resilience here:https://yogiranger.com/rooted-resilienceYou may also enjoy these Insight Timer practices:Yoga Nidra for Nervous System Reset & Deep Rest:https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-nervous-system-reset-deep-rest_1You Are Already Enough: A Deep Reset For Self-Worth https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/you-are-already-enough-a-deep-reset-for-self-worth New to the podcast? Start here:Episode 33 – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?Episode 39 – The Hidden Struggles & Strengths of Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 40 – Boundaries for Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 41 – Nervous System Regulation for HSPs

What if the thing you can't stop wanting is trying to tell you something? You feel pulled toward something. A place. A person. An idea. An experience. And almost immediately, your brain wants an explanation. Why do I want this? Does this make sense? Is it practical? What will everyone else think? For empaths, there can be another layer: You don't just know that someone else doesn't understand your choice. You can often feel their discomfort with it. In this episode of Your Yes Filled Life, I'm taking you to London with me for a story that unfolded exactly one year after my dad died. I had one seemingly random thing I really wanted to do while my family was there: visit Watkins Books, a centuries-old mystical bookstore near Trafalgar Square. My family was lukewarm about it. Then we walked inside. Their bodies said no. Mine said more. What happened next - including a Moldavite crystal, a man who introduced himself as a Guardian of Watkins Books, an unplanned walk through London, and a synchronicity I still think about - became one of the clearest experiences I've ever had of what it can look like to follow an intuitive pull before you understand where it's taking you. In this episode, you'll learn three practices for trusting those intuitive nudges: How to let yourself want what you want before explaining or justifying it. How to notice your own body's response before scanning the room for everyone else's. How to let someone else have a completely different response without making their discomfort mean your choice is wrong. I also share why this story feels especially poignant on the second anniversary of my dad's death, what he taught me about following your heart, and why being able to communicate with someone in spirit doesn't mean you stop missing their physical presence. You don't have to know exactly where you're going to know your next step. Sometimes the next step is simply the thing you can't stop wanting. Resources + Ways to Work With Brenda The Empowered Empath Collective We're spending August and early September exploring intuition: how you recognize your own signals, discern what's yours, and stop overriding what you know. Join for $111/month or choose the annual option and receive two months free. → https://www.brendawinkle.com/membership POWER: Self-Trust for Empaths POWER opens for enrollment in September, and the fall cohort begins September 29. → https://www.brendawinkle.com/power Private Advisory Coaching For high-level individualized support, learn more and apply here. → https://www.brendawinkle.com/coaching Keywords: Empath, Intuition, Self Trust, Highly Sensitive Person, Intuitive Woman, Empath Life, Trust Your Intuition, Follow Your Intuition, Spiritual Growth, Somatic Awareness, Nervous System Regulation, Emotional Wellness, Personal Growth, Psychic Medium, Empowered Empath, Your Yes Filled Life, Brenda Winkle

Have you ever wondered if you are an empath, a highly sensitive person, or both? I'm breaking down the difference between an empath and an HSP, which stands for highly sensitive person. I explain what empathy is, what makes someone an empath, and how empaths often absorb the emotions and energy of people, groups, and places. When we do not understand this about ourselves, it can lead to overwhelm, fatigue, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and the feeling that something is wrong with us when really, we are picking up on energy that may not even belong to us. I also share common traits of empaths, including sensitivity to light, sound, crowds, other people's emotions, nature, animals, and authenticity. Then, I explain how highly sensitive people are similar to empaths, but with one key difference: HSPs may sense and feel deeply, but they do not absorb other people's emotions in the same way an empath does. Key Takeaways Empathy is the ability to feel with another person, but being an empath takes this sensitivity to another level Empaths are deeply attuned to the energy and emotions of people, groups, and places Many empaths do not realize they are absorbing emotions that are not their own Unaware empaths may experience overwhelm, fatigue, anxiety, depression, or mood instability Empaths often feel deeply connected to nature and animals Crowds, noise, bright lights, television, news, and chaotic environments can feel overwhelming to an empath's nervous system People are often naturally drawn to empaths and may share deeply personal things with them Empaths can often sense when someone is being inauthentic or hiding behind a mask Alone time, or "cave time," helps empaths recharge Self-care, nature, grounding, boundaries, and micro moments of peace are essential for empaths Highly sensitive people and empaths share many traits, but HSPs do not absorb other people's emotions in the same way You can be both an empath and a highly sensitive person MORE MICHELLE CHALFANT Website: https://www.michellechalfant.com Membership: The Adult Chair® Collective https://www.michellechalfant.com/collective  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themichellechalfant Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMichelleChalfant The Adult Chair® Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theadultchair YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Michellechalfant

One of the most powerful ways to change your marriage begins with understanding how emotions spread in intimate relationships – and learning to use this on purpose to create an upward healing cycle between you and your spouse.Because just as fear, reactivity, and self-protection are contagious in relationships– bouncing back and forth between partners...So is safety.There is a way to tap into this, and doing so intentionally changes everything inside you, and then everything between you and your partner for the better.As you build safety intentionally you become a different kind of presence inside your marriage: someone who communicates to your spouse naturally through your actions and words: “Who you are is safe with me”.This naturally fosters deep safety – which breeds more love, joy, and lightness – between you and your partner.It also (thank goodness!) creates the best conditions for your spouse to grow and do his own work on himself. So in this episode, we'll explore what it really means to become this Safe Heart Partner, and how, when you learn how, you have far more influence over the atmosphere between you—and the kind of relationship you create together—than you've ever realized.Listen in.SHOW NOTES: Learn more about the full Safe Heart Pathway through Sanctuary 1:1 (where Foundations of Emotional Well-Being is included as the first layer)Or begin with Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs (FEW) on its own first.FREE QUIZ: How Much is High Sensitivity Impacting Your Relationship (and are you even highly sensitive)? You want to know. Because, high sensitivity has a major impact on intimate relationships – for better or worse. Take this 3 minute quiz to discover if you're highly sensitive and how deeply it's affecting you, and your happiness in your relationship. You will also get your next steps to making sure sensitivity works for your relationship, instead of against it.ENJOYING THE SHOW? Don't miss an episode! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Leave  a review in Apple Podcasts--we are SO grateful!Check out the Start Here Podcast Pathway for a suggested route through the most important episodes to start with or review — the ones that will help you feel calmer, more secure, and more hopeful in your relationship.

Sensitivity is not fragility, and nervous system healing does not mean avoiding everything uncomfortable.In this episode we explore how highly sensitive people can honor their nervous systems while still living brave, meaningful, expressive lives.If you are a highly sensitive person, you may have wondered: Is this discomfort a sign that something is wrong for me, or is my nervous system asking for more support as I stretch toward something that matters?This episode offers a compassionate and practical framework for understanding the difference between discomfort that signals danger, discomfort that comes with growth, and overwhelm that means you need more support.You'll learn the difference between:Comfort Zone: familiar, manageable, and supportive for rest and recoveryCapacity Zone: stretching, uncomfortable, meaningful, and workable with supportOverwhelm Zone: too much, too fast, or too unsupportedThis episode is especially supportive if you are a highly sensitive person, empath, deep feeler, or sensitive soul who struggles with anxiety, overthinking, people-pleasing, emotional overwhelm, self-doubt, visibility, or fear of doing hard things.You'll explore questions like:Am I activated and still connected to myself?Do I still have access to choice?Is this discomfort connected to something meaningful?Can I make this more manageable?What support would change this?You do not have to choose between honoring your nervous system and living a life that stretches you. You can rest, prepare, ask for support, go slowly, say no when something is truly too much, and say yes when something meaningful is asking you to grow.Inside Rooted Resilience, we practice this kind of supported growth in practical ways.Rooted Resilience is my monthly membership for highly sensitive people who want nervous system support, emotional resilience, mindfulness practices, and tools they can actually use in daily life.It is a space to learn how to come back to yourself in real moments: when you feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, emotionally stretched, afraid to speak honestly, or unsure how to honor your sensitivity without making your life smaller.You can learn more about Rooted Resilience here:https://yogiranger.com/rooted-resilienceYou may also enjoy these Insight Timer practices:Yoga Nidra for Nervous System Reset & Deep Rest: https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-nervous-system-reset-deep-rest_1Yoga Nidra for Burnout Recovery: https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-highly-sensitive-people-burnout-recoveryNew to the podcast? Start here:Episode 33 – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?Episode 39 – The Hidden Struggles & Strengths of Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 40 – Boundaries for Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 41 – Nervous System Regulation for HSPs

Do you ever feel like clutter affects you more deeply than it seems to affect others? Like a messy kitchen doesn't just annoy you—it actually dysregulates your entire day? If so, you might be among the 20-30% of the population known as Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), and this episode is for you.In this conversation, Kathi sits down with her longtime friend and co-author Cheri Gregory to explore the unique challenges HSPs face when it comes to everyday home management. From sensory overwhelm to decision fatigue, from all-or-nothing thinking to the dreaded "frenzy" mode, Cheri helps listeners understand why clutter can feel so much more overwhelming for some people—and what to do about it.What Listeners Will DiscoverThe five key qualities of a Highly Sensitive Person and how they impact home organizationWhy that tidy house feels like your nervous system finally exhaled—and why it's so hard to maintainThe difference between a "catch-up day" and a "stabilizing day" (this reframe changes everything)A simple three-step reentry plan when life knocks your systems off trackHow to recognize "frenzy mode" and why going big might be sabotaging your progressThe power of self-compassion and curiosity in creating lasting changeThe Reentry Plan for Overwhelmed DaysWhen everything feels like it's fallen apart, Kathi offers this gentle three-step approach:Deal with anything that smells, spills, or blocks food - Just the basics: trash, dishes, counter space for cookingRun one load of laundry - Focus only on what you need for tomorrowCreate one visual exhale - Clear one surface that gives you peace when you see itKey Insights for HSPs and Those Who Love ThemWhether you identify as a Highly Sensitive Person or you love someone who does, this episode offers compassionate wisdom for navigating clutter without shame. Remember: a bad day is not proof that your system failed. Sometimes we don't need to catch up—we just need to stabilize.This is part one of a two-part conversation. Stay tuned for next week's episode where Kathi and Cheri continue exploring practical strategies for HSPs managing their homes and lives.

Do you ever feel like clutter affects you more deeply than it seems to affect others? Like a messy kitchen doesn't just annoy you—it actually dysregulates your entire day? If so, you might be among the 20-30% of the population known as Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), and this episode is for you.In this conversation, Kathi sits down with her longtime friend and co-author Cheri Gregory to explore the unique challenges HSPs face when it comes to everyday home management. From sensory overwhelm to decision fatigue, from all-or-nothing thinking to the dreaded "frenzy" mode, Cheri helps listeners understand why clutter can feel so much more overwhelming for some people—and what to do about it.What Listeners Will DiscoverThe five key qualities of a Highly Sensitive Person and how they impact home organizationWhy that tidy house feels like your nervous system finally exhaled—and why it's so hard to maintainThe difference between a "catch-up day" and a "stabilizing day" (this reframe changes everything)A simple three-step reentry plan when life knocks your systems off trackHow to recognize "frenzy mode" and why going big might be sabotaging your progressThe power of self-compassion and curiosity in creating lasting changeThe Reentry Plan for Overwhelmed DaysWhen everything feels like it's fallen apart, Kathi offers this gentle three-step approach:Deal with anything that smells, spills, or blocks food - Just the basics: trash, dishes, counter space for cookingRun one load of laundry - Focus only on what you need for tomorrowCreate one visual exhale - Clear one surface that gives you peace when you see itKey Insights for HSPs and Those Who Love ThemWhether you identify as a Highly Sensitive Person or you love someone who does, this episode offers compassionate wisdom for navigating clutter without shame. Remember: a bad day is not proof that your system failed. Sometimes we don't need to catch up—we just need to stabilize.This is part one of a two-part conversation. Stay tuned for next week's episode where Kathi and Cheri continue exploring practical strategies for HSPs managing their homes and lives.

در ادامه فصل#ارتباط_با_خوداپیزود #درک‌_خصوصیات_اساسی_آدم_های_خیلی_حساس#Understandin_of_the_fundamental_Traits_of_Highly_Sensitive_Personsآیا تمام عمر به شما گفته‌اند که «زیادی حساسید»، «زیادی احساسی هستید» یا «همه‌ چیز را بیش از حد به خودت می‌گیرید»؟ اگر حساسیت شما نقصی برای برطرف کردن نباشد، بلکه یک سیستم عصبی و ذهنیِ دقیق و ظریف باشد که به شکلی متفاوت با جهان ارتباط برقرار می‌کند، چه؟در این اپیزود، به ویژگی‌های بنیادین افراد دارای حساسیت بالا (HSP) می‌پردازیم و نقشه‌ی عصبی و زیستیِ این ویژگی را همراه با تجربه هایی از خودمان بررسی می‌کنیم؛ اینکه چگونه مغز و سیستم عصبی افراد بسیار حساس، جهان را تجربه و پردازش می‌کند. از پردازش عمیق اطلاعات و شدت تجربه‌های هیجانی گرفته تا آگاهی از ظریف‌ترین جزئیات محیط و تجربه‌ی تحریک‌پذیری بیش از حد، با هم به درکی علمی و عمیق‌تر از معنای واقعی زندگی با یک سیستم عصبی بسیار پاسخگو می‌رسیم.اگر سال‌ها با روایت «زیادی بودن» زندگی کرده‌اید، این اپیزود دعوتی است برای بیرون آمدن از آن روایت؛ برای دست کشیدن از عذرخواهی بابت عمق احساسات و شیوه‌ی متفاوت تجربه‌ی زندگی، و برای آموختن اینکه چگونه با ساختار ذاتی حساسیت خود آشتی کنید، به آن احترام بگذارید و آن را به یکی از بزرگ‌ترین نقاط قوتتان تبدیل کنیم.

What if one of the most powerful forces shaping your marriage is something you've never even thought about?Every relationship has an atmosphere. You can't see it, but you can feel it.It's the difference between walking into a home that feels light, warm, and easy to breathe in... and one where everyone seems to be quietly protecting themselves.The surprising part? The atmosphere is not just the way a relationship is.It's actually something that's being created…And it isn't created by one big conversation, one conflict, or one breakthrough.It's created by one ordinary interactions at a time repeated over and over—most of which you barely notice. In this episode, I'll help you recognize the invisible emotional climate inside your own marriage, why it matters far more than you may realize, and why understanding this one idea could completely change the way you think about creating the relationship your heart has been longing for…...and your ability to influence the relationship.Because once you can see the atmosphere...you can begin changing it. Dive in.SHOW NOTES: Learn more about the full Safe Heart Pathway through Sanctuary 1:1 (where Foundations of Emotional Well-Being is included as the first layer)Or begin with Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs (FEW) on its own first.FREE QUIZ: How Much is High Sensitivity Impacting Your Relationship (and are you even highly sensitive)? You want to know. Because, high sensitivity has a major impact on intimate relationships – for better or worse. Take this 3 minute quiz to discover if you're highly sensitive and how deeply it's affecting you, and your happiness in your relationship. You will also get your next steps to making sure sensitivity works for your relationship, instead of against it.ENJOYING THE SHOW? Don't miss an episode! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Leave  a review in Apple Podcasts--we are SO grateful!Check out the Start Here Podcast Pathway for a suggested route through the most important episodes to start with or review — the ones that will help you feel calmer, more secure, and more hopeful in your relationship.

In this episode of Your Yes Filled Life, Brenda Winkle shares a new way to think about boundaries by introducing the deeper foundation beneath them: your standards. You'll learn: Why boundary scripts often don't solve the real problem The difference between values, standards, and boundaries How raising your standards changes your relationships, work, and self-trust Why nervous-system regulation is essential for lasting change How to stop negotiating with yourself and start living in alignment If you've ever found yourself saying, "I know I should have said no," this episode offers a completely different lens. Resources: • Join the POWER Waitlist https://www.brendawinkle.com/power • Apply for Private Coaching - https://www.brendawinkle.com/coaching • Connect with Brenda Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendawinkle/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.winkle111 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendawinkle/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brendawinkle111 Keywords: Boundaries, Healthy Boundaries, Personal Boundaries, Standards, Personal Standards, Values, Core Values, Self Trust, Discernment, Inner Wisdom, Emotional Intelligence, Nervous System Regulation, Embodiment, Mindset Shift, Identity Work, Personal Growth, Self Leadership, People Pleasing, Overcoming People Pleasing, Empath, Empath Life, Highly Sensitive Person, HSP, Women Empowerment, High Achieving Women, Leadership Development, Confidence, Intuition, Emotional Wellbeing, Self Worth, Authentic Living, Conscious Living, Healing Journey, Inner Peace, Resilience, Relationship Advice, Life Coaching, Transform Your Life, Personal Development, Your Yes Filled Life

Are you on an emotional rollercoaster? In this episode, I talk with Esther Kane, MSW, RCC, about the real reason you struggle with anxiety or depression and:Impacts of being labeled as moody, serious, or quiet when you were youngerDiscovering the connection between anxiety, depression, and your sensitive nervous systemHow to leverage your capacity to feel deep joy to break out of the emotional rollercoaster you've been onEsther is a psychotherapist with nearly 30 years of experience who specializes in highly sensitive people, nervous system regulation, and emotional healing. She shares trauma-informed, body-based insights on her YouTube channel, Thriving as a Highly Sensitive Person, providing practical support for those dealing with anxiety, emotional eating/food addiction, and overwhelm.Keep in touch with Esther:Website: https://www.estherkane.comYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThrivingHSPEsther's Newsletter and Counselling Services: https://www.estherkane.com/servicesResources Mentioned:Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine Aron: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780553062182Why We Meditate by Goleman and Rinpoche: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781982178468Crossing Zero by Anders SorensonRadical Compassion by Tara Brach: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780525522836Self-Compassion Break by Kristin Neff: https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-practices/#guided-practicesPolyvagal Theory/Deb Dana: https://www.rhythmofregulation.com/polyvagal-theoryFor more deep conversations like this, join me in Sensitive Circles - a cozy online community for highly sensitive people to find meaningful connection and deepen self-awareness at their own pace. More details: https://www.sensitivecircles.com Thanks for listening! You can read the full show notes and sign up for my email list to get new episode announcements and other resources at: https://www.sensitivestories.comYou can also follow "SensitiveStrengths" for behind-the-scenes content plus more educational and inspirational HSP resources: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengthsYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengthsAnd for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off. If you have a moment, please rate and review the podcast, it helps Sensitive Stories reach more HSPs! This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment with a mental health or medical professional.  Some links are affiliate links. You are under no obligation to purchase any book, product or service. I am not responsible for the quality or satisfaction of any purchase.  

When the world feels heavy, highly sensitive people often feel it in their bodies. The news, collective uncertainty, conflict, grief, and emotional intensity around us can activate the nervous system, even when nothing particularly stressful is happening directly in our personal lives.In this practice episode you'll be guided through a grounding nervous system practice for sensitive people, empaths, and anyone feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the world.This practice will help you return to your body, feel the support of the ground, soften bracing, create a gentle emotional boundary, and remember that you can care deeply without carrying everything inside your nervous system.You'll be guided through breath awareness, orienting, body-based grounding, compassionate self-talk, and a soft living boundary visualization to support emotional steadiness, anxiety relief, and self-trust.This episode is especially supportive if you are a highly sensitive person struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, emotional exhaustion, news stress, collective stress, uncertainty, or the feeling that your mind is trying to solve more than it can hold.You do not need all the answers in order to return home to yourself.In this episode, you'll practice:Grounding your body when the world feels heavySupporting your nervous system during collective stressFeeling without absorbing everythingCreating a soft emotional boundaryStaying present when certainty is not availableComing home to yourself one breath at a timeIf this practice supports you, save it and return to it whenever you feel overwhelmed, heavy-hearted, or disconnected from yourself.You may also enjoy these Insight Timer practices:Yoga Nidra for Nervous System Reset & Deep Rest:https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-nervous-system-reset-deep-rest_1Yoga Nidra for Burnout Recovery:https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-highly-sensitive-people-burnout-recoveryNew to the podcast? Start here:Episode 33 – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?Episode 39 – The Hidden Struggles & Strengths of Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 40 – Boundaries for Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 41 – Nervous System Regulation for HSPsPractice Music by Chris Collins.

You can read every book, go to therapy, hire a coach, journal, meditate, practice breathwork, and become incredibly self-aware. But if you continue repeating the habits, choices, relationships, and environments that are producing the same result, insight will only take you so far. In this episode, Brenda shares the loving truth many accomplished, empathic women need to hear: at some point, growth stops being about what you understand and becomes about what you are willing to do differently. She explores the four stages of change - awareness, preparation, implementation, and integration - and explains why it is so easy to stay stuck in the first two. Awareness can feel productive. Research can feel like progress. But neither creates a new result until something changes in real life. You'll hear why nervous-system support is not only about helping you tolerate discomfort. It can also help you build the capacity to change the life you have. Brenda also shares personal stories about leaving an abusive marriage, building a business with support, becoming a beginner on the dance floor, and learning that meaningful change rarely happens through insight alone. In this episode: Why self-awareness and self-leadership are not the same How personal development can become a sophisticated form of avoidance Why your life responds to what you repeatedly do and allow How nervous-system regulation supports real-world action The difference between compassion for your pattern and continuing to protect it Why the next step does not need to be dramatic, but it does need to be real When POWER is the right next step When private coaching may be a better fit A pattern can be understandable and still be unsustainable. POWER is a year-long experience for women who are ready to move beyond insight and practice self-trust, discernment, nervous-system regulation, and aligned action in real life. Join the POWER waitlist: https://www.brendawinkle.com/power For a personalized plan around a specific decision, business challenge, relationship, or life transition, apply for private coaching: https://www.brendawinkle.com/coaching Keywords Self Trust, Personal Growth, Nervous System Regulation, Somatic Healing, Empath, Highly Sensitive Person, Discernment, Boundaries, Career Change, Toxic Workplace, Relationship Patterns, Self Leadership, Intuition, Emotional Healing, Embodiment, Personal Development, Life Coaching, POWER, Brenda Winkle, Your Yes Filled Life

It's not uncommon for highly sensitive people to push against their inherent traits when they feel too much or too needy. But what does this pushing against and away really do? It can breed internal shame and blame while leaving your sensitivity lacking in what it most needs: nurture and respect. In this episode of SelfKind - a podcast for highly sensitive people - I'm talking about why respecting your sensitivity is the way to go. I also share more details about my upcoming program, SelfKind Nurture. If you'd like to join me for this round, be sure to get your application in asap. You can learn more and apply here:  https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkind-nurtureMentioned in this episode: SelfKind Nurture - my brand new 12 week small group program for highly sensitive people - is open for applications now! We start on Sunday 2nd August 2026, and you can learn more and apply here: https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkind-nurtureAbout your host, Erica WebbErica Webb is a registered counsellor, somatic exercise coach, yoga teacher and highly sensitive person (also diagnosed AuDHD). She supports other highly sensitive and neurodivergent people to discover their sensitivity superpowers and more confidently navigate the tricky bits of being a sensitive person in an often insensitive world.About the Podcast, SelfKindSelfKind is for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) who want to navigate the tricky bits of their sensitivity with more ease while finding their sensitivity superpowers. Here, we're all about being, living and moving through a lens of self-compassion and kindness.

Find out why you're still exhausted. Grab The HSP Alignment Inventory: https://trueinnerfreedom.com/alignment-inventory/ Why are you still exhausted when you've already done everything you're supposed to do? If you're a highly sensitive person who has tried rest, self-care, better boundaries, and even time off but still feels emotionally drained, the problem may not be stress alone. This episode explores how hidden misalignment—living in ways that don't fully reflect who you are—can quietly drain your energy and leave you feeling disconnected, flat, and burned out. By listening to this episode, you'll discover: Why emotional exhaustion can persist even after you've reduced stress and prioritized recovery. How subtle patterns of people-pleasing, self-abandonment, and chronic adaptation create ongoing energy leaks. A powerful new way to view burnout that can help you reconnect with yourself, restore sustainable energy, and create greater alignment in your life.   Listen now to uncover what your exhaustion may be trying to tell you and learn how small shifts toward alignment can help you reclaim your energy and feel more like yourself again.   Todd Smith, founder of True Inner Freedom Dreaming of a stress-free, balanced life? Visit https://trueinnerfreedom.com/ and take the HSP Stress Test. Gain clarity on your sensitivity and stress triggers, and book a free 30-minute introductory conversation to explore what's going on for you and see if working together 1:1 might be a fit. Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP) or someone who identifies as hypersensitive or neurodivergent? This podcast is dedicated to helping highly sensitive people (HSPs) navigate overwhelm and stress by using The Work of Byron Katie—a powerful method for questioning stressful thoughts and finding true inner freedom. We dive deep into stress management strategies, coping with stress, and stress relief methods specifically tailored for HSPs. Learn how to manage emotions, especially negative ones, and explore effective stress reduction techniques that go beyond the surface to address the root causes of anxiety and pressure. Whether you're interested in learning how to lower stress, handle stress and pressure, or reduce stress through practical techniques, we provide insights and support based on The Work of Byron Katie. Discover how this transformative approach can help you decrease stress, find inner peace, and create balance in your life. Join us to learn about various coping strategies for stress, all designed to support HSPs in their journey toward emotional well-being.

What if the most transformative thing you could do isn't become someone new - but finally learn to love and trust the person you already are? For many people, especially those raised in religious traditions that emphasized self-sacrifice over self-compassion, self-love can feel uncomfortable... even wrong. In this heartfelt conversation, Brenda sits down with Brian Beall to explore his journey from fear and self-doubt to self-acceptance. Together, they discuss how healing, emotional awareness, and learning to trust yourself can deepen—not diminish—your relationship with the Divine. Whether you've questioned your faith, wrestled with religious conditioning, or simply wondered if caring for yourself is somehow selfish, this episode offers permission to approach your healing with curiosity, compassion, and courage. In this episode, we explore: Why self-love isn't selfish Healing from religious conditioning and spiritual shame Learning to trust yourself and your intuition The role of somatic healing and emotional awareness Why feeling your emotions creates freedom instead of weakness Moving from fear and self-doubt to self-acceptance What true transformation looks like ✨ If this conversation resonates with you, the POWER waitlist is now open for women who are ready to deepen their self-trust, discernment, and inner authority. You can also learn more about private coaching through the links below. Learn more about POWER and join the waitlist to be the first notified when the fall cohort becomes available: https://www.brendawinkle.com/power Learn about private coaching and apply: https://www.brendawinkle.com/coaching Keywords: Self Trust, Self Love, Intuition, Discernment, Religious Trauma, Faith and Spirituality, Emotional Healing, Somatic Healing, Personal Growth, Empath, Highly Sensitive Person, Embodiment, Nervous System Regulation, Spiritual Growth, Conscious Living, Self Compassion, Your Yes Filled Life Podcast, Brenda Winkle, Brian Beall, Your Yes Filled Life

Ready for deeper support? Work with me 1:1 https://trueinnerfreedom.com/working-together/  Have you ever set a boundary, felt completely clear about it, and then watched yourself back away from it anyway? If you're a highly sensitive person, boundary struggles can be incredibly frustrating because the problem often isn't knowing what to do—it's being unable to follow through when fear, guilt, self-doubt, or the desire for harmony take over. Understanding why this happens can be the difference between staying stuck in people-pleasing and finally feeling free to honor your own needs. By listening to this episode, you'll discover: Why learning about boundaries often isn't enough to help you consistently hold them The hidden fears and beliefs that pull highly sensitive people back into accommodation and people-pleasing How boundaries become easier when you address the emotional patterns underneath them instead of relying on willpower Listen now to uncover the real reason boundaries feel so difficult—and learn how to create lasting change without forcing yourself to be someone you're not.   Todd Smith, founder of True Inner Freedom Dreaming of a stress-free, balanced life? Visit https://trueinnerfreedom.com/ and take the HSP Stress Test. Gain clarity on your sensitivity and stress triggers, and book a free 30-minute introductory conversation to explore what's going on for you and see if working together 1:1 might be a fit. Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP) or someone who identifies as hypersensitive or neurodivergent? This podcast is dedicated to helping highly sensitive people (HSPs) navigate overwhelm and stress by using The Work of Byron Katie—a powerful method for questioning stressful thoughts and finding true inner freedom. We dive deep into stress management strategies, coping with stress, and stress relief methods specifically tailored for HSPs. Learn how to manage emotions, especially negative ones, and explore effective stress reduction techniques that go beyond the surface to address the root causes of anxiety and pressure. Whether you're interested in learning how to lower stress, handle stress and pressure, or reduce stress through practical techniques, we provide insights and support based on The Work of Byron Katie. Discover how this transformative approach can help you decrease stress, find inner peace, and create balance in your life. Join us to learn about various coping strategies for stress, all designed to support HSPs in their journey toward emotional well-being.  

Send us Fan MailYour intuition doesn't only speak in big, shiny yeses. Sometimes it lands as a quiet no, a not today, a subtle stomach flip, or that braced feeling in your chest that shows up every time you think about committing. I'm Rachel Garrett, and this quick tip is for empaths, intuitive people, and highly sensitive folks who are used to being the one everyone leans on when things fall apart. We talk about why saying no can feel so uncomfortable when you've been trained to be agreeable, helpful, and “easy” to be around. I unpack the difference between real kindness and self-betrayal, and what happens to your nervous system when you keep overriding your own boundaries: tension turns into fatigue, then resentment, anxiety, shutdown, irritability, and that foggy decision fatigue that makes you wonder where your clarity went. You'll get a simple somatic check you can use before you automatically say yes: pause, breathe, and ask your body if this feels expansive or contracting, open or braced. We also sort fear versus truth, because fear is often frantic and urgent, while truth is quieter and grounded even when it's firm. I close with three reflection questions you can use today to come back into alignment, plus an invite to an Akashic Records reading inside my YouTube membership on July 18 for anyone ready to release old stories and clear energetic noise. If this helps, share it with a friend who needs a cleaner boundary, subscribe so you don't miss next Friday's tip, and leave a review with the one “no” you're finally ready to honor. Support the showSpiritual Spotlight Series is hosted by Rachel Garrett, RN, CCH — Akashic Records Practitioner, Master Energy Healer, and Certified Crystal Healer.Conversations about the things we almost don't say out loud. For the ones who feel everything — but question it.Each episode features real stories of spiritual awakening, healing, and transformation from guests across all walks of life, alongside solo teachings on Akashic Records, crystal healing, nervous system support, and intuitive development.Healing doesn't have to be heavy.New: Join the monthly live Akashic reading → YouTube membership at $4.99/month → youtube.com/@rachelgarrett/membership✨ Explore More Spiritual Wisdom & Stay Connected

SYNOPSIS:What if intelligence is far bigger than IQ, rational thought, or what we've been taught to measure? In this fascinating conversation, Ali sits down with coach and researcher Rachel Fell to explore neurodiversity as an expression of human biodiversity, challenging our assumptions about what it means to think, feel, perceive, and truly know. Together they venture beyond the limits of our culturally conditioned understanding of intelligence, revealing a far broader way of knowing through our lived experience as sensing bodies.Whether you identify as neurodivergent or simply long to feel more fully alive, this episode offers a refreshing invitation to rethink intelligence itself. From trauma, sensitivity, and nervous system regulation to movement, emotion, and the remarkable adaptability of the human body, Ali and Rachel explore how reclaiming our full-bodied intelligence may be one of the most important - and hopeful - frontiers of our time.To subscribe now, click hereTo be an angel to the podcast, click here To read more about the podcast, click here FOR MORE ALI MEZEY:Website: https://www.alimezey.comPersonal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information:FREE Guided Body Mapping Taster: Heart/Sexuality SplitFive-films series (made by Ali Mezey) on Stephan Hausner's work with transgenerational influences on illnessFOR MORE RACHEL FELL:BIO: Rachel Fell is a coach, consultant and collaborator working at the intersections of neurodiversity, living intelligence, perception, and embodied awareness. For over six years she has worked with gifted, neurocomplex, sensitive and intense adults around the globe, co-exploring in the service of full-body intelligence and their unique paths to realization and fulfillment. A published author, speaker, and teacher, she also consults and collaborates with organizations on intelligence and its development, leadership, and brand/identity and business projects. RACHEL – WebsiteRACHEL – InstagramRELEVANT THE BRILLIANT BODY PODCAST EPISODES:First Rachel Fell: Bridging Divides with Rachel Fell: Neurodivergence, Conscious Body Awareness & Inclusive IntelligenceLive conversation with Rachel Fell: Neurodiversity, The Body & Inclusive Intelligence: LIVE AUDIENCE Q&A RECORDING with Rachel Fell & Ali MezeyPanel Discussion: The Democratic Body with Ali, Sarah Peyton, Amber Gray & Rachel FellPhilip Shepherd, Embodiment Leader & Author: Coming Home to the Body with PHILIP SHEPHERD...ReprisedOTHER LINKS:Dr Svetlana Masgutova: https://masgutovamethod.com/Svetlana Masgutova Educational InstituteThe Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration - MNRI® MethodRemarkably Bright Creatures on Netflix with Sally Field. Delightful. An Immense World by Ed YongOriginal Wisdom by Robert WolffEXPLANATIONS:"I think, therefore I am" / Cartesian Divide – René Descartes' famous philosophical statement that placed thinking at the center of human identity. It also contributed to the enduring Western separation of mind and body, often referred to as the Cartesian mind-body split.Family Constellation Work – A therapeutic and experiential approach developed by Bert Hellinger that explores how unconscious family dynamics and inherited patterns can influence our lives, relationships, health, and sense of self.Dr. Spock & "Crying It Out" – Mid-20th-century parenting advice, influenced in part by pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock and later behavioral approaches, often encouraged allowing babies to cry rather than responding immediately. More recent attachment and developmental research emphasizes the importance of consistent, responsive caregiving for healthy nervous system development.DEFINITIONS:Human exceptionalism – The belief that humans are fundamentally superior to, or separate from, the rest of nature and other living beings.Afferent and efferent – Afferent signals carry information to the brain from the body and senses; efferent signals carry commands from the brain back to the body.Phenomenology – The study of direct, lived experience—exploring what it feels like to perceive, sense, and exist from the inside.ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) – An eating disorder characterized by extreme restriction or avoidance of certain foods, often due to sensory sensitivities, textures, smells, or fear of negative experiences with eating. It...

218  What does a truly emotionally safe, loving marriage actually feel like…from the inside?In this episode, I invite you to step into an ordinary day inside what I call a Safe Heart Partnership: a relationship where you feel emotionally safe, deeply connected, genuinely cherished, and at home with one another—even when life isn't perfect.I want you to get a taste of what that really feels like.Why? Because when you can clearly envision—and even begin to feel—the kind of relationship you're longing for, your brain naturally starts orienting toward it, making it easier to recognize opportunities and make choices to bring it alive, and begin actually creating it one ordinary day at a time.So, together, we'll walk through a simple Tuesday...sharing coffee in the morning, navigating a disagreement, responding to a difficult day, repairing after a hurt, and ending the evening side by side. Because the goal isn't a relationship without challenges.It's a relationship where the challenges no longer threaten your connection, and even bring you closer over time. And you feel truly home with each other.As you imagine yourself living these moments, you'll begin experiencing what emotional security within you and emotional safety between you actually feel like, so you can move towards it in your own real life more easily.So if you've been longing for a marriage that feels peaceful, warm, supportive, playful, and deeply good to live inside, this episode will give you a glimpse of what's possible—and will help your heart begin moving toward it.This is the kind of partnership I believe every highly sensitive woman deserves. Listen in.SHOW NOTES: Learn more about the full Safe Heart Pathway through Sanctuary 1:1 (where Foundations of Emotional Well-Being is included as the first layer)Or begin with Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs (FEW) on its own first.FREE QUIZ: How Much is High Sensitivity Impacting Your Relationship (and are you even highly sensitive)? You want to know. Because, high sensitivity has a major impact on intimate relationships – for better or worse. Take this 3 minute quiz to discover if you're highly sensitive and how deeply it's affecting you, and your happiness in your relationship. You will also get your next steps to making sure sensitivity works for your relationship, instead of against it.ENJOYING THE SHOW? Don't miss an episode! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Leave  a review in Apple Podcasts--we are SO grateful!Check out the Start Here Podcast Pathway for a suggested route through the most important episodes to start with or review — the ones that will help you feel calmer, more secure, and more hopeful in your relationship.

Highly sensitive people often find it difficult to let go of conversations, criticism, conflict, disappointment, mistakes, or emotionally intense experiences. Even when the situation is technically over, your mind may keep replaying what happened, and your nervous system may still feel activated.If you've ever wondered why you can't “just get over it,” this episode will help you understand what may actually be happening beneath the surface.For highly sensitive people, letting go is not simply a mental decision. Because sensitive nervous systems process deeply, emotionally significant experiences may stay active in the body and mind long after they've ended. What looks like overthinking, rumination, or holding on may actually be your nervous system trying to find resolution, safety, or completion.In this episode, we explore why highly sensitive people stay engaged with experiences longer than they want to, why unfinished emotional loops can keep the nervous system activated, and what your body may need in order to truly move forward.You'll learn:• why “just let it go” is rarely helpful advice for highly sensitive people• how deep processing affects emotional recovery• why the nervous system can stay engaged after a stressful experience is over• how unfinished loops contribute to overthinking and rumination• why stress cycles need completion• what helps sensitive nervous systems feel supported, settled, and safe enough to releaseThis episode is especially supportive if you struggle with overthinking, emotional overwhelm, anxiety, rumination, people-pleasing, nervous system dysregulation, or feeling like you stay affected by things longer than other people seem to.If you'd like a supportive space to practice nervous system regulation, emotional resilience, and self-trust in community, I'd love to invite you to explore my Rooted Resilience Membership Circle.Rooted Resilience is a gentle membership community for highly sensitive people who want to calm anxiety, regulate their nervous systems, build resilience, and come home to themselves through live gatherings, guided practices, and ongoing support.Learn more here:https://yogiranger.com/rooted-resilienceYou may also enjoy these Insight Timer practices:Yoga Nidra for Nervous System Reset & Deep Rest:https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-nervous-system-reset-deep-rest_1Yoga Nidra for Highly Sensitive People: Burnout Recovery:https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-highly-sensitive-people-burnout-recoveryNew to the podcast? Start here:Episode 33 – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?Episode 39 – The Hidden Struggles & Strengths of Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 40 – Boundaries for Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 41 – Nervous System Regulation for HSPs

 در ادامه فصل#ارتباط_با_خوداپیزود #آیا_شما_آدم_خیلی_حساسی_هستید_؟آیا  از دیگران شنیدید یا خودتون حس می کنید آدم خیلی حساسی هستید یا جهان رو بیش از اندازه تجربه میکنید؟ آیا صدا، نور، عواطف و فضا و احساسات رو بیش از دیگران حس میکنید؟در این اپیزود، من از تجربیات و دانشم هم بعنوان یک آدم حساس و هم بعنوان یک درمانگر در باره این ویژگی بارز و مهم صحبت میکنم و این اپیزود مقدمه ای خواهد بود برای صحبت بیشتر و درمیون گذاشتن تجربه و دانشی که برای هر کسی ممکنه مثل من تعیین کننده و عاملی برای تغییر دیدگاه و روش زندگی باشه.

On today's episode of SelfKind - a podcast for highly sensitive people - I'm answering a listener's question about getting the day started without overwhelm. Let's face it, there are always a million and one things you could do in a day, so how do you prioritise in a way that is kind to your sensitivity and helps you avoid overwhelm at 7:01am? I'm sharing a few tips, including getting honest about your capacity and what's really a 'should' rather than a true priority, and so much more. Mentioned in this episode: SelfKind Nurture - my brand new 12 week small group program for highly sensitive people - is open for applications now! We start on Sunday 2nd August 2026, and you can learn more and apply here: https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkind-nurtureUpcoming Professional Development Programs through High Sensitivity Australia: - Thriving as a Highly Sensitive Practitioner - Tuesday 21st July 2026 (online): https://highsensitivity.com.au/thriving-as-a-highly-sensitive-practitioner/- Working with Highly Sensitive Clients - Tuesday 4th August 2026 (online): https://highsensitivity.com.au/working-with-highly-sensitive-clients/The SelfKind Hub: https://www.ericawebb.com.au/selfkindhubAbout your host, Erica WebbErica Webb is a registered counsellor, somatic exercise coach, yoga teacher and highly sensitive person (also diagnosed AuDHD). She supports other highly sensitive and neurodivergent people to discover their sensitivity superpowers and more confidently navigate the tricky bits of being a sensitive person in an often insensitive world.About the Podcast, SelfKindSelfKind is for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) who want to navigate the tricky bits of their sensitivity with more ease while finding their sensitivity superpowers. Here, we're all about being, living and moving through a lens of self-compassion and kindness.

217  Ever feel like you can never quite relax in your marriage—even when nothing is really wrong?Maybe a part of you feels like you have to manage the relationship all the time… or you're constantly noticing your partner's mood, his tone, how quickly he texts back, whether he seems distant, or whether the two of you still feel "okay." You aren't trying to overthink your relationship...but somehow, part of your mind is always checking and tracking if things are going a little south.In this episode, I unpack what I call this often hidden job so many highly sensitive women unknowingly take on: monitoring the relationship.We'll explore:How to recognize when paying attention has unconsciously become monitoring.Why this pattern is so common for highly sensitive women.How your nervous system turns sensitivity into vigilance.The surprising cost of constantly tracking your relationship.And what becomes possible when you no longer feel responsible for monitoring love in order to feel safe.If you've ever found yourself wondering "Are we okay?" more often than you'd like, this conversation will help you understand why—and, more importantly, show you a different path.If you're longing for a relationship that feels lighter, safer, more connected, and more like coming home to your best friend, this is an important episode.SHOW NOTES: Learn more about the full Safe Heart Pathway through Sanctuary 1:1 (where Foundations of Emotional Well-Being is included as the first layer)Or begin with Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs (FEW) on its own first.FREE QUIZ: How Much is High Sensitivity Impacting Your Relationship (and are you even highly sensitive)? You want to know. Because, high sensitivity has a major impact on intimate relationships – for better or worse. Take this 3 minute quiz to discover if you're highly sensitive and how deeply it's affecting you, and your happiness in your relationship. You will also get your next steps to making sure sensitivity works for your relationship, instead of against it.ENJOYING THE SHOW? Don't miss an episode! Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Leave  a review in Apple Podcasts--we are SO grateful!Check out the Start Here Podcast Pathway for a suggested route through the most important episodes to start with or review — the ones that will help you feel calmer, more secure, and more hopeful in your relationship.

How do you learn to trust your creative instincts when you've spent years second-guessing the way you're wired? (After all, there's no shortage of experts eager to tell you — or sell you — The One "Right" Way to be creative!) But as Highly Sensitive Persons, we notice details, connections, emotions, and possibilities that others may miss. As we learn to trust our perceptions, they can powerfully guide our creative work. Today, fiction author Laura Joy Lloyd joins me as guest co-host. Laura Joy shares how her sensitivity shapes the stories she reads, the characters she writes, and the unconventional writing process she created to honor her gifts, personality, and capacity. Together, we explore how to distinguish wise outside counsel from fear-based pressure, why the “right” creative process may look different for each of us, and what becomes possible when we stop fighting the way we're wired. What if the creative process that fits you best begins with trusting who God created you to be as an HSP? Resources Mentioned Join Laura Joy's email list https://laurajoylloyd.com/subscribe-to-podcast/ Enjoy Laura Joy's books Interesting Enough https://laurajoylloyd.com/product/interesting-enough/ Far From Unremarkable https://laurajoylloyd.com/product/far-from-unremarkable/ Check out Laura Joy's website https://www.laurajoylloyd.com/ Take the “Am I a Highly Sensitive Person?” Self-Quiz https://CheriGregory.com/hspquiz/ Learn about Cheri's Write Beside You coaching services https://writebesideyou.com/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Grit and Grace: The Creative Process of Highly Sensitive Women(00:02:02) - Copyright 2010 by Amy Tan(00:03:14) - Grit and Grace(00:04:43) - As a Highly Sensitive Person,(00:07:26) - What Do Highly Sensitive People Look For In Stories?(00:13:46) - Writing Like a Proposer(00:16:35) - What Does It Feel Like to Write a Highly Sensitive Story?(00:19:03) - Writing and Popping: Plot and Pants(00:21:51) - How to Plan Your Life as a Writer(00:29:20) - How to Write a Million People's Dreams(00:29:58) - A Highly Sensitive Person's Guide to Writing

Highly sensitive people often struggle with overthinking because their nervous system is wired to notice more, process deeply, and anticipate potential problems. When anxiety, uncertainty, or fear arise, the mind can easily become caught in loops of analyzing, replaying, and trying to find certainty.In this episode, we explore why sensitive minds overthink, what your brain is actually trying to accomplish when it gets stuck in those mental loops, and how mindfulness can help you return to the present moment when fear pulls you into the past or the future.Drawing from nervous system awareness, mindfulness practice, and Buddhist teachings from Thich Nhat Hanh and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, this episode offers a more compassionate way of understanding overthinking.You'll learn:why overthinking is often fear trying to create safetyhow highly sensitive people become vulnerable to mental loopsthe Buddhist teaching of the Second Arrow and how it relates to anxiety and overthinkingwhy the mind mistakes certainty for safetyhow mindfulness helps us return to the present momentIf you'd like a supportive space to practice these kinds of nervous system tools more regularly, I'd love to invite you to explore my Rooted Resilience Membership Circle.Rooted Resilience is my membership community for highly sensitive people who want support calming anxiety, regulating their nervous systems, and building greater resilience and self-trust. We explore many of the same themes discussed on the podcast through live gatherings, guided practices, and community support.Learn more here:https://yogiranger.com/rooted-resilienceIf anxiety and overthinking are recurring challenges for you, my short course Anxiety Relief: Training Your Nervous System for Safety offers simple, practical tools to help your body respond differently to fear, uncertainty, and emotional overwhelm.Learn more here:https://yogiranger.com/anxiety-relief-courseYou may also enjoy these Insight Timer practices:Yoga Nidra for Nervous System Reset & Deep Rest:https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-nervous-system-reset-deep-rest_1Yoga Nidra for Highly Sensitive People: Burnout Recovery:https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-highly-sensitive-people-burnout-recoveryNew to the podcast? Start here:Episode 33 – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?Episode 39 – The Hidden Struggles & Strengths of Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 40 – Boundaries for Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 41 – Nervous System Regulation for HSPs

As a holistic and functional psychiatrist, I see many people who are highly sensitive. Most are deep divers into information and able to connect a lot of dots. Many are gifted. Many struggle with overwhelm and low stress tolerance. Some struggled with anxiety, inner tension, or feeling “too much” for as long as they can remember. Some feel different - that they don't fit in.As a holistic and functional psychiatrist with over twenty years in practice, I've worked with thousands of highly sensitive adults and children. Most are deep divers into information, able to connect a lot of dots — many are gifted. And yet many struggle with overwhelm, low stress tolerance, anxiety, or inner tension that has been there for as long as they can remember. Many feel different, like they don't quite fit in. What I've found is that sensitivity itself is rarely the problem — it's the seeming vulnerability to brain-related or physical conditions. Over the years I've found three different models to be especially useful in explaining some of the vulnerabilities and the strengths of those of us who are highly sensitive: Dr. Elaine Aron's work on the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), the nutritional medicine concept of Pyrrole Disorder, and Dr. Sharon Meglathery's RCCX Theory. Each looks at a similar group of traits through a different lens — psychological, biochemical, and genetic, respectively.Before I start, I want to emphasize that sensitivity is not a pathology or a diagnosis. It is actually a trait that has existed across human history for a reason. My goal is not to pathologize it, but to understand it — and to offer tools to those who have these traits but who are struggling with a condition more prevalent in those with these traits. As I go through these three frameworks, the overlap will be obvious and I'll highlight what each of these has to offer that the others don't.What You'll Learn* The HSP model provides validation and a language for sensitive individuals.* Pyrrole Disorder involves an overproduction of pyrroles, leading to nutrient depletion of nutrients critical for neurotransmitter functioning.* Pyrrole Disorder is common in brain-related conditions.* RCCX Theory connects genetic vulnerabilities to sensitivity and chronic illness.* Stress amplifies the experiences of highly sensitive individuals.* Understanding these models can lead to effective treatment options.* There are meaningful paths forward for those who are highly sensitive.Chapters* 00:00 Understanding High Sensitivity* 02:26 The Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Model* 10:23 Exploring Pyrrole Disorder* 18:18 RCCX Theory Explained* 30:11 Intersecting Models: HSP, Pyrrole Disorder & RCCX Theory* 34:40 Conclusion and Path ForwardI. THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSONIn the early 1990s, psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron identified a personality trait she called Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) — and the people who score high in it she called Highly Sensitive Persons, or HSPs.This is not a diagnosis. It is a trait, present in roughly 15–20% of the population. It has been found across more than 100 species — from fruit flies to primates. This tells us it is evolutionarily conserved — it confers survival advantages. In any social group, having members who are wired to notice subtle cues, process information deeply, and detect threats before others do is extremely valuable. Fitting with this, many of these individuals, who also struggle with complex chronic health issues are considered the “canaries in the coal mine” since their bodies react to environmental triggers (environmental toxins, chemicals, or stressors) long before the rest of the population.Dr. Aron captured the core features of this trait in an acronym she called DOES:D — Depth of processing: HSPs think deeply, reflect before acting, and notice subtleties that others miss.O — Overstimulation: Because they process so thoroughly, HSPs reach their threshold more quickly in high-stimulation environments.E — Emotional reactivity and Empathy: HSPs feel emotions intensely and are highly attuned to the emotions of those around them.S — Sensitivity to subtle stimuli: They pick up on things — in their environment, in social dynamics, in the body — that others simply don't register.As you can see, traits that are super powers, can become liabilities. The deep diver who loses sight of the big picture. The empath who absorbs everyone else's energy as their own energy becomes depleted. The person who withdraws from the world because the stimulation has simply become too much.HSP ResearchBeyond the clinical observations, there is now a growing body of neuroscience and genetic research supporting this trait. There is evidence that the brains of sensitive people are doing more, processing more and feeling more.fMRI studies (Acevedo, Aron et al., 2014) have shown that when HSPs view emotional images — particularly photos of loved ones expressing happiness or sadness — their brains show significantly greater activation in regions associated with awareness, empathy, and sensory integration.Twin studies show that Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) as defined by Dr. Aron is approximately 47% heritable. Small studies as opposed to large genome wide studies have focused on genetic variants involving dopamine and serotonin systems, such as a serotonin transport gene, a dopamine receptor gene, and COMT, which codes for the enzyme that metabolizes dopamine and norepinephrine.While this hints at a biochemical dimension, the HSP framework doesn't address this as directly as the other two models I'll discuss, nor does it explain the higher prevalence of physical health conditions in those who are highly sensitive.Research published in 2026 (Matsuzawa et al.) found that individuals high in SPS had substantially higher rates of depression (13.8%), anxiety disorder (10.5%), and developmental disorders, such as ADHD and ASD, compared to the general population.Despite this overlap with developmental disorders: unlike, ADHD, HSPs typically have excellent concentration in quiet environments. And unlike the social deficits described in ASD, HSPs tend to have heightened social attunement. They often feel too much of what's happening in social situations, not too little, even if they respond awkwardly at times.Research shows that high sensory processing sensitivity is associated with more frequent physical symptoms — back pain, fatigue, digestive issues, frequent illness.What This Framework OffersThe HSP model has given millions of people validation and a language for these traits that has allowed them to shift from “what is wrong with me” to “this is how I am wired.”It also offers an evolutionary reframe. High sensitivity is not a mistake and is not pathologic. It is a feature of the human population that has served us.What it doesn't offer is a biological explanation for why some sensitive people suffer so acutely — or a path toward biochemical intervention. II. PYRROLE DISORDERPyrrole disorder is a biochemical imbalance that has been recognized for decades, though it remains largely unknown in mainstream psychiatry. It involves an overproduction of pyrroles — metabolic byproducts that, on their own, are not a problem. When they are high, however, they can result in a depletion of zinc, B6 and a few other nutrients.First identified in the 1950s and first treated with zinc and B6 in the 1980s, pyrrole disorder is one of the most common nutrient imbalances found in brain-related conditions — and one of the most treatable. Yet most people who have it have never heard of it. I learned about pyrroles in 2014 when I first trained with the Walsh Research Institute.The Importance of Zinc, B6 & MagnesiumVitamin B6 is required to synthesize dopamine, serotonin, and GABA — three of the most critical neurotransmitters for mood regulation, anxiety, and stress response. Zinc plays a profound role in the central nervous system, the immune system, gastrointestinal tract (which we now know has its own significant influence on brain health) and connective tissue (joints and skin).Pyrrole Disorder Traits & SymptomsThe most consistent feature is low stress tolerance. People with elevated pyrroles are often described as those for whom life seems harder than it should be, every transition can be destabilizing and every large group or new environment feels like too much.The overlap with the HSP profile is striking, but here, we start to see not only traits, but symptoms.- Socially anxious, shy, or fearful since childhood, with severe inner tension- Sensitive to bright light, loud noises, textures, and odors- Avoids crowds, strangers, and new situations- History of reading difficulty- Poor short-term memory- Underachievement- Irritability, mood swings, bouts of depression- Tends to stay up late; little or no dream recall; morning nausea- White spots on fingernails; very dry skin; stretch marks; poor wound healing- Joint pain- Frequent infections or autoimmune tendenciesMost people with pyrrole disorder don't have all of these symptoms — but the inner tension, the high sensitivity, and low stress intolerance are very common.What the Data ShowsThe Walsh Research Institute has collected data on over 30,000 patients. Elevated pyrroles were found in:* 18% of those with ADHD* 24% of those with depression* 28% of those with behavioral disorders* 35% of those with autism* 35% of those with bipolar disorder* 30% of those with schizophrenia* 12% of those with PTSDAnd in only 8% of healthy controls — meaning those with no psychiatric diagnosis.What Causes Pyrrole Disorder?For many, there appears to be a genetic component, but for others, pyrroles appear to have increased due to high physiologic or emotional stress. Examples include candida overgrowth or other forms of gut microbial imbalances, mold toxicity, heavy metals, chemical exposures, illness, emotional trauma, major life transitions or even growth spurts in children.What This Framework Brings UsRelative to the HSP framework, an understanding of pyrroles gives a specific, treatable biological mechanism. When zinc, B6, Magnesium and other nutrients are depleted, we know how the brain's neurotransmitter functioning is affected — and we know what to do about it.Treatment from a Walsh Research Institute trained practitioner typically involves a nutrient protocol of zinc (based on zinc and copper testing), B6 or its active form P5P, and other nutrients for pyrrole disorder and other nutrient imbalances identified. For many patients, a lifetime of chronic inner tension and fearfulness begins to shift within days to a couple of weeks of starting the nutrients.Treatment doesn't change one's personality, but it can improve social discomfort, overwhelm, the anxiety, the depression that has been layered on top of that sensitivity.Where zinc deficiency can impact a lot of the physical conditions that appear to be more common in those who are hypersensitive, it doesn't fully explain the significant hormonal, inflammatory, connective tissue symptoms and autoimmunity we see in many who are hypersensitive.III. RCCX THEORYRCCX theory has been proposed by Dr. Sharon Meglathery, MD — a psychiatrist and internist whose own complex health history (which is very similar to my own) led her to one of the most compelling explanations I've encountered for why hypersensitivity, neurodivergence, psychiatric conditions, MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome), EDS (Ehlers Danlos Syndrome), POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) and/or CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and autoimmunity tend to cluster together in certain individuals and families.RCCX refers to a module of four genes on chromosome 6. Three of them appear to be particularly important to our health, and two of those have very high rates of mutation.The Three Key Genes(1) TNXB codes for a protein involved in connective tissue. Variants range from subtle joint hypermobility to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. But connective tissue isn't just about joints — it's also about the permeability of the gut-blood barrier, the blood-brain barrier, and vulnerability to upper cervical (neck) instability, which can put tension on the vagus nerve and affect the entire autonomic nervous system.(2) CYP21A2 is the most important gene in the module when it comes to psychiatric conditions. It codes for 21-hydroxylase, an enzyme needed to convert 17-hydroxyprogesterone into cortisol. When there is a mutation — and there can be many, of varying degrees — the body may struggle to meet the demand for cortisol under stress. A weakness on this gene could have two primary effects:First — The theory holds that many people with CYP21A2 mutations, even without hypermobility, may develop what Dr. Meglathery calls a “brain wired for danger” — essentially, a nervous system calibrated toward threat detection from early in life, with minimal trauma required. A mutation on CYP21A2 may essentially result in relatively higher androgens impacting the amygdala — the brain's fear and emotional center. Studies have found that hypermobile individuals (who often carry TNXB mutations) have a larger-than-normal amygdala.Second — because of this mutation, the body may not be able to keep up with the body's need for cortisol (especially when under stress). This deficit causes the brain to release corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) to signal the adrenal glands to produce more cortisol. CRH binds to mast cells and activates the immune system — leading to secondary brain inflammation. This is the inflammatory pathway that can result in a number of secondary health issues including MCAS, CIRS, POTS, CFS and more.(3) C4 is involved in immune response and autoimmunity, and has been linked to schizophrenia. This gene variant is not as common as the first two referenced, though I do see a number of families who also have autoimmunity impacting multiple family members.The CAPS Psychological ProfileDr. Meglathery uses the term CAPS — CYP21A2 Mutation Associated Neuropsychiatric Spectrum — to describe the psychological profile she has observed in people with this genetic vulnerability. These traits can exist long before any formal psychiatric diagnosis, and they are not inherently pathological. - Anxiety and over-arousal during times of stress — high adrenaline, insomnia, sometimes manic-like characteristics- Under-arousal during low-stress periods — leading to ADD presentations, compulsive behaviors, or thrill-seeking to raise arousal- High emotionality, sensitivity, and reactivity to environmental stimuli- Sensory processing difficulties — typically over-stimulation in loud or chaotic environments- A strong ability to read emotions in others, paired with social awkwardness in response- Easily affected by events others would consider minor — an offhand comment, a disturbing movie- A tendency toward nonconformity- Special abilities: gifted musicians, scientists, creatives, systems thinkers- Hyper-focus and obsession with areas of deep interest, often leading to remarkable accomplishments- High tenacity and determination, when not derailed by overstimulation or past trauma- Strong emotions — positive or negative — that can manifest as obsessional worrying, harm avoidance, OCD tendencies, or very high standards for self and othersDr. Meglathery also notes — and I have observed this clinically — that people with this profile tend to find each other through friendships, partnerships and marriage. They are drawn together by shared sensitivities, emotional depth, and intellectual gifts. This means children are likely to receive a tendency towards CAPS from both sides.Women who are appear to have CYP21A2 mutations often have a male-pattern finger length ratio — the ring finger longer than the index finger — a possible marker of androgen exposure during development.What RCCX OffersRCCX theory offers the broadest biological framework we have for understanding why sensitivity, psychiatric vulnerability, and complex chronic illness so often travel together in the same people and families. It connects the nervous system, the immune system, the hormonal system, and connective tissue under one genetic umbrella.It also points toward specific interventions: nervous system regulation (limbic retraining, vagal work), mast cell management, and addressing the downstream biochemical consequences of cortisol dysregulation.The limitation is that genetic testing for variants on the gene for 21-hydroxylase is not yet widely available, which is why this isn't a gene that you'll see referenced when it comes to HSP, though I would argue it is likely the most prevalent. RCCX remains a clinical theory — but one that explains the constellation of traits and symptoms of most of the people that I in my practiceIV. WHERE THESE MODELS INTERSECTWhere Might Pyrrole Disorder and RCCX Theory Meet?The symptom overlap is almost complete: poor stress tolerance, sensory sensitivities, anxiety, inner tension, connective tissue symptoms, frequent infections, autoimmune tendencies. Relatively low zinc would impact most of these shared symptoms, but there may be a potentially deeper connection.21-hydroxylase contains a pyrrole-like structure — heme — within it. Could a mutation resulting in abnormal 21-hydroxylase lead to a buildup of abnormal heme-like compounds, contributing directly to pyrrole disorder? This is not proven, but in an exchange about this with Dr. Meglathery, she indicated that she also believes there is a strong association, and the biochemical logic is compelling.This matters, because we know what helps pyrrole disorder. We have a treatment — treatment that can complement what RCCX theory makes evident — that the stress response has to be addressed.Stress (again from any cause - physiologic or emotional) is the great amplifier across all three models. Stress worsens the HSP experience, and tips the CYP21A2 mutation from manageable to destabilizing (through the hormonal consequences and the inflammatory cascade) and yes, it even causes pyrroles to increase.BRINGING IT TOGETHERFor someone who is highly sensitive, and struggling with brain related or physical symptoms or conditions, pyrrole disorder and even RCCX theory are worth considering because they offer tools and start to answer, “What Can We Do About It?”The three frameworks work together:The HSP model offers validation and language. It shifts the frame from deficit to difference. It reminds us that sensitivity is not pathology — it is a trait with evolutionary value, and it comes with great strengths.The Pyrrole model offers a treatable nutrient imbalance. It explains, at the neurotransmitter level, why stress hits harder for these individuals. Treatment doesn't take away the sensitivity; it lifts the weight that has accumulated on top of it.The RCCX model offers the broadest systems view. It connects the dots between what the body is doing — the immune activation, the hormonal dysregulation, the connective tissue involvement — and the psychiatric and psychological profile that tends to accompany it. It also provides additional tools: nervous system regulation, mast cell support, hormonal awareness.If any of this resonates — the sensitivity, the inner tension, the feeling of always being at the edge of overwhelm — please know that there are roots to explore and meaningful paths forward.If you are looking for someone trained by the Walsh Research Institute knowledgeable in assessing for and treating pyrrole disorder (and other common nutrient imbalances impacting brain health), or learning more about Dr. Aron's work on HSP and Dr. Meglathery's RCCX theory, I am providing those links below.And as always, I welcome your thoughts, experience and questions.Until next time,CourtneyAbout the AuthorDr. Courtney Snyder MD is a Holistic and Functional Child and Adult Psychiatrist who offers non-patient consultations to individuals and practitioners nationally and internationally in addition to her treatment practice serving FL, IN, KY, OH. Her educational content, shared through her website, Substack Newsletter, the Holistic Psychiatry Podcast and YouTube Channel reaches readers and listeners in over 160 countries.ResourcesWalsh Research Institute: walshinstitute.orgRCCX Theory — Dr. Sharon Meglathery: rccxandillness.comDr. Elaine Aron — The Highly Sensitive Person: hsperson.comOther Sources: Acevedo et al. 2014, “The Highly Sensitive Brain,” Brain & Behavior | Matsuzawa et al. 2026, Psychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences ReportsMedical Disclaimer:This newsletter is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com/subscribe

How can you manage your home without draining the limited capacity you have as an Highly Sensitive Person? In Part 2 of my conversation with Kathi Lipp, we discuss practical ways HSPs can reduce home-management overwhelm, including: making pre-decisions before guilt and emotion take over, choosing what to keep when possessions carry emotional weight, containing lists, notes, papers, and visible reminders, creating one reliable “source of truth,” and asking for calmer shared spaces without feeling controlling. We also explore what may really be happening when an HSP is labeled “controlling” for needing more calm at home—and how to communicate our sensory needs with clarity and compassion. This episode will help you approach home management with greater self-awareness, more realistic expectations, and less shame about what your uniquely-wired nervous system needs. Links to Resources Mentioned: Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/clutterfreeacademy Order Kathi's book Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps for Simplifying Your Space https://www.amazon.com/Clutter-Free-Quick-Steps-Simplifying/dp/0736959130/ Check out Kathi's Website: https://kathilipp.com/ https://kathilipp.com/ Take the “Am I a Highly Sensitive Person?” Self-Quiz https://CheriGregory.com/hspquiz/ Learn about the Sensitive & Strong Community Cafe https://sensitiveandstrongbook.com/sensitive-strong-community-cafe/ Chapters (00:00:00) - How to Manage Your Home (For Highly Sensitive People)(00:01:58) - With Kathy Lipp: Home Management and the Highly Sensitive Person(00:04:00) - How to Pre-Decide When to Clean or Vacuum(00:07:04) - PreDecisions for Your Dad and His(00:12:39) - Pre-Deciding(00:13:12) - What To Keep And Why?(00:18:31) - A Mother's Last Conversation With Her Daughter(00:19:05) - The Scandalous Way I Use My Planner(00:25:05) - Post-it Notes: An Organization Tool(00:27:04) - How to Talk About Clutter in the Home(00:32:33) - A Sense of Harmony in the Home(00:34:50) - Kathy Lips: The Clutter Free Academy(00:35:40) - The Highly Sensitive Christian Woman's Community Cafe

216 (If you've been enjoying this podcast, and haven't yet left a review, please do so now! Thank you so much.) In this episode, I share a story about a conversation with a friend that led to a big desire to share this with you: Many of us have, without even realizing it, learned to relate to our partners through control, pressure, expectations, and attempts to manage their behavior…And it is taking a big toll on our relationships. Because, while it tends to come from a very understandable place, it often creates the exact opposite of what we're hoping for in love.You'll learn:Why control is often much more subtle than we think (and even if a first you don't think this episode is for you–it likely is)The hidden signs that control may be showing up in your relationshipHow control can look like criticism, people-pleasing, monitoring, fixing, advising, or managingWhy trying to get your partner to behave differently rarely creates genuine connectionThe 2 deeper roots of controlWhy insight alone isn't enough to change these patternsAnd the 3 levels where lasting change actually happensIf you've ever felt frustrated or disappointed with your partner, or thought: "I just want him to be more loving, attentive, or emotionally available…or… do more," or even, "Why doesn't he get it?”,  this episode will help you see those struggles through an entirely new lens.Because when you become a woman who can honor her needs without trying to control another person into meeting them, love stops feeling like a job or power struggle…And starts to feel like love again. Listen in.SHOW NOTES: Learn more and begin Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs here. Learn more about the full path of Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs → Marriage Sanctuary 1:1 here. 

Do you constantly feel overwhelmed by loud noises, big crowds, or other people's negative energy? You aren't fragile—you might just be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). In this episode of the Makes Sense podcast, Dr. JC Doornick breaks down the life-changing insights from Elaine Aron's ground-breaking book, The Highly Sensitive Person. Learn how to stop treating your deep feelings as a flaw and start using them as your greatest emotional asset. Discover simple, daily habits to protect your energy, master your mind, reduce stress, and thrive in a world that never stops shouting. It is time to embrace who you are and turn your sensitivity into a superpower. #HighlySensitivePerson #HSP #Empath #PersonalGrowth #MakesSensePodcast   Contact Elaine Aron: Website: https://hsperson.com Books: https://amzn.to/4fHFvWq   Follow Dr. JC Doornick and the Makes Sense Academy:► Makes Sense Substack - https://drjcdoornick.substack.com ► Instagram: / drjcdoornick ► Substack: / drjcdoornick ►Facebook:  / makessensepodcast ►YouTube:  / drjcdoornick     MAKES SENSE PODCAST Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. This podcast explores topics that expand human consciousness and enhance performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works, and that perception is subjective and an acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW & SHARE our new podcast. FOLLOW Podcast: You will find a "Follow" button in the top right. This will enable the podcast software to alert you when a new episode launches each week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/makes-sense-with-dr-jc-doornick/id1730954168 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WHfKWDDReMtrGFz4kkZs9?si=003780ca147c4aec Podcast Affiliates: Kwik Learning: Many people ask me where I get all these topics, which I've been covering for almost 15 years. I have learned to read nearly four times faster and retain information 10 times better with Kwik Learning. Learn how to learn and earn with Jim Kwik. Get his program at a special discount here: https://jimkwik.com/dragon OUR SPONSORS: Blue Blinds Bakery - Hand Crafted with all natural ingredients - www.blueblindsbakery.com     0:00 - Intro 1:12 - What I like about Elaine Aron 3:40 - What's It like to be Elaine Aron these Days 5:27 - My HSP Discovery as a child 6:32 - Processing is the most important part of Sensitivity, not 8:16 - What are the clearest signs that somebody might be an HSP? 11:11 - What's the difference between an HSP and being Fragile? 13:10 - What's happening Neurologically inside an HSP Mind? 16:10 - What was the original idea for this book's name? 18:14 - What strengths do HSPs possess that others might not 24:35 - New Book - Spirituality through the HSP Lens 26:03 - Makes Sense Glasses with No Lenses 29:35 - Enlightenment is happening 39:16 - How does Elaine Aron handle adversity in the real world 44:14 - The Bouncing of the Ball 45:29 - How would you define Spirituality 49:05 - What would you say to that person that just found out they are an HSP 53:05 - What gives you the greatest Sense of Hope About Humanity Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When clutter piles up in our homes, it's not just “stuff” for many of us who are Highly Sensitive Persons. We can experience it as visual noise, decision fatigue, emotional stories, sensory input, and shame. So much shame. In this episode, my dear friend and co-author Kathi Lipp and I explore why everyday home management can feel uniquely overwhelming for HSPs … and how we can learn to respond with practical compassion instead of all-or-nothing thinking. You'll learn why tidying up a space can help your nervous system exhale, why systems often collapse when life happens, and how to create a simple “stabilizing day” rather than trying to catch up on everything at once Kathi also shares three small re-entry steps for those moments when home feels overwhelming. This episode is a gentle invitation to stop asking, “Why can't I keep up?” and start asking, “What might help my HSP nervous system take the next small step?” Links to Resources Mentioned: Kathi Lipp's Clutter Free Academy Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/clutterfreeacademy Order Kathi's book Clutter Free: Quick and Easy Steps for Simplifying Your Space https://www.amazon.com/Clutter-Free-Quick-Steps-Simplifying/dp/0736959130/ Check out Kathi's Website: https://kathilipp.com/ https://kathilipp.com/ Take the “Am I a Highly Sensitive Person?” Self-Quiz https://CheriGregory.com/hspquiz/ Learn about the Sensitive & Strong Community Cafe https://sensitiveandstrongbook.com/sensitive-strong-community-cafe/ Chapters (00:00:00) - When clutter piles up in our homes(00:01:17) - Grit and Grace: Highly Sensitive Christian Women(00:03:49) - What is HSP?(00:04:50) - The Special Challenges of Being a Highly Sensitive Person(00:09:25) - Why is clutter more detrimental to HSPs than to the rest(00:11:52) - What to Do When Things Fall Apart in the Household?(00:18:00) - Why Does a Clean House Feel So Peaceful? But(00:21:26) - Fooled by Nature: The Go-Go, Do-(00:23:46) - Kathy Lips: Clutter Free Academy(00:24:58) - Grit and Grace: The Sensitive and Strong Community

One thing I see in so many of us highly sensitive folk is that we're experts at consistently overestimating our capacity. When we overestimate capacity, the outcome is written long before we land there: we fall in a heap; exhausted and burnt out. Why oh why do we repeat this cycle? Well ... for one, the world kind of demands it. So what do we do if we want OUT of that cycle and to finally honour the truth of our capacity? Join me for this episode of SelfKind - a podcast for highly sensitive people - where I'm exploring this question (and, no, I don't have all the answers! But I have plenty of questions and food for thought!).About your host, Erica WebbErica Webb is a registered counsellor, somatic exercise coach, yoga teacher and highly sensitive person (also diagnosed AuDHD). She supports other highly sensitive and neurodivergent people to discover their sensitivity superpowers and more confidently navigate the tricky bits of being a sensitive person in an often insensitive world.About the Podcast, SelfKindSelfKind is for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) who want to navigate the tricky bits of their sensitivity with more ease while finding their sensitivity superpowers. Here, we're all about being, living and moving through a lens of self-compassion and kindness.

Find out your unique sensitivity profile and your current stress levels. Take the HSP Stress Test here: https://trueinnerfreedom.com/hsp-stress-test/ Do you ever feel like you're carrying emotional weight that nobody else even seems to notice? As a highly sensitive person, you naturally pick up on unspoken tension, emotional shifts, and subtle signals others miss. But when no one else acknowledges what you're sensing, it's easy to wonder if you're "too sensitive" or if you should be doing something to fix it. This episode helps you understand why empathy can feel so overwhelming — and how to stop turning awareness into emotional responsibility. Discover why highly sensitive people often feel alone in what they notice Learn the hidden value your empathy brings to relationships, groups, and environments Understand the critical difference between awareness and responsibility so you can stop emotionally over-carrying Listen now to learn how to honor your empathy without absorbing emotional burdens that were never yours to carry.   Todd Smith, founder of True Inner Freedom Dreaming of a stress-free, balanced life? Visit https://trueinnerfreedom.com/ and take the HSP Stress Test. Gain clarity on your sensitivity and stress triggers, and book a free 30-minute introductory conversation to explore what's going on for you and see if working together 1:1 might be a fit. Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP) or someone who identifies as hypersensitive or neurodivergent? This podcast is dedicated to helping highly sensitive people (HSPs) navigate overwhelm and stress by using The Work of Byron Katie—a powerful method for questioning stressful thoughts and finding true inner freedom. We dive deep into stress management strategies, coping with stress, and stress relief methods specifically tailored for HSPs. Learn how to manage emotions, especially negative ones, and explore effective stress reduction techniques that go beyond the surface to address the root causes of anxiety and pressure. Whether you're interested in learning how to lower stress, handle stress and pressure, or reduce stress through practical techniques, we provide insights and support based on The Work of Byron Katie. Discover how this transformative approach can help you decrease stress, find inner peace, and create balance in your life. Join us to learn about various coping strategies for stress, all designed to support HSPs in their journey toward emotional well-being.

Send us a message!My guest today is Niki Mathias.Niki is an author who is helping the world better understand what it means to be a highly sensitive person.  Her upcoming book, Derby and the Dandelions, explores this through the unique lens of a teenage girl and her best friends.I'm very excited to share this conversation because I learned so much from talking with Niki.  Her stories and sharing come from firsthand experience and hard-earned wisdom.  She shared the framework of understanding people's nervous system processing as Dandelions, Tulips, and Orchids.  If you have never heard these terms in relation to Highly Sensitive Persons, you are in for an enlightening listen.Niki's book is in the publishing process so we don't know exactly when it will be available, but believe me, you'll want to pre-order it!Niki, thank you so much for sharing these pieces of your story, journey, and wisdom!  I'm so grateful to be connected with you and seriously can't wait to read your book!Find more about Niki and her work:  https://nikimathias.com/Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~   Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

215  If you've put real effort into improving your relationship…Like,  tried communication tools, or mindset work, nervous system regulation, self-worth healing, or attachment work—or all of the above—and still find yourself feeling stuck in the same emotional patterns…this episode will likely land deeply.In the previous two episodes, we explored Emotional Agency and how your inner world shapes the way you experience love and connection as an HSP.Today, we go deeper into what actually makes relationship change hold.Because while most relationship advice focuses on what happens between partners, real change starts inside you.  And even approaches that focus on healing your inner world are often incomplete—working with only one layer of the system while leaving the others untouched.So the missing piece to transforming your relationship as an HSP isn't more effort, or better communication, or even more self-work in isolation.It's understanding that your emotional well-being is a system, and learning to work with the 3 layers of that system in an integrated way.In this episode, we explore:• Why traditional relationship advice often doesn't create lasting change for HSPs • Why mindset work alone isn't enough • Why nervous system work alone isn't enough • Why self-worth and self-compassion work alone isn't enough • How your nervous system, thoughts, and sense of self-worth constantly interact • Why working with all three is what actually creates lasting emotional and relational changeAnd perhaps most importantly, if you've been wondering, "Why does it feel like I've worked so hard and our relationship still isn't where I want it to be?"...This compassionate, clarifying, relieving episode will finally give you the answer.And it will also show you the path forward to create real relationship change that lasts.SHOW NOTES: Learn more and begin Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs here. Learn more about the full path of Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs → Marriage Sanctuary 1:1 here. 

Highly sensitive people often experience anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and nervous system fatigue because they absorb more from their environments than they realize. When emotional regulation becomes difficult, it's often not because you're "too sensitive"—it's because your nervous system has been carrying more than it was meant to carry.In this guided practice episode, we move beyond understanding emotional absorption and into experiencing what it feels like to come back to yourself. Together, we'll explore a simple nervous system reset designed to help you release emotional weight, reconnect with your own experience, and create space between caring for others and carrying everything for them.You'll learn: • the difference between caring and carrying • a simple nervous system practice for returning to yourself • how to stay connected without taking responsibility for everything around youIf your nervous system has been carrying a lot lately, you may enjoy these companion Yoga Nidra practices on Insight Timer:Yoga Nidra for Nervous System Reset & Deep Rest: https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-nervous-system-reset-deep-rest_1Yoga Nidra for Burnout Recovery: https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-highly-sensitive-people-burnout-recoveryAnd if anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or absorbing other people's emotions has become a recurring pattern for you, my short course Anxiety Relief: Training Your Nervous System for Safety offers simple, practical tools to help your body feel steadier in emotional environments: https://yogiranger.com/anxiety-relief-courseNew to the podcast? Start here:Episode 33 – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?Episode 39 – The Hidden Struggles & Strengths of Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 40 – Boundaries for Highly Sensitive PeopleEpisode 41 – Nervous System Regulation for HSPs

Send us Fan MailYou're not imagining it. The tiredness so many of us are feeling right now is real  and it goes deeper than late nights or a busy week. It's the kind of exhausted that sleep doesn't quite fix, the kind that makes you wonder if something is actually wrong with you.In this episode Christina Fletcher explores four energetic reasons why sensitive, empathic women are running on empty right now  from shedding old identities and absorbing collective pain, to the Earth's electromagnetic field spiking and souls working overtime through the night.Whether you call it spiritual exhaustion, empath fatigue, or just "I don't know why I'm so tired," this episode will help you understand what your system is actually doing  and how to start filling back up.In this episode:Why 2026 is still a shedding year  and how holding on to closed chapters quietly drains your energy without you realising it. Christina shares journaling and energy clearing practices to help you finally put it down.The difference between being a lighthouse and jumping in the hole  and why it matters for empaths right now. If you're absorbing the world's pain without grounding yourself first, you're not helping anyone. Christina unpacks how to stay compassionate without losing yourself.What the Schumann Resonance is and why its recent spikes might explain your brain fog, restlessness, and unexplained exhaustion. Your body is processing enormous amounts of energy and Christina shares the simple practices that help it move through faster.Why you might be doing soul work in your sleep  and how to set a conscious intention for genuine rest on the nights you need it most.The difference between inflow and outflow, and why receiving is just as important as giving. Simple, grounded ways to plug back in, even when you only have a moment.Free resource mentioned: Your Missing Map; a free guide and audio walking you through all seven chakras so you can see exactly where you need to realign. Simple, practical, and designed for real life. spirituallyawareliving.com/themapChristina Fletcher is a Spiritual Alignment coach, energy worker, author, speaker and host of the podcast Showing Up Whole.She specialises in practical spirituality and integrating inner work with outer living, so you can get self development off of the hobby shelf and integrated as a powerful fuel to your life. Through mindset, spiritual connection, intuitive guidance, manifestation, and mindfulness techniques Christina helps her clients overcome overwhelm and shame to find a place of flow, ease, and deep heart-centered connection.Christina has been a spiritual alignment coach, healer and spiritually aware parent coach for 11 years and trained in Therapeutic Touch 12 years ago.  She is also a meditation teacher and speaker. For more information please visit her website www.spirituallyawareliving.com Want to uncover where you need the most energy alignment? Take her new Energy Alignment Quiz to identify which of your energetic worlds (mind, body, heart or spirit) needs aligning the most! Or Follow her on her social media accounts:FacebookInstagramorLinkedin...

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at:⁠ OLDPodcast.com⁠. Episode 3406: Lauren Stewart explores the connection between high sensitivity and anxiety, sharing how overstimulation and deep emotional processing shaped her experiences from childhood into adulthood. She reveals the surprising practice that consistently calms her anxious mind, helping others, while also emphasizing the importance of balancing compassion with self-care to truly thrive as a highly sensitive person. Read along with the original article(s) here:⁠ https://highlysensitiverefuge.com/anxiety-highly-sensitive-person/⁠ Quotes to ponder: "For me and for many others around me, I've noticed the key to relieving anxiety in the moment is helping others." "As adults, all kinds of things can make us anxious, from a deadline at work or school to not knowing what's going to happen in a given scenario." "Try to frequently journal your anxiety and worries to see where it is stemming from and what you can do in your daily life to help heal it." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at:⁠ OLDPodcast.com⁠. Episode 3406: Lauren Stewart explores the connection between high sensitivity and anxiety, sharing how overstimulation and deep emotional processing shaped her experiences from childhood into adulthood. She reveals the surprising practice that consistently calms her anxious mind, helping others, while also emphasizing the importance of balancing compassion with self-care to truly thrive as a highly sensitive person. Read along with the original article(s) here:⁠ https://highlysensitiverefuge.com/anxiety-highly-sensitive-person/⁠ Quotes to ponder: "For me and for many others around me, I've noticed the key to relieving anxiety in the moment is helping others." "As adults, all kinds of things can make us anxious, from a deadline at work or school to not knowing what's going to happen in a given scenario." "Try to frequently journal your anxiety and worries to see where it is stemming from and what you can do in your daily life to help heal it." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

214 If you've ever felt unloved, unseen, or emotionally unmet in your relationship…even while knowing your partner probably does care about you… this episode is a must listen.In the last episode, we talked about emotional agency and the 3 core layers that shape emotional well-being for highly sensitive people. In this episode, we dive much deeper into one of those layers, which tends to be one of the biggest hidden struggles I see highly sensitive people carry into relationships without even realizing it:The painful self-worth patterns and deeper “heart wound” that sit beneath feeling unloved.This is a conversation that Todd Smith, from the Stress Management for Highly Sensitive People Podcast, and I recorded for his podcast, and I decided to share it here because it's such a deep, compassionate, validating, and hopeful conversation.In it we explore:why HSPs can feel unloved even when they have a good partner who does really love themThe "heart wound", and something I call “care distortion”, and how they affect a marriagehow childhood conditioning and being told you're “too sensitive” impacts self-worthwhy reassurance from your partner never fully resolves the deeper painhow emotional patterns, thoughts, and the nervous system all work together to help you feel loved or unlovedhow to begin building a more secure, loving relationship with yourself And how that finally opens the door to you feeling the deep love in your relationship you've always wanted to feelI think a lot of you are going to feel deeply seen in this episode.And even more importantly, you will leave feeling hopeful — because these patterns are not permanent, and healing them is not just absolutely possible, but something you can totally excel at as an HSP with the right support. Tune in!SHOW NOTES: Learn more and begin Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs here. Learn more about the full path of Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs → Marriage Sanctuary 1:1 here. 

Highly sensitive people often experience anxiety and overwhelm after social interactions because their nervous system processes more information during connection. When emotional regulation requires more recovery time, it can feel confusing or discouraging until you understand what your nervous system is actually doing.In this episode, we explore why sensitive nervous systems become tired after conversations, gatherings, and everyday interactions, and why your recovery needs are biological rather than a personal weakness.You'll learn:• why highly sensitive people process social environments more deeply • how sensory load affects nervous system energy • what emotional tracking fatigue is and why it happens • why recovery time supports resilience rather than avoidance• simple ways to help your nervous system restore after connectionIf you'd like support helping your body recover more deeply after social or emotional fatigue, you can explore these free Yoga Nidra practices on Insight Timer:Yoga Nidra for Nervous System Reset & Deep Rest: https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-nervous-system-reset-deep-rest_1Yoga Nidra for Burnout Recovery: https://insighttimer.com/yogiranger/guided-meditations/yoga-nidra-for-highly-sensitive-people-burnout-recoveryAnd if anxiety or overwhelm often follows connection, my short course Anxiety Relief: Training Your Nervous System for Safety offers simple step-by-step tools to help your body feel steadier in emotional environments: https://yogiranger.com/anxiety-relief-course New to the podcast? Start here: Episode 33 – Are You a Highly Sensitive Person? Episode 39 – The Hidden Struggles & Strengths of Highly Sensitive People Episode 40 – Boundaries for Highly Sensitive People Episode 41 – Nervous System Regulation for HSPs

— Today, it is a JOY to have Dr. Elaine Aron, a distinguished author and psychologist known worldwide for her groundbreaking work on highly sensitive individuals. Dr. Aron is here to discuss her latest book, "Spirituality Through a Highly Sensitive Lens: An Objective Look at Meditation Methods and Enlightenment. "In this insightful guide, Dr. Aron provides readers with practical pathways to find peace and equanimity amidst life's chaos. Reflecting on the seeker culture of the 1960s, which sparked a quiet spiritual revolution, she explores how people have achieved profound inner calm in challenging times. Her book is the first to offer an objective overview of meditation methods and enlightenment, incorporating her personal experiences from 55 years of practice and recent brain research insights. With her signature empathy and a keen scientific perspective, Dr. Aron helps both highly sensitive individuals and the broader audience to discover the spirituality that best suits them. This episode promises to open doors to new spiritual paths, encouraging everyone to embark on their unique journey of self-discovery and transformation. Valeria interviews Dr. Elaine Aron  — She is the author of  "Spirituality Through a Highly Sensitive Lens: An Objective Look at Meditation Methods and Enlightenment." She is a clinical and research psychologist, the internationally bestselling author of The Highly Sensitive Person, in print for nearly thirty years and translated into 35 languages. In her latest book, Spirituality Through a Highly Sensitive Lens, Dr. Aron aims to helps readers better understand the various types of meditation—mindfulness, TM, Zen, and all the rest--so that they can choose for themselves. She also delves into the solid research that exists regarding enlightenment.  She does not know of any other book that does either of these!  This one does both, She is also the author of The Highly Sensitive Parent, The Highly Sensitive Person Workbook, The Highly Sensitive Person in Love, The Highly Sensitive Child, and Psychotherapy and the Highly Sensitive Person. Credited with first recognizing high sensitivity as an innate trait and pioneering the study of HSPs since 1990, she maintains a website and newsletter at HSPerson.com. Dr. Aron obtained her doctorate in clinical psychology from Pacific Graduate Institute and trained at the Jung Institute in San Francisco. She is widely published in academic journals on research regarding both sensory processing sensitivity and, along with her husband, Arthur Aron, the scientific study of close relationships. Learn more about Dr. Elaine Aron and her Spirituality Thru HS Lens!

The word “sensitive” has a lot of baggage. Much of it is negative. We are critical of people who we deem are not sensitive. Insensitive, we say. We are critical of people who we deem are too sensitive. Over sensitive, we say. If you look for the meaning of the word, you find this - Being sensitive means having a nervous system that processes information more deeply, resulting in acute physical, mental, or emotional responses to stimuli. I find myself today wanting to, as it says, “process information more deeply.” I want to feel the feels and experience all the sensations. That said, there are some things I feel, maybe too acutely. Some emotionally and some sensory. On both accounts I have some areas where I feel overly sensitive. How I choose to perceive them and address them is how I choose to care for myself, and with others regarding me. My guest in this show is my guru on sensitivities, and specifically, HSPs - highly sensitive people. Andre Sólo is the force behind Sensitive Refuge, the world's largest website for sensitive people, and Andre is the co-author of "Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World." When I first read Andre's book, I labeled myself an HSP, and you'll hear me refer to such in this episode. Since then, I do not accept this label, as I don't really accept any label. I don't align with saying I'm all of anything. But I do accept that there are some emotions and sensory perceptions that I recognize myself to be highly sensitive to. You may align with this as well, and Andre is here to help us learn how to be highly functioning, regardless of your sensitivities. Find him at his homebase website, sensitiverefuge.com, and find him on IG @sensitiverefuge Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

213  If you often feel triggered, hurt by, or really impacted by what's happening in your relationship, this episode will help you understand why–and what to do to leave this painful pattern behind.We're talking about Emotional Agency — the master skill that allows highly sensitive people to guide their emotional experience, instead of being run by it.Most highly sensitive people were never taught how to work with their inner world in a way that creates real emotional steadiness. So instead, we end up emotionally delegating— depending on our partner or circumstances to feel safe, loved, worthy, and connected.And that leaves us feeling unstable, reactive, disconnected, and powerless much of the time.In this episode, you'll learn: • what emotional agency actually is • why most HSPs struggle without it • how emotional delegation shapes your relationships • the 3 essential abilities emotionally healthy HSPs develop • and the 3 foundational inner layers that make emotional steadiness possible: nervous system regulation, thought stewardship, and self-worthI also share the new path I've created to support HSPs more deeply and clearly: Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs → Marriage Sanctuary 1:1Because emotional well-being and relational well-being are deeply connected.This episode is the beginning of a new series — and one of the most foundational conversations I've ever shared on the podcast.SHOW NOTES: Learn more and begin Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs here. Learn more about the full path of Foundations of Emotional Well-Being for HSPs → Marriage Sanctuary 1:1 here. 

Its Mental Health Awareness Month! This week we've got questions on Highly Sensitive People, Surface Level Friendships and Wins and Losses as TherapistsJoin our patreon!Listen ad-free, get the show a day early and enjoy the pre-show hang out on the same app you're using RIGHT NOW at www.Patreon.com/Therapy where you can also access our vast library of deep dives, interviews, skill shares, reviews and rants as well as our live discord chat!If you are an Apple user please rate us!If you are a Spotify user, please rate us!Submit a question to the show!Help us reach #1 on Goodpods!Interested in Nick's mental health approach to fitness? Check out www.MentalFitPersonalTraining.comCheck out Dr. Jim's book "Dadvice: 50 Fatherly Life Lessons" at www.DadviceBook.comGrab some swag at our store, www.PodTherapyBaitShop.comPlay Jim's Neurotic Bingo at home while you listen to the show, or don't, I'm not your supervisor.Submit questions to:www.PodTherapy.netPodTherapyGuys@gmail.comFollow us on Social Media:FacebookInstagramTwitterResources:Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255.Veterans Crisis Line - 1-800-273-8255.Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline - (1-800-662-HELP (4357)OK2Talk Helpline Teen Helpline - 1 (800) 273-TALKU.S. Mental Health Resources Hotline - 211

Have you been feeling more lonely lately? In this episode, I talk with Stacey Lindsay about finding the beauty of nurturing heartfelt connections at any age and:  • The small decisions you can make to center yourself more fully in your own life • Following your own timeline for relationships, work, and personal growth • Why it's important to be open to the beauty and joy around you  Stacey is a multimedia journalist, writer, and editor who focuses on civics and culture, with a lens on issues that affect people who identify as women. She's interviewed hundreds of public figures and civilians for TV, digital, and print publications. She's the author of the new book BEING 40: The Decade of Letting Go—and Embracing Who We Are, and a senior contributing editor for Maria Shriver's Sunday Paper.   Keep in touch with Stacey: • Website: https://www.staceylindsay.com  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceylindsay  Resources Mentioned: • Being 40 by Stacey Lindsay: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780593831199  • The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781583949764  • Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine Aron: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780553062182  For more deep conversations like this, join me in Sensitive Circles - a cozy online community for highly sensitive people to find meaningful connection and deepen self-awareness at their own pace. More details: https://www.sensitivecircles.com Thanks for listening! You can read the full show notes and sign up for my email list to get new episode announcements and other resources at: https://www.sensitivestories.comYou can also follow "SensitiveStrengths" for behind-the-scenes content plus more educational and inspirational HSP resources: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengthsYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengthsAnd for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off. If you have a moment, please rate and review the podcast, it helps Sensitive Stories reach more HSPs! This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment with a mental health or medical professional.  Some links are affiliate links. You are under no obligation to purchase any book, product or service. I am not responsible for the quality or satisfaction of any purchase.  

So many of us have spent years trying to fix our relationship with food by focusing on what we do — or don't — eat. But what if being “fully nourished” has less to do with getting food exactly right, and more to do with learning what your whole self actually needs? In this conversation with guest co-host Brandice Lardner, we talk about nourishment that goes far beyond calories, macros, and meal plans. We explore what it means to care for all aspects of your Highly Sensitive self — body, mind, soul, and spirit — with grace … especially as an HSP who is easily depleted by pressure, shame, and repeated attempts to fix everything all at once. If you're curious what it might look like to nourish the parts of yourself that food was never meant to care for, you'll find this episode full of freedom and hope. Links Mentioned: Order Brandice's new book Fully Nourished: A Grace-Filled Approach to Ditch Diets and Find Peace with Food and Your Body https://amzn.to/3Z3q5SL You can get her free 7-lesson "Faith > Food" email course right here https://gracefilledplate.com/faith-food-email-course/ Check out Brandice's Website: Grace Filled Plate https://GraceFilledPlate.com Take the “Am I a Highly Sensitive Person?” Self-Quiz https://CheriGregory.com/hspquiz/ Learn about the Sensitive & Strong Community Cafe https://sensitiveandstrongbook.com/sensitive-strong-community-cafe/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Grit and Grace: How to Nourish Your Highly Sens(00:01:42) - Fully Nourished with Brandice Lardner(00:03:27) - Intermittent Fasting(00:07:39) - How to Manage Your Body as You Age(00:13:24) - How to Deal With Regret (For What We Didn't Know(00:19:42) - How to Start Again with Food and Body(00:26:53) - How to Be Fully(00:31:13) - Brandice Brandes Fully Nourished(00:33:11) - Grit and Grace: The Sensitive and Strong Christian Women Podcast

Are you highly sensitive — and secretly using food to manage a world that feels like too much? In this episode, Dr. Vera Tarman sits down with Esther Kane, MSW, a British Columbia-based psychotherapist with nearly 30 years of experience helping highly sensitive people (HSPs) break free from emotional eating and food addiction. Esther isn't just a clinician — she's an HSP herself who nearly died from an eating disorder and has spent decades figuring out what works. If you've ever been told you're "too sensitive," struggled to explain why food feels like your only relief, or burned out trying to take care of everyone but yourself — this one's for you.