


Understanding Your HSP Trait, Part 2: Overarousal
Overarousal is the central challenge for HSPs. The causes are both external and internal, and managing both is essential for your well-being. In the first article of this four-part series, I explored deep processing— the first of four characteristics shared by highly... Read more
My mind is like a chainsaw
If you are highly sensitive, you need to learn to manage your mind. Your mental health and happiness depend upon it. I have a chainsaw for a brain. It’s truly a mixed bag. Chainsaws are indispensable when you need to cut through a lot of material and do it fast. We... Read more
HSPs may be too nice to bite. But we can hiss.
Can you be too nice? Yes. In an effort to be nice, HSPs can stop being honest with ourselves and others. This creates trouble in our relationships. In a recent session, I shared with my spiritual director a challenging situation I was struggling to deal with. In... Read more
3 things every HSP should know about subtle trauma
If you are highly sensitive, you’ll benefit from an understanding of subtle trauma. Once you recognize the signs, you can seek support if you need it. I found myself thinking about trauma responses last week after my partner caught a possum in our Havahart trap. The... Read more
Rest and downtime are essential to emotional healing. Here’s why.
The better you understand the process of emotional healing, the more effectively you can support yourself in moving through old pain. Wouldn’t it be lovely if emotional healing were rational and linear? Then we could uncover an old painful belief, analyze it, discard... Read more
Why deep listening is spiritual catnip for HSPs
Sensitive people are gifted at deep listening, and we naturally offer this gift to others. But we also need to make sure we receive lots of deep listening ourselves. I haven’t met a cat who could resist catnip. And I haven’t met a highly sensitive person who could... Read more
The Beatles needed a producer. We need Loving Adult Presence.
We need to cultivate Loving Adult Presence. Otherwise our parts will try to run the show, and that never goes well. I grew up with The Beatles. My whole family would go into the living room after dinner and dance to Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and I... Read more
HSP environmental susceptibility: what it is and how to use it to your advantage
Your mind, and your ability to manage it, is the key to managing your HSP environmental susceptibility and making it a positive force in your life. My friend Kaitlyn in Vancouver took this stunning photo and generously allowed me to share it with you. Looking at it, I... Read more