When someone has ever been told that he/she is too sensitive, and frequently they are advised by their friends and family such as they need to “toughen up”, “let things go”, “stop crying so much” and many more. But still, they can’t stop overthinking resulting in a struggle with situations that others seem to deal with easily. Then there is no denying the fact that he/she is a Highly Sensible Person.
A Brief Overview of High Sensitivity:
Being highly sensitive can be considered a personality trait and a person’s innate temperament. Highly sensitive people are those who are greatly affected by social stimuli such as the voice and facial expressions of people. The study shows that about 15-20% of the population is highly sensitive. Highly sensitive people notice several things about the world around them such as:
• They are overstimulated by light, sound, smell, touch, texture, and taste.
• They may feel an abundance of joy and excitement and can be equally overcome by sadness or disappointment.
• They normally express their struggle with a half-hearted smile or slumped shoulders.
• HSPs can be generally perfectionists and may worry about their performance or disappointing others.
• Moreover, the performances of HSPs lack when they are being closely observed.
There are some characteristics of HSPs that can add both richness and complexity to their life. Sometimes they are frustrated or feeling overwhelmed and looking to find some peace and simplicity in their life and then contact an HSP Therapist like you.
What do You Need to Know to Better Support Highly Sensitive People?
Each highly sensitive person is unique and has unique symptoms. But commonly four characteristics are shared by all HSPs and are represented by the acronym D.O.E.S. If you are a Highly Sensitive Person Therapist, you should know these things in detail.
• D- Depth of Processing: It is one of the foundations of the HSP trait. Research proves that when exposed to the same stimuli, the brain of highly sensitive people becomes more activated than that of other people who are non-highly sensitive. This is why this depth of processing can result in careful consideration of all possibilities.
• O- Overstimulation: The world in which we live is mainly designed for the majority who are not highly sensitive. This is why HSPs are generally seen to face several challenges that can be more susceptible to overstimulation.
• E- Emotionally Responsive: If you are an HSP
Psychologists, you may notice that HSPs generally feel deeply and react more strongly to emotional experiences. Though it is not necessarily a bad thing, it results in overthinking. It is also proved that a highly-sensitive person can effectively relate to other people’s emotions. It simply means that HSPs have a higher capacity for empathy.
• S- Sensing Subtleties: HSPs are more impacted by sensory input like strong smells, bright lights, loud noises, hot and cold temperatures, and hunger.
There are several methodologies like using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy that can be offered through HSP Online Training. So, as an HSP therapist, it is obvious that you work collaboratively with your clients to figure out what works the best for different HSP clients.
