Sensitive Stories

Did you learn to numb your feelings?  In this episode, I talk with Emily Macleod about reconnecting with your body through somatics and:

• Slowing down to notice what your body is telling you
• Letting go of self-judgment and embracing your imagination
• Accepting your big emotions

Emily is a Somatics Coach for highly sensitive people. She shows highly sensitive people how to safely come back to their body so they can lessen th...

Have you felt disconnected from your emotions? In this episode, I talk with Marie O’Neill about coming back to yourself and:

• Reconnecting to all parts of your being after periods of chronic stress or self-doubt
• Caring for your nervous system to support self-exploration
• Finding meaning through connections with nature, community, or spirituality

Marie is a holistic psychotherapist and spiritual coach specialising in workin...

How often do you take care of yourself? In this episode, I talk with Angelique Foye-Fletcher, LMFT, RPT about breaking the cycle of self-sacrifice and:

• How your cultural upbringing shapes your identity as an HSP
• Learning to take care of yourself when you grew up in an environment or culture that didn’t have room for your sensitivity
• Why simple acts of mindfulness are deeply healing and can change the way you parent

Angel...

Have you felt embarrassed by your sensitivity? In this episode, I talk with William Allen about the journey of learning to understand and embrace being an HSP as well as:

• Moving from living inauthentically to accepting your sensitivity
• The challenges faced by HSP men such as lack of community and models of sensitive masculinity
• Practicing portable self-care such as meditation, breathing, and connection with nature to recover from ...

Have you gotten stuck in the belief that HSPs are fragile? In this episode, I talk with Ibinye Osibodu-Onyali, LMFT about celebrating your sensitivity and:  

• Teaching people how to treat you and communicating that your needs are different
• Setting firm, but kind boundaries and how to manage pushback
• Finding fulfilling ways to socialize without the overwhelm or social pressure to show up like everyone else
• Rewriting the messages...

Are you overwhelmed by clutter? In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Jo-Rushdy about the impacts of tidying up and:

• How clutter and tidying up impacts our emotional, mental, and physical health
• The importance of digital boundaries and creating a sanctuary in your home
• Letting go of what doesn’t bring you joy and finding gratitude for your belongings
• Intentionally going through the six stages of the KonMari method of tidying u...

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 younger
• Discovering the connection between anxiety, depression, and your sensitive nervous system
• How to leverage your capacity to feel deep joy to break out of the emotional rollercoaster you’ve been on
...

Do you feel disconnected from your creative side?  In this episode, I talk with Jill McDougall about embracing the messiness of play and:

• Pulling the threads of curiosity and learning to trust your intuitive gifts
• The impact of growing up feeling sensory-sensitive and wanting harmonious environments
• Finding confidence and breaking free of limiting beliefs as an adult

Jill is a mixed media/collage artist living in Washingt...

Are you quietly restless or get lost in the clouds? In this episode, I talk with Nikolai Blinow, LMHC about the subtle signs of ADHD in highly sensitive people and:  

• Why HSPs and women are often misdiagnosed
• The three types of ADHD and how they present
• How to embrace neurodiversity as a strength and lean into radical acceptance

Nikolai is a highly-sensitive person with ADHD who helps fellow HSP and ADHD women in lea...

Do you lose yourself caring for others? In this episode, I talk with Kirsten Davidson, RP about being mindful about self-abandonment and:

• Understanding the distinction between caretaking from a place of empathy and people pleasing from a place of fear of abandonment
• Connecting with all the parts of yourself to heal and guide you in times of insecurity
• How to decipher the roots of your anxious experiences

Kirsten is a Registere...

Are you hiding from your emotions? In this episode, I talk with Federica Torri about giving yourself permission to feel and:

• Embracing your sensitivity and understanding the deeper role of the trait
• Why it’s important to freely express yourself and how to find your way back to your inner world
• How to let go of the “shoulds” and be more of your authentic self

Federica is a high sensation seeking HSP who has st...

Was school overwhelming for you? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Kaaryn Cater about the impact of the classroom environment on a highly sensitive student and:  

• How teachers and parents can support highly sensitive students to thrive and feel less overwhelmed

• What highly sensitive teachers can do to manage the sensory overwhelm and exhaustion from working in schools

• What strengths highly sensitive students can embody when ...

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 journa...

Do you feel stuck on your healing journey? In this episode, I talk with Liz Zhou, LPC about the benefits of psychedelic medicine for highly sensitive people and:  

• The three steps to safely and meaningfully experience psychedelics in a therapeutic context 

 • How to find a provider, which medicine to choose, and the importance of advocating for your sensory and emotional needs along the way 

• Wha...

Do you abandon your own needs? In this episode, I talk with Nick Edgar about living authentically as a highly sensitive person and:  

• Taking a personal leadership role to understand your needs and treat yourself with compassion  

• Rediscovering your true nature after being a late bloomer  

• Showing up for yourself without sacrificing connection  

Nick is a self-leadership and emotional agility coach, helping gif...

Do you push your anger away to make others comfortable? In this episode, I talk with Maya Benattar, LCAT about the importance of feeling angry and: 

• Pushing against the notion that HSPs should be sweet and keep their emotions hidden 

• How to feel your anger safely so it doesn’t become overwhelming  

• Making space for anger through music, art, movement, or with your own voice 

Maya is a licensed music psyc...

Have you noticed energy, mood, or sleep changes as you get older? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Karen Lamb about the effects of midlife hormonal shifts and:  

• How perimenopause can impact highly sensitive people  

• Symptoms to look out for as your hormone levels change 

• Why this time of life can be an opportunity for rebirth where you shed your people pleasing and self-sacrificing habits  

• Lifestyle change...

Do you hide your emotions away to make others comfortable? In this episode, I talk with Brianna Pastor about the joy and the messiness of being a deeply feeling person and: 

• learning to allow your emotions to take up space 

• the costs of always having to be strong and resilient as an HSP or empath 

• releasing your emotions to protect your physical and mental health   

Brianna is a queer writer, empath, adv...

Did you struggle to fit in as a sensitive kid or are parenting an HSP child? In this episode, I talk with Sarita Fichtner about embracing your sensitivity and building resilience in children through connection as well as:

• Learning to live on your own terms and listen to your instincts  

• Modeling acceptance and building resilience for your sensitive child 

• The kinds of social pressures highly sensitive children face&nb...