Sensitive and Thriving with Therapy and Ikigai

Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP) who struggles with self-confidence among friends or in the workplace? Maybe you’re unsure of who you are or what you’re truly meant to do for a living, and you’re wondering how to gain more clarity.

Today on The Happy HSP Podcast, Iris Pilleri — an HSP coach and psychology student based in Italy — shares how reclaiming her voice and sense of self after years of working in fields that didn’t align with her true calling brought her happiness and peace. From chronic exhaustion and people-pleasing to finally giving in to her purpose, Iris’s journey is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to come home to yourself. 

In this episode, Iris shares: 

• How years of people-pleasing disconnected her from her calling.
• Her experience with intense information processing and rich inner world.
• How pivoting to a new career helped her align with her true self.
• Her experience of high sensitivity in childhood compared to adulthood.
• The importance of therapy and self-acceptance along her journey.
• Finding her calling and purpose through the Japanese concept of Ikigai.

This episode will inspire you to embrace your inner child and take more risks as an HSP with common sense as your guide. Iris’s transformation will also remind you that honoring your sensitivity is the starting point — not the obstacle — on your path to a more aligned and fulfilling life.

Topics covered: 

• Breaking free from burnout and people-pleasing.
• Embracing the HSP trait and honoring your needs.
• Making aligned career choices as an HSP.
• Embracing your creativity and inner world as a gift.
• The importance of rest, slowness, and self-love.
• Redefining success from the inside out.

About Iris Pilleri: 

Iris is an HSP coach, psychology student, and language teacher based in Italy. She connects with clients and colleagues from all over the world through her ability to speak English, Italian, German, and French.

She coaches at Iris Sensitive Coaching, and in her business, “Iris” stands for Imagination, Respect, Intention, and Safety — the four pillars of her work. 

Follow along with Iris’s journey:

Instagram: @sensitivity_life

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-vanessa-pilleri-0304aa322/

Let’s Connect:

🤍 Share your biggest takeaway or follow us on Instagram @happyhsppodcast — we’d love to hear from you!

🎧 Subscribe and leave a review to help more HSPs find this space: thehappyhsppodcast.buzzsprout.com

📩 Want to be a guest on the show? Reach out to Kimberly at: [e-mail]

📖 Learn about Kimberly’s work: happyhspcoaching.com

About Kimberly:

After 20 years in the publishing industry working for companies like Time Inc., Monster.com, and W. W. Norton, Kimberly Marshall left her corporate work to create a more nurturing career that better suited her as an HSP. After repeatedly struggling with burnout and low confidence in the workplace, she now helps HSPs create careers that bring them lots of purpose, meaning, and joy. With the Happy HSP Podcast, Kimberly hopes to shed more light on the reality of living with high sensitivity and inspire more HSPs to embrace their empathetic, generous, and loving natures.

• Hosted/produced by Kimberly Marshall
• Edited by Fonzie Try Media
• Artwork by Tara Corola