Unapologetically Sensitive

EPISODE OVERVIEW In order to make this podcast sustainable, I will be making changes moving forward.  I talk about why it’s been difficult for me to slow down, and how some of my sense of value and worth has been tied up in a rigorous production schedule.  I have some fear about losing listeners, and I want to be able to provide great content over the long run. Self-care and setting boundaries are crucial for the well-being of the ... Read more

TITLE Happiness & Rewiring Your Brain Through Mindfulness & Self-Care   GUEST Anne-Kathrin Walter   EPISODE OVERVIEW I talk to Anne-Kathrin Walter, founder of HiSensitives.  We talk about what sensitivity looks like in Europe and The Netherlands compared to the United States. Anne talks about happiness and Positive Psychology and we separate this from the act of escaping our negative feelings. We talk about how our brains want to k... Read more

EPISODE OVERVIEW Jen and I talk about perfectionism, boundaries, self-care, HS superpowers, communication, vulnerability, authenticity, demystifying emotions, creating a lifestyle that honors the HSP, and mindfulness. These are some of the things that we notice Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) struggling with.  Our primary intention is to give you an idea of what to expect in our upcoming online groups. Whether you are considering t... Read more

TITLE My Husband and I Talk About How We Met and Some of the Challenges We Have in Our Marriage   GUEST Steve Young   EPISODE OVERVIEW My husband, Steve Young, and I have a candid discussion about our origin story, detailing our lives before we met; first impressions upon meeting each other, and the challenges we experience as a couple, who have been married for more than 21 years. We talk about our differences being an HSP and non... Read more

TITLE Overwhelm & Perfectionism - I’m in the Middle of the Struggle   GUEST Solo episode Patricia Young   EPISODE OVERVIEW I’ve been struggling with overwhelm, perfectionism and feeling not good enough. I feel vulnerable sharing when I’m in the middle of the struggle, but the way to break shame is to name it. When we are growing and doing new things, our gremlins will come up. I talk about and name what my gremlins are saying, and ... Read more

TITLE Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) & Understanding How to Build Trust and Strengthen Connections   GUEST Anya Surnitsky, LCSW   EPISODE OVERVIEW We use Brene Brown’s work on attachment to continue our discussion about security, safety, and steps to building strong relationships. We talk about the marble jar and how trust can be established. We discuss vulnerability and how our needs can be met through connection and intimacy, ... Read more

Bonus Episode 43 TITLE I Want More: You Want Less. How We Navigate Competing Needs in Relationships GUEST Solo episode Patricia Young, LCSW EPISODE OVERVIEW Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) often have different needs for connection in relationships.  I talk about a recent incident where this happened, and it triggered my wounding of feeling like I’m “too much.” I talk about how I communicated, and what self-care looked like in this s... Read more

GUEST Anya Surnitsky, LCSW EPISODE OVERVIEW We use Brene Brown’s work on attachment to talk about security, safety, how we get our needs met, and how to survive when our needs aren't being met. What we all want is to be seen, heard, and to feel valued. Oftentimes, we are triggered due to Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN), and trauma, which creates conflict in our relationships. We talk about shame, and Brene Brown’s antidote, which... Read more

Bonus Episode 42 TITLE Confusing Attachment, Things and Relationships—Or Why I Didn’t Want to Repaint My Son’s Room GUEST Solo episode Patricia Young, LCSW EPISODE OVERVIEW When we have experienced Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN), and have attachment wounds, we have often tried to control things when it’s about the relationship.  We want to hold on to things or get rid of things since they represent attachment and relationships. ... Read more

  Episode 25 TITLE Creativity & Feeling Like an Outsider GUEST Grace Chon EPISODE OVERVIEW Grace’s ability to connect with animals, has brought her success. Creativity is about the feelings that are evoked when we look at art, dance, etc. and how this relates to being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).  Being a child of immigrant parents motivated Grace, and she talks about how she straddled traditional Korean culture and American cu... Read more

Bonus Episode 41 TITLE Honoring Our Feelings In Relationships GUEST Solo episode Patricia Young, LCSW EPISODE OVERVIEW Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) tend to minimize or dismiss their feelings when they feel hurt. I talk about honoring the feelings that come up for us. Many of us have grief from previous relationships that didn’t work out, but we aren’t taught how to process the loss.  At the end, I give some specific ways you can ... Read more

Episode 024 TITLE We Didn’t Talk For 20 Years Due To A Mutual Therapist GUEST Laura Carr, LMFT EPISODE OVERVIEW Laura Carr, LMFT and I were best friends.  We broke up and didn’t talk for 20 years due to a mutual therapist. We talk about friendship trauma and the grief associated with it. I gave Laura an ultimatum, and so did the therapist. We talk about how this impacted us, and the powerful repair work we have done since we reconn... Read more

Episode 23 TITLE Narcissism and the Highly Sensitive Person GUEST Dr. Natalie Jones EPISODE OVERVIEW What is narcissism? What does it look like in relationships (romantic and parental).  Gaslighting—what is it? The connection between narcissists and HSPs (partners and parents). The HSP is often the scapegoat in the family.  There may be a golden child and the children are pitted against each other. If you have a parent who is narci... Read more

Bonus Episode 40 TITLE What Being A “Stand Up Guy” Means—A Beautiful Story Of Integrity GUEST Joshua Young EPISODE OVERVIEW My Son Joshua was in the middle of taking a chemistry mid-term at college (he’s on academic probation), and the instructor took his exam away during the test and excused him from class.  Josh shares how his thinking spiraled to his future (not in a good way).  He decided to handle this situation with integrity... Read more

Episode 022 TITLE Laura Carr, LMFT Interviews Patricia Young About Being A Highly Sensitive Person GUEST Laura Carr, LMFT EPISODE OVERVIEW Laura Carr, LMFT interviews me.  I talk about the benefits of knowing you’re a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). We talk about when I got the idea for the podcast, and my mission for it.  I answer the questions I ask my guests about being a Highly Sensitive Person. Laura shares her initial impressi... Read more

Bonus Episode 39 TITLE Is it Depression, Or Are We Retreating to Recharge & Replenish? GUEST Solo episode—Patricia Young EPISODE OVERVIEW Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) often withdraw, and label this withdrawal as depression or going into the cave.  The world is very loud, busy and stimulating, and HSPs need to have time to retreat into a calm quiet place.  Maybe it’s a cave with twinkle lights, good snacks and snuggly blankets.  ... Read more

Episode 21 TITLE Intuition and Knowing Your Worth GUEST Kelly Covert EPISODE OVERVIEW We address the following questions in this episode--What is intuition? Is one’s Inner Voice ever mean or critical? How do you encourage people to get in touch with their intuition? How do we encourage or shut down intuition and communication in kids? We talk about creating meaningful relationships with your children instead of letting rules dictat... Read more

EPISODE Bonus Episode 38 TITLE We Never Know How Our Presence Impacts Others GUEST Solo episode—Patricia Young EPISODE OVERVIEW We can feel insignificant, unimportant, and that we are not making an impact on the world, but we never really know how much just being ourselves is impacting others. I talk about how a neighbor who walks by my house daily impacted me when he “went missing,” and how I communicated with him when he turned u... Read more

Episode 20 TITLE Part 2 Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN), & the HSP GUEST Dr. Erika Martinez EPISODE OVERVIEW What is Childhood Emotional Neglect and how does it affect non-HSPs and HSPs? A Highly Sensitive Person being raised by a non-HSP parent could cause CEN. Some symptoms of CEN-- feelings of emptiness (a void), feeling deeply and fatally flawed; don’t feel good enough; feeling unlovable/unlikable; seeking external validation... Read more