What It Means To Be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)
Have you ever felt like you experience the world more intensely than the people around you? This can sometimes be a lonely experience, but you’re not alone — many people come into therapy wondering why they react so deeply to things others seem to brush off, or why environments that seem “normal” for others feel overwhelming or incredibly draining to them.
The term “highly sensitive person” was originally coined by psychologist Dr. Elaine Aron in the 90s (author ofThe Highly Sensitive Person). Thanks to Dr. Aron’s work, more and more highly sensitive people are finding language to describe their experiences, honour their strengths, and set boundaries that support them.
Research conducted by Dr. Aron and colleagues has shown that some people are simply wired to take in more from their inner and outer world, and to feel it more fully. And while that sensitivity can bring challenges, it also comes with enormous strengths.
You notice what others don’t
You might pick up on micro-shifts in tone, facial expressions, or energy in a room before anyone else registers them. You might sense when someone is holding back a feeling, or notice the exact moment something “feels off.”
Your emotions run deep — because so do your values
HSPs often feel emotions more vividly. Joy feels more expansive, stress can be heavier, grief more all-consuming. This isn’t a sign that you’re fragile. It’s a sign that your emotional life matters to you.
And because you feel deeply, you tend to love deeply. Empathy, compassion, intuition, creativity — these important traits are often more pronounced in highly sensitive people. Being highly sensitive comes with many gifts:
Insightfulness
Creativity
Emotional depth
A deeper sense of meaning
A capacity for attunement and connection
The ability to notice beauty and nuance in everyday life
The world needs people like you. These strengths don’t disappear because you get overwhelmed sometimes — they’re part of the same system.
Overwhelm isn’t weakness
One of the hardest parts of being highly sensitive is dealing with overstimulation. Crowded places, constant noise, too many competing demands, or long stretches of emotional intensity can quickly drain your nervous system.
This is where many HSPs start to wonder if something is “wrong” with them. But nothing is wrong with you. Your sensitivity is like having high-resolution receptors — it means you take in more, and therefore need more time, space, and softness to process and reset.
Sensitivity often traces back to early environments
For some people, high sensitivity is simply how they’re wired. For others, it has developed in response to early experiences — for example, growing up in unpredictable or emotionally intense environments, learning to scan for danger or conflict, or becoming attuned to others’ needs because it felt safer to do so.
If this sounds like you, therapy can help the parts of you that are always scanning, protecting, and anticipating to soften back. We can help these parts feel less alone and less responsible for managing every moment.
You don’t need to change your sensitivity — you just need to understand it
A huge piece of healing for HSPs is shifting from “How do I stop being this way?” to “How do I care for and honour a system that feels deeply and sees deeply?”
This often looks like:
Building routines that support regulation
Setting gentle boundaries before you’re depleted
Honouring your need for quiet or rest
Allowing yourself to step away from overstimulating environments
Using supports like earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones
Listening to the parts of you that feel overwhelmed or overextended
The goal isn’t to harden yourself. It’s to learn to live in a world that doesn’t always move at your pace—without losing the parts of you that make you you.
If you’re highly sensitive, you’re not “too much.” You’re tuned in.
Many people spend years criticizing their sensitivity, trying to suppress it, or assuming it’s a liability. But sensitivity is not the opposite of strength. Often, it’s the foundation of it — especially when you learn how to work with your system, not against it.
Therapy for highly sensitive people in Duncan, BC and online across Canada
If you are looking for a therapist who specializes in working with highly sensitive people, I can help! I use a gentle, parts-based approach to help you start to notice what your system is trying to tell you, and to practice turning toward yourself with kindness. You can learn more about my approach here, or book in a free consult using the button below.
