-Are you easily overwhelmed?
-Do you need alone time to recharge your batteries?
-Do other people’s feelings affect you?
-Are you moved deeply by music and the arts?
If you relate, you might be a Highly Sensitive Person
Therapy For Highly Sensitive People in Ventura, California
For Highly Sensitive People (HSP), the world can often seem chaotic and overwhelming. Many HSPs need quiet, alone time to recharge their batteries. You might feel different, more sensitive, and maybe even some shame for asserting your needs. Importantly, being a Highly Sensitive Person is an amazing thing but many HSPs need support and tools to manage their sensitive nervous systems. Therapy for Highly Sensitive People in Ventura can help. We truely understand your experience and your needs. Additionally, we support HSPs all over California online.
We help Highly Sensitive People reduce and manage overwhelm so sensitivity is a gift and not a curse.
Highly Sensitive Person Traits
Other people’s moods & feelings affect you.
You might be moved deeply by music and the arts.
You’re bothered by bright lights, or certain sounds.
You feel more empathetic and intuitive than most people.
Maybe you get overly excited about things.
Your feelings get big.
After traveling, you need a day of rest
When you were a child, people said you were shy or you were too much.
(If you relate to some of this, you could be Highly Sensitive)
You Are Not The Only Highly Sensitive Person
Dr. Elaine Aron coined the term “Highly Sensitive Person”. She found that 15-20% of people are highly sensitive. Interestingly, males may be suppressing their sensitive traits more than women. HSP is not a diagnosis. It is a personality trait where people have sensitivity with sensory processing and deeper inner states.
The D.O.E.S of HSP
D- Depth of Processing
- HSPs tend to be deep thinkers. They notice meanings, patterns, and nuances other people miss.
O- Overstimulation
- HSPs can get overloaded with busy environments, crouds, bright lights, sounds, clutter, and more.
E- Emotional Responsivness & Empathy
- HSPs feel deeply. They feel their own emotions and can tap into what others are experiencing.
S- Sensitivity to Subtleties
- HSPs notice the details in the environment that others often overlook.
How Does Therapy For Highly Sensitive People Work?
Being a HSP is truly a wonderful trait but it can come with struggles like overwhelm, shame, nervous system dysregulation. Depending on your goals for therapy, we draw from a variety of modalities. If overwhelm is hard, we might teach you stills from Somatic Therapy to support your nervous system.
Many HSPs take on beliefs such as- I am too much, I am too needy, there’s something wrong with me. Our practice explores these belief systems and we aim to help our clients find empowerment rather than shame. Coherence Therapy and Parts Work are modalities we might use. If you have childhood trauma, we weave in trauma therapy. Additionally, you might struggle with boundaries, getting your needs met, and finding a healthy balance in your life. Working with a therapist in Ventura that understands Highly Sensitive people is so important.
The Science of Being Sensitive
Studies have shown the Highly Sensitive People showed more activation in brain regions involved in body awareness, empathy, and deeper processing of information. This is why HSP nervous systems become easily overloaded with too much external and internal stimuli.
Additionally, it’s been found that HSPs have more active mirror neurons in their brain. For example, if a loved one is sad, the HSP brain will deeply feel that persons sadness because of mirror neurons. Overall, scientific studies to do brain differences in Highly Sensitive People.
What Are The Positives of Being Highly Sensitive?
After reading this you might think that being Highly Sensitive is a burden! Yes, the HSP nervous system and brain needs more tending too but other than that, being an HSP is an amazing trait.
- Creative
- Deep thinkers
- Often strive doing jobs in helping professions, creative professions, owning their own business
- Strong intuition
- Appreciation of beauty- music, food, the arts
- Self aware
- Pays attention to details
- Insightful
FAQ
Highly Sensitive People are sensitive because they have trauma, right?
Not necessarily. HSP is an innate trait. In other words, it’s something you are born with. Yes, trauma might make a person more sensitive and hypervigilant. But Highly Sensitive People are born with the sensitivity. A HSP with trauma usually has more issues with overwhelm and anxiety than an HSP without trauma.
Does a Highly Sensitive Person have a sensory processing disorder?
Being highly sensitive is not a disorder. It is a personality trait. Dr. Elaine Aron calls it- sensory processing sensitivity. HSPs might have some similarities to people with autism. But overall, being a HSP is not the same as being autistic.
Do Highly Sensitive People struggle with boundaries?
Many do. Because Highly Sensitive People are often empathetic and attuned to others’ emotions, they may prioritize other people’s needs over their own. Often in childhood, sensitive children have needs that are misunderstood, minimized, or overlooked. Over time, many Highly Sensitive People come to believe that their needs don’t matter or that they are simply too much for others. Therefore, as adults they might people please, have problems saying no, and understanding what healthy boundaries are.
Therapy For Highly Sensitive People In Ventura, California
We get you! Reach out to schedule with one of our Highly Sensitive Person therapists in-person Ventura or online all over California. Our HSP friendly office is close to Ojai, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Oxnard. We also support clients in Los Angeles County. Contact us for a free 20 minute consult.
Get In Touch
Call
805.669.8176
Location
5550 Telegraph Rd. Ventura, California, 93003
Located near Ojai, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks.
Also seeing clients for online therapy all over.
