Counselling for High Sensitivity
Characterised by Deep Feelings, Empathy, and Awareness
What is High Sensitivity?
Counselling online
High Sensitivity—also known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS)—is an innate, neutral temperament found in around 15–20% of the population. Far from being “too emotional” or “overly sensitive,” highly sensitive people process sensory, emotional, and social information more deeply. This can lead to rich inner lives, strong empathy, and keen awareness—but also overwhelm in overstimulating environments. With the right understanding and self-care, highly sensitive individuals can thrive. High Sensitivity is not a mental health condition, a disorder, or a weakness. It’s a well-researched, biologically based trait observed across species and cultures.
Understanding High Sensitivity as a natural temperament of deep processing
High Sensitivity is a genetic, neurological trait present from birth. It affects how the brain processes stimuli—leading to deeper cognitive processing, heightened emotional responsiveness, and greater awareness of subtleties in the environment.
Key characteristics (often remembered by the acronym DOES):
- Depth of processing: You reflect deeply, notice nuances, and think before acting.
- Overstimulation: Busy environments, loud noises, or prolonged social interaction can lead to fatigue or shutdown.
- Emotional responsiveness & empathy: You feel emotions intensely—your own and others’—and often absorb moods like a sponge.
- Sensing the subtle: You notice small changes in lighting, tone, scent, or atmosphere that others miss.
It’s not the same as autism, AuDHD or ADHD—though it can co-occur with them. And it’s equally common across genders, though cultural norms may cause it to be suppressed or misunderstood.
High Sensitivity in Adults
High Sensitivity begins in infancy but is often misread—especially in cultures that value stoicism or extroversion.
In adults, it often manifests as:
- Chronic burnout from trying to “keep up” in fast-paced environments
- Difficulty saying no, leading to emotional or energetic depletion
- Strong intuition but second-guessing yourself due to past invalidation
- Needing significant downtime to recover from social or sensory input
- A history of being told you’re “too much” or “too intense”
Getting Understanding and Support
What to expect when exploring your sensitivity:
- A conversation with a knowledgeable coach or therapist familiar with the HSP trait
- Use of validated tools like the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS)
- Exploration of how sensitivity interacts with other aspects of your life (e.g., neurodivergence, trauma, cultural expectations)
- Ruling out conditions like anxiety disorders or sensory processing differences (common in autism)
Support and Wellbeing
Conselling can be an effective way to improve self-esteem and confidence by helping a person identify and address the underlying causes of low self-worth. A counsellor can work with a person to identify negative thought patterns and behaviours that may be contributing to low self-esteem, and develop strategies for overcoming these.
Therapy can also provide a safe and supportive space for a person to work through their feelings and emotions related to self-esteem. A therapist can help a person explore their values and beliefs about themselves, and work with them to develop a more positive and accurate view of themselves.
Emotion-Focused (EFT) is a type of therapy that can be particularly helpful in improving self-esteem. EFT focuses on the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and body, and helps a person identify and change negative thought patterns that may be contributing to low self-esteem and confidence.
Thriving Through Self-Awareness, Boundaries, and Nervous System Care.
Since High Sensitivity isn’t a disorder, there’s no “cure”—nor should there be. The goal is self-alignment, not change.
Effective support includes:
- Psychoeducation: Learning about your trait reduces shame and builds self-trust.
- Nervous system regulation: Practices like grounding, breathwork, and sensory diets help manage overwhelm.
- Boundary setting: Saying no, limiting exposure to draining environments, and protecting your energy.
- Environment design: Creating calm, low-stimulus spaces at home or work.
- Affirming therapy or coaching: To unpack internalised messages like “you’re too sensitive” and build resilience without numbing yourself.
For those who are also neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, or from cross-cultural backgrounds, support must be intersectional—recognising how sensitivity interacts with other layers of identity and experience.
Common Misconceptions
I would like you to get in touch if you feel you will benefit from talking with me. We can talk over the video, phone or e-mail to assess your needs and then book you an appointment for either Counselling online. It would be my recommendation that you write some notes about what is ‘stressing’ you so we can discover more about what choices you have now to reduce stress, or increase your capacity to see through stress.
There is no clinical “diagnosis” for High Sensitivity—because it’s not a medical condition. However, many people seek support to understand their experiences, especially if they’ve been mislabelled or struggle with overwhelm.
A helpful assessment might include:
- “You’re just oversensitive.” → Sensitivity is a real, measurable trait—not a flaw.
- “It’s the same as anxiety.” → While HSPs may experience anxiety in overstimulating settings, sensitivity itself is neutral.
- “You need to toughen up.” → Suppressing sensitivity leads to burnout, not strength. True resilience comes from honouring your needs.
- “Only women are highly sensitive.” → The trait is evenly distributed; men and non-binary people are just less likely to be allowed to express it.