Therapy for Highly Sensitive People

Life as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) – Compassionate Therapy Support

Being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) comes with unique gifts—and unique challenges. If you find yourself easily overwhelmed by emotions, deeply affected by others’ moods, or highly attuned to subtle stimuli, you may often feel misunderstood or out of step with the world around you. You might think: “Why am I so affected by what others say?” or “Why can’t I handle stress like everyone else?”

Many HSPs report:

Feeling emotionally drained after social interactions or busy environments
Experiencing heightened empathy, making them deeply aware of others’ pain
Struggling with self-doubt or feeling “too sensitive” or “too much”
Difficulty setting boundaries or saying no
Feeling misunderstood by family, friends, or coworkers

These experiences can be amplified for individuals who are also neurodivergent, such as those with autism, ADHD, OCD, giftedness, or other neurodivergent traits. Neurodivergence can make highly sensitive individuals more reactive to sensory input, more prone to overthinking, or more vulnerable to feeling overstimulated, anxious, or misunderstood. It can also intensify challenges with organization, focus, and managing daily life stressors.

How Therapy Can Help Highly Sensitive and Neurodivergent People

Therapy offers a safe, validating space for HSPs and neurodivergent individuals to understand and honor their sensitivity instead of suppressing it. With compassionate guidance, you can learn to:

Understand your emotional depth and neurodivergent traits: Recognize that your sensitivity and unique neurological wiring are strengths, not flaws.
Set healthy boundaries: Protect your energy while managing overstimulation and emotional overwhelm.
Manage anxiety, sensory overload, and overthinking: Develop practical tools to navigate highly stimulating environments and challenging situations.
Navigate relationships with empathy and clarity: Communicate your needs effectively without over-apologizing or withdrawing.
Build self-compassion and resilience: Transform self-criticism into self-understanding and empowerment.

My Approach with Highly Sensitive and Neurodivergent Individuals

As a therapist experienced in working with HSPs and neurodivergent clients, I offer a trauma-informed and emotionally attuned approach. We integrate modalities such as EMDR Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Emotionally Focused Therapy to help you:

Process past experiences that heighten sensitivity or emotional reactivity
Explore internal conflicts, perfectionism, or self-doubt
Strengthen confidence, self-worth, and a sense of safety in the world

Through therapy, HSPs and neurodivergent individuals learn that their sensitivity and unique traits can be sources of insight, creativity, and connection—rather than burdens. My goal is to help you feel empowered, grounded, and capable of navigating life while honoring your emotional depth and neurodivergent strengths.

How Therapy Supports Highly Sensitive and Neurodivergent Individuals

In our work together, you’ll find a safe and collaborative space where you don’t need to explain or justify how your brain works. Here, you can unmask, exhale, and begin learning strategies tailored to your wiring.

Together, we’ll:

Build emotional regulation skills to better manage overwhelm and big feelings
Explore the roots of shame, sensitivity, and self-criticism that hold you back
Learn nervous system calming techniques to reduce overstimulation
Develop practical tools for focus, organization, and follow-through
Cultivate compassionate self-talk and healthy boundaries
Embrace your neurodivergent identity and reconnect with your strengths

I integrate evidence-based, trauma-informed therapies such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and mindfulness-based emotional regulation, all tailored to support executive functioning, trauma recovery, and emotional resilience.

You Deserve to Feel Understood and Supported

If you’re ready to stop struggling alone and start living with more ease, clarity, and confidence—therapy can help.

You don’t have to change who you are. You just need the right tools and compassionate support to thrive.

Let’s connect and explore how to make life feel more manageable and meaningful—beyond the exhaustion, the overwhelm, and the endless mental load.

See What’s Possible

Frequently Asked Questions about Therapy for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs)

A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is someone who processes emotions, experiences, and sensory information more deeply than most. About 15–20% of people have this trait. HSPs may feel easily overstimulated, notice subtleties others miss, and experience strong emotional reactions. While sensitivity is a strength, without support it can also lead to stress, anxiety, or burnout.

Why do HSPs often struggle more with stress and overwhelm?

Because HSPs process information and emotions so deeply, busy or high-pressure environments can feel draining. Many HSPs also hold themselves to high standards or struggle with perfectionism, which adds even more pressure. Therapy can help by teaching regulation strategies, creating healthy boundaries, and reframing sensitivity as a strength rather than a weakness.

How can therapy help Highly Sensitive People?

Therapy gives HSPs tools and support to thrive, including:

Managing overwhelm and calming the nervous system.
Healing old wounds from feeling “too much” or misunderstood.
Setting boundaries that protect energy without guilt.
Transforming self-criticism into self-compassion.
Embracing the gifts of sensitivity such as empathy, creativity, and intuition.

What therapy approaches are effective for HSPs?

I use trauma-informed, evidence-based methods such as EMDR Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). These approaches help soothe an overstimulated nervous system, address past experiences that fuel self-doubt, and build resilience while honoring your sensitive nature.

What changes can I expect from therapy as an HSP?

While each person’s journey is unique, many highly sensitive clients report:

Feeling calmer and less reactive.
Greater confidence in relationships and work.
Freedom from cycles of burnout and overwhelm.
A stronger sense of identity and worth.
The ability to see sensitivity as a gift, not a burden.

Do you offer therapy for HSPs in-person and online?

Yes. I provide in-person therapy in Costa Mesa, California, and online therapy for clients in Arizona and California. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, relationship stress, identity shifts, or perfectionism, therapy can help you feel more grounded, supported, and empowered.

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Let’s Redefine What Thriving Looks Like

If you’re ready to embrace your sensitivity, manage overwhelm, and build a more resilient, confident life, therapy can provide the support you need.

Contact me today to schedule a session and begin the journey toward understanding, self-compassion, and emotional balance.

Schedule a free consult Learn more about how therapy can help with emotional regulation and ADHD