The Sensitive and Neurodivergent podcast

Learning how to give yourself what you needed as a child can be a powerful healing practice that can transform your life. In this episode we explore the concept of caring for, getting to know and connecting with your inner child.

Following a previous episode about self-compassion, the powerful technique for managing our feelings, we turn our attention to the power of validation. As high sensory people, we can often get overly affected by other people's opinions and expectations of us. So much so we can even lose track of a sense of meaning in our lives and the very reason nature has given us this powerful trait. We’ll discuss tools and techniques to stay connected to our own sense of self, our purpose, and ultimately our own happiness and fulfillment.

HSPs are some of the kindest, most compassionate people in the world, toward others, and yet It’s common for HSPs to have a lot of negative self-talk and lack healthy self-compassion. This can be particularly damaging during times of high stress when we need to be a compassionate, caring friend to support ourselves through intense emotions. We will talk about how this brain-training skill development of self-compassion can improve every aspect of our life and even help us through a global crisis.

Recognizing core beliefs can be pivotal to developing confidence and high self-esteem as a Highly Sensitive or “High Sensory intelligent” person. We often feel so strongly about the injustices in the world, it can upset us deeply when our core beliefs are challenged. Or if we witness someone causing harm in a context that we are particularly passionate about. It is very common for us to feel very strongly about the change we know we can make in a particular area. Understanding this at a deep level can bring enormous clarity into the importance of our place in the world, the deeper meaning of our lives, and personal empowerment.

Highly sensitive people (HSPs) have a very caring and giving nature. However, sometimes we over-give to the point of being targets to people with toxic or narcissistic tendencies causing an imbalanced, unhealthy dynamic. We’ll talk about the ways that contribute to that dynamic. Almost every HSP I’ve ever spoken to has a story about an unhealthy friendship or relationship. We will talk about why this can be common and what we can do about it and how to create the healthy friendships and relationships that you deserve.

Our experience growing up as High Sensory or “Highly sensitive” children. Feeling too sensitive, trying to change ourselves to fit in makes us lose who we are. The need to stop believing thoughts of self-criticism and self-rejection. The need to let go of toxic relationships. Supporting our pathway back to claiming our true sense of self, meaning, and happiness.

Willow and I talk about how this trait evolved as a survival strategy of the population and the valuable gifts of the sensitive are needed now more than ever. Learn all the ways highly sensitive people (HSPs) are valuable and needed.