Trauma is a hot topic right now as Oprah just did an amazing segment on childhood trauma. I am so glad that this topic is getting a lot of recognition!

I get a lot of questions in my practice about high sensitivity, trauma, and whether or not one implies the other. I've found that there are a lot of misconceptions going around.

People tend to assume that if you’re Highly Sensitive, you must have been traumatized at some point. Or that experiencing trauma is what makes someone Highly Sensitive. Both ideas pretty well off the mark, and I'd like to shed some light on the truth.

So first things first: let’s recap what High Sensitivity really is±

High Sensitivity is not a disorder. It’s not something that needs to be fixed or healed. If you were born Highly Sensitive, it merely means that you have a heightened sensitivity to the world around you. It’s part of the natural makeup of your brain, and you were born this way. You process life at a deeper level.

On my last blog I showed you how to know yourself, know your needs, and work YOU into your life. Now, I want to get more specific about creating routines that serve you instead of drain you. Believe it or not, it's a lot easier than it sounds!

First thing--a “routine” might sound pretty rigid, but all it means is a set of habits. And for our purposes, a routine is a just set of practices that support your Highly Sensitive system.

So where do you start? First, by understanding your need for downtime, and maximizing your gift of efficiency.

As Highly Sensitives, we need more downtime than the average person, especially after intensive tasks. In fact, we often need downtime even more than we need work time. But how do you get everything done when you need so much recovery time after every step?

Here’s the good news: we might need a lot of recovery time, but when we’re “on,” we’re ON! That means that when we’re focused and rested, our...

If you’re a Highly Sensitive person, you’re already experiencing life full 'on'. That also means that you feel the need for passion and purpose in your life a lot more than the average person might. Big things draw you in, like parenthood. And entrepreneurship.

The only trouble is, life on its own can often be a lot for us to manage. Sometimes taking on extra endeavors like having a family or starting a business can take your life from intense to insane.

But trust me: there is room in your Highly Sensitive life for big dreams. I’m proof of that.

I’m a Highly Sensitive person, a mom, AND an entrepreneur. And I’ve managed to be all three for nearly all of my adult life.

Sure, it can be crazy and gut-wrenching at times. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. And I want to assure you that High Sensitivity doesn’t have to slow you down in any endeavors you wish to pursue, either.

You can take on the biggest of challenges and come out on top. You...

Most divorced parents have heard the horror stories about children who are so damaged by their parents’divorces that they never learn how to build healthy relationships of their own, have low self-esteem and no self confidence. It is one of the reasons people who clearly DO NOT belong together do everything they can to make it work: “We stayed together for the kids’ sake”.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that divorce DOESN’T affect children. A divorce affects the four pillars of security in a child’s life: people, place, routine and ritual. Because of this it is vital that we acknowledge this with awareness and understanding to minimize the effects of this transition period.

While I was never married to the father of my now almost 18 year old daughter, we separated when she was almost 2 years old. As I was very much a ‘daddy’s girl’  I could not imagine that my daughter would not have an involved and present father in her...

Think about our world today. We have cell phones, Tweets, perpetual notifications and 24 hour news. There has never been this much constant stimuli at any point in history. Don’t forget that we are evolutionary beings; our bodies haven’t quite caught up to it all yet. And...will it ever?

With all of the constant information in the digital age, reconnecting with yourself has never been more important. It’s not just for Highly Sensitive People anymore--it’s for everyone.

The techniques I want to share with you are ‘grounding techniques’. When you say the word “grounding” to yourself, what does it feel like? Personally, it makes me feel more peaceful, connected, and present in my mind, body, and soul. But I can imagine that it might create some resistance if you’ve only heard of it in spiritual circles. I can tell you that times ARE changing and that grounding techniques are now being incorporated into the therapeutic and business...

I have created a poll a few times on the Highly Sensitive Parents group and simply asked: How many of you have dealt with Burnout, Depression or Both in your life? And I believe the majority has! 

Is this the fate of the Highly Sensitive?
I get it and have been there myself many times...the anxiety, stress, and existential dilemmas that Highly Sensitive and Gifted people often experience can be a little bit intense, for sure.

But no, in my world, High Sensitivity is not a curse. It’s actually a gift. When you’re Highly Sensitive, your experience of the world is rich, colorful, and deep.

But sometimes it also means heightened overwhelm, stress, and melancholy. It’s a two-edged sword, right?
So what exactly makes us Highly Sensitives more prone to feeling either overwhelmed and lost or underwhelmed and uninspired? And for that matter, what can you as an HSP do to keep the joy of your intense connection with the world while keeping the unpleasant side...

I’ve known for awhile that I wanted to create something amazing and life-changing for you. Something that would allow you to express yourself, own your truth, and live your life with passion.

Of course, don’t we all want that? Passion, purpose, truth. Everyone talks about them all the time. Of course it would be amazing to make those things a part of your everyday life, wouldn’t it?

And if you’re a Highly Sensitive Person like me, those things are not only important to you but actually indispensable.

That’s why I was called to start a MOVEMENT. A movement that would not only help you make those lofty promises of passion and purpose more real but also honor the special ways that Highly Sensitive People like us function in the world.

One of my greatest gifts as an empath as well, is that I truly fall in love with people. I see the beauty and the power in just about everyone I meet. While this is a beautiful thing, sometimes it can be a little bit...

Every time I, as a psychologist, have to talk about mental health, I literally cringe...There is so much to be said about 'normal' that I know struggle with what society has defined as success and health.

Fifteen years ago I had to do one of the most difficult things in my life: I had to press charges on my brother. 

He had been struggling with psychotic episodes for 6 years at that time and he had gone off medication when a social worker said to him that maybe he was not schizophrenic at all… because he was ‘doing SO well’.

He, of course ecstatic because of this news, dumped his meds and a year later I had a knife on my throat.

I stayed calm, trusted that he didn’t really want to hurt me, and managed to run to my car, lock myself in and call the police.

(Choking up already as Iam writing this. No matter how often I talk or write about this, it still hurts. I am talking about my little brother here. I love him deeply. This was breaking my heart to say...

Many highly sensitive people (HSP) walk around in a perpetual state of exhaustion. You have a nervous system that is wired differently, and a brain that seems to miss a filter and living in a society that feeds you with information 24/7.

By the end of the day, you are looking for that hole in the ground you wished you could crawl into and never come out again.

I’ve been on this self-care journey for a while now. Most of the time I don’t even like the term "self-care". It seems that we just forgot common sense and because of that, we need a word to affirm to ourselves and others that we are not just being selfish because we are choosing to do something just for us.

But that is just a side note. As for the self-care journey, meditation, yoga, spa days, walking in nature, relaxing music, and alone time are all great self-care practices that I’ve been experimenting with and implementing since my last burnout. 

But, if...

Christmas 2011. Me in a car with two toddlers, stuck in traffic, crying my eyes out because I was so exhausted and I had to prepare Christmas dinner for 24 people.

Christmas 2012. I refused. People got mad and insulted. I was happy in my pj’s in front of the tv with my husband, kids and a glass of wine.

Christmas 2013. Back to doing Christmas dinner, clearly stating my needs, asking for help and planning well, well ahead. Had a decent time.

Christmas 2014. Small set back. Got suckered into a family holiday and I ended up taking care of 15 people for 10 days. People pleaser and all...

Christmas 2015. Back on track. Clear communication, clear planning and great friends…Awesome time!

Christmas 2016. Things are in motion, boundaries are clear. Actually looking forward to it!

Being Highly Sensitive around the holidays can be extremely overwhelming. Yes, we want to create magic for our loved ones but the only magic we crave is our bed. Or a spa, I...