Are You a “Highly Sensitive Person”?

In 2012, I attended a life-changing retreat for “highly sensitive persons” with Elaine Aron, author of The Highly Sensitive Person and numerous other books. People with this trait, which Dr. Aron discovered and put on the psychological map in the late 1990s when her book was published, make up approximately 20 percent of the population. The distinguishing trait is that their nervous systems are more finely tuned than the rest of the population. As a result, they process emotions and experiences differently than most people.

Although only 20 percent of people have this trait in the general population, a much larger percentage of my clients–perhaps even 80%–seem to have this trait. I think this is for three main reasons:

1. HSPs need higher quality nurturing, and most parents do not know how to parent HSPs. (Elaine has an excellent book on how to parent an HSP.)
2. HSPs who do not get quality nurturing, research shows, tend to have more problems than non-HSPs. But also–HSPs who do get good nurturing do better in life than most people. So environment is key.
3. HSPs tend to be drawn to a spiritual approach, and since The Healing Codes address issues from a “heart” or spiritual perspective, many are drawn to The Healing Codes as a mode of healing. (Also healing prayer and other spiritual approaches.)

Elaine Aron’s work fascinates me for a number of reasons. First, it was such a ground-breaking discovery for the world. No one had identified that trait before. At least, no one had done it in such a penetrating, comprehensive, and positive way before Elaine Aron.

Second, as a former publishing coach I’m fascinated by the success of the book. It is selling just as well now as it did when it came out in 1998, Elaine told me, with no real advertising. It is a prime example of success due to word-of-mouth marketing. People read the book, the light bulb goes off for them, and then recommend it to other people who might be highly sensitive also.

Just as I’ve been doing for clients, and am doing now.

Finally, I love the book because of how much it personally helped me. Like many HSPs, I was told I was “too sensitive” when I was young. It was seen as a defect, and most of my life I have tried to overcome it. Elaine Aron has shown me it’s not something to be overcome, but embraced. There are many benefits, to myself and to others, of this trait. And the challenges, such as needing more down time and time to process experiences and emotions, Elaine addresses beautifully in both the book and workbook.

If you think you might be a Highly Sensitive Person, take the Highly Sensitive Person  self-test and get the book, perhaps the workbook as well. My clients who have done so find them tremendously helpful.

UPDATE, 8/6/14: If you want to know what it’s like to be a Highly Sensitive Person, click to read this article, “Ten Challenges of an HSP’s Daily Grind.” If you find yourself relating, you can address some of the issues with a Healing Code –either the universal Healing Code for a custom Healing Code from me.

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