What is a Highly Sensitive Person?
In 1996, Dr. Elaine Aron published her book, The Highly Sensitive Person. After five years of research, she introduced a newly named trait, High Sensitivity, to the general public. The concept itself was not new, or new to research. The history of knowledge about the HSP trait goes back at least until the early 20th century and spans human and animal identification. However, Dr. Aron’s research and publications launched the understanding of the trait into the layperson’s knowledge. In doing so, she has given millions of people a framework for their experience.
Why do I care about this? I’m a therapist for women and HSPs in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Washington, DC.
As a therapist for HSPs, I am often asked, What is a Highly Sensitive Person?
This blog is a summary of the kinds of things I say to answer that. Keep in mind that there are many aspects to being a Highly Sensitive Person. While there are things that will be commonalities throughout, each HSP has a different experience of High Sensitivity. Some things might resonate deeply, and some might not at all.
The Highly Sensitive Person: You live and feel really deeply
The most concise way that I like to describe a Highly Sensitive Person is to say they are someone who lives and feels really deeply. To someone who is an HSP, this description resonates without much explanation. To someone who is not Highly Sensitive, it may not make a lot of sense. Here are some examples of what that looks like.
What does living deeply look like for an HSP?
Some descriptors of living deeply include having a “rich, complex inner life,” as Elaine Aron’s HSP self-test articulates. Highly Sensitive People really delve into the existential questions. They look for meaning in everything they do, and in what they observe.
HSPs often have a strong spiritual life,
finding solace and grounding in a space for mystery, silence and inner connectedness.
Another aspect of living deeply is one of the core characteristics of the HSP trait: thinking before acting. HSPs tend to take longer to make decisions. You may have gotten feedback on this from others, or you may have gotten frustrated with yourself about this! HSPs do take time to assess consequences fully. They have the ability to “process information thoroughly before responding” as Elaine Aron says. As a result, HSPs make great decisions! The time taken pays off.
Highly Sensitive People often feel very connected with nature and animals. You might notice that you’re particularly attached to a pet. Nature is often a place you seek out for nourishment, solace, and rejuvenation.
What does feeling deeply look like for an HSP?
Largely, feeling deeply for HSPs has to do with empathy, the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. It is one of the many gifts of being Highly Sensitive, although it may not always feel like a benefit!
As defined by psychologists Daniel Goleman and Paul Ekman, empathy includes taking another person’s perspective, feeling what they are feeling, and being inclined to help. Everyone, Highly Sensitive or not, has the ability to feel empathy. We all have mirror neurons in our brains, which are what allow us to feel what other people are feeling.
Highly Sensitive People have more active mirror neurons, which allows them to have deeper feelings of empathy for others.
Typically HSPs are quite concerned about the suffering of other people, as well as animals. They are also likely to be working for some aspect of social justice.
Having an ability for deeper empathy includes being able to pick up subtle things that non-HSPs are less likely to notice. You might easily sense how someone else is feeling without them telling you.
Feeling deeply as a Highly Sensitive Person can also look like feeling overloaded more easily than other people. Too much social stimulation, not enough down time, and not enough transition time can all contribute to this kind of overwhelm. Too much noise, scents, or irritating textures can cause overload as well.
Keep learning about what is a Highly Sensitive Person
Living and feeling deeply is an only a thumbnail sketch of what High Sensitivity involves. Reading more about High Sensitivity is a good way to see if it matches your experience. Learning more details about the four main characteristics of a Highly Sensitive Person is a good place to start. If you already know you’re an HSP, I’ve written about five things that HSPs need, tips on how to thrive as a Highly Sensitive Person, and some benefits of being Highly Sensitive. Most of what I’ve learned has been from Elaine Aron, HSP researcher and psychologist, who has written multiple books on High Sensitivity.
About the Author
I’m an HSP therapist who loves supporting women and HSPs in my private practice, Bronwyn Shiffer Psychotherapy. Psychodynamically trained at Smith College School for Social Work, I see that HSPs especially benefit from space to process in therapy.
Based in Madison, WI, I provide online therapy in Massachusetts, telehealth therapy throughout Wisconsin and virtual therapy in Washington, DC. In addition to therapy for Highly Sensitive People, I also provide anxiety counseling and therapy for depression.