Sensitive Stories

Latest Episodes:

20: Finding Peace at Home, Even Amidst the Chaos Jul 30, 2024

Show notes

Are you able to fully relax and decompress at home? In this solo episode I answer two listener questions:
• What can you do to make moving to a new space less stressful?
• How can I manage living with other people?
April Snow, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and author in California. She specializes in working with highly sensitive people to help calm the storm of overwhelm, anxiety, and self-doubt to allow their innate sensitive strengths to shine through. Deeply committed to changing the narrative of what it means to be highly sensitive, April has created and led HSP workshops all over the country as well as online through her Sensitive School. In addition to Find Your Strength: A Workbook for the Highly Sensitive Person, she has written Mindfulness Workbook for Stress Relief and The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person's Self-Care Journal.
Submit a Question: https://www.sensitivestories.com/ask
Additional Resources:
• The Highs and Lows of Moving as an HSP: https://www.sensitivestrengths.com/blog/moving
• Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop series to slow down, reflect, and understand yourself as a highly sensitive person: https://www.sensitivesessions.com

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Thanks for listening! You can read the full show notes and sign up for my email list to get new episode announcements and other resources at:
https://www.sensitivestories.com
You can also follow "SensitiveStrengths" for behind-the-scenes content plus more educational and inspirational HSP resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

If you have a moment, please rate and review the podcast, it helps Sensitive Stories reach more HSPs!
This episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment with a mental health or medical professional.
Some links are affiliate links. You are under no obligation to purchase any book, product or service. I am not responsible for the quality or satisfaction of any purchase.

19: Embracing the Soft Life as a Sensitive Perfectionist Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

Have you hidden away your sensitivity because others said you needed to be strong? In this episode, I talk with Noni Vaughn-Pollard, about the cost of perfectionism and…
• Setting down the pressure to be like everyone else and embracing the soft, quiet life
• Stepping back from the pressure to be exceptional as a highly sensitive person of color
• Honoring family and cultural values without disregarding your sensitivity
• Seeing perfectionism as a form of self-betrayal and understanding the value of accepting yourself as you are instead
• Using tarot cards as a resource to connect back to yourself and access intuitive messages
• Unhooking from perfectionism through breathwork and vulnerability practices
Noni is a Mental Health Counselor & Registered Nutritionist in New York. She has experience working with adolescents and young adults of color who live with intense anxiety and struggle with releasing perfectionism. She practices with a person-centered, creative and spiritual approach to guide clients.
Keep in touch with Noni:
• Website: https://www.rootsarttherapy.nyc/noni
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afroandappetite
Resources Mentioned: Open Mindfulness App: https://o-p-e-n.com

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

18: Balancing Ambition and Rest as a Sensitive Person Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

Do you want to accomplish more, but quickly burn out your energy?
In this solo episode I answer two listener questions:
• How can you be consistently productive as a highly sensitive person?
• Is it possible to be an ambitious, sensitive person?
April Snow, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and author in California. She specializes in working with highly sensitive people to help calm the storm of overwhelm, anxiety, and self-doubt to allow their innate sensitive strengths to shine through. Deeply committed to changing the narrative of what it means to be highly sensitive, April has created and led HSP workshops all over the country as well as online through her Sensitive School. In addition to Find Your Strength: A Workbook for the Highly Sensitive Person, she has written Mindfulness Workbook for Stress Relief and The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person's Self-Care Journal.
Submit a Question: https://www.sensitivestories.com/ask
Additional Resources:
• Gentle Sleep Support Course to Feel More Rested: https://sensitiveschool.lpages.co/soothing-sleep
• Trust Yourself by Melody Wilding: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781797201962

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

17: Setting Better Boundaries to Honor Your Sensitive Needs Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Are you exhausted or resentful from constantly putting your needs aside? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Sharon Martin about setting boundaries and:
• Accepting your sensitivity and your basic human needs for rest as a precursor to setting boundaries more effectively
• Distinguishing between direct and indirect boundaries
• Benefits of communicating your needs, setting limits, and compromising in relationships
• Keeping boundaries straight-forward instead of overexplaining
• Empowering yourself to make changes when others aren’t able to honor your limits
• Overcoming boundary violations and strategies to get your needs met when you receive pushback
Dr. Sharon Martin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, psychotherapist, and author specializing in helping adult children recover from difficult childhoods. She identifies as a Highly Sensitive Person and a recovering perfectionist. Sharon is the author of three books: The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism, The Better Boundaries Workbook, and The Better Boundaries Guided Journal.
Keep in touch with Sharon:
• Website: https://www.livewellwithsharonmartin.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_sharon_martin
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharonmartinlcsw
Resources Mentioned:
• The Better Boundaries Guided Journal by Dr. Sharon Martin: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781648482755
• The Better Boundaries Workbook by Dr. Sharon Martin: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781684037582

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

16: Trusting Yourself at Work as a Sensitive Striver Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

Do you feel overwhelmed and underappreciated at work? In this episode, I talk with Melody Wilding, LMSW about trusting yourself at work and:
• Balancing the strengths and liabilities of being what Melody calls a “Sensitive Striver”
• Trusting your intuition as a valuable source of information
• The key to speaking up in meetings starts by building relationships and taking care of your nervous system before the meeting
• Living with an honor roll hangover from your school days and how that could be contributing to burnout as an adult in the workplace
• Why overperforming and perfectionism often harm your chances of advancement at work
• Strategies for setting boundaries at work and what to say when you’ve overcommitted
• Creating a “me manual” to help you communicate how you work best while establishing reciprocal relationships with your supervisors
Melody is the best-selling author of Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work. Named one of Business Insider’s Most Innovative Coaches for her groundbreaking work on “Sensitive Strivers,” her clients include CEOs, C-level executives, and managers at top Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Amazon, and JP Morgan, among others. Melody has been featured in The New York Times and Wall Street Journal and is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Psychology Today, and Forbes. Melody is a licensed social worker with a masters from Columbia University and a professor of Human Behavior at Hunter College.
Keep in touch with Melody:
• Website: https://melodywilding.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodywilding/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melodywilding/
• Facebook Community: https://melodywilding.com/community
Resources Mentioned:
• Get a free chapter from Melody's book, Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions for Success at Work, here: https://melodywilding.com/chapter
• Trust Yourself Book by Melody Wilding: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781797201962

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

15: Show Up in Your Relationships Without Resentment Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

Are you constantly putting the needs of others before yourself and struggling to show up as your full self in relationships? In this solo episode I answer two listener questions:
• Why do I feel so much resentment in my relationships?
• How do you tell people you are an HSP?
April Snow, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and author in California. She specializes in working with highly sensitive people to help calm the storm of overwhelm, anxiety, and self-doubt to allow their innate sensitive strengths to shine through. Deeply committed to changing the narrative of what it means to be highly sensitive, April has created and led HSP workshops all over the country as well as online through her Sensitive School. In addition to Find Your Strength: A Workbook for the Highly Sensitive Person, she has written Mindfulness Workbook for Stress Relief and The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person's Self-Care Journal.
Submit a Question: https://www.sensitivestories.com/ask
Additional Resources:
• The Better Boundaries Journal by Sharon Martin: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781648482755
• Sensitive Sessions Monthly Support: https://www.sensitivesessions.com
• The Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine Aron: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780553062182

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

14: Healing From One-Sided or Narcissistic Relationships as an HSP Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

Are you in relationships where you feel lonely, exhausted, or used? In this episode, I talk with Julie Wrocklage, LPC about the emotional toll of being in one-sided relationships and:
• The differences between a supportive, reciprocal relationship and a one-sided relationship where there’s no or little reciprocity
• What makes highly sensitive people more vulnerable to being in relationships with emotionally immature or narcissistic people
• How you can advocate for your needs if a relationship is feeling one-sided
• Long-term impacts of gaslighting on the mental and physical health of HSPs • Starting the healing process whether you’re currently in a non-reciprocal relationship or have been in one in the past
• The importance of education, therapy, grief work, and self-compassion to make space for your experience and receive validation
Julie is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Columbia, Missouri. She takes a gentle and non-pathologizing approach to mental health, offering mindfulness-based therapy for sensitive, empathetic, and very-attuned-to-the-needs-of-others folks. As a therapist (and human), Julie is committed to inclusiveness, anti-racism, and LGBTQIA+ affirming care.
Keep in touch with Julie:
• Website: http://www.quietstrengthcounseling.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quietstrengthcounseling/
Resources Mentioned:
• Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson, PsyD: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781626251700
• It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People by Dr. Ramani Durvasula: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780593492628
• Self-Compassion Practices by Kristin Neff: https://self-compassion.org/self-compassion-practices/#guided-practices
• Let Go of the People Who Aren’t Ready to Love You: https://thoughtcatalog.com/brianna-wiest/2024/04/this-year-let-go-of-the-people-who-arent-ready-to-love-you/

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

13: Less Guilt and More Recharging as a Sensitive Person Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

Are you constantly doing more than you have the bandwidth for as an HSP? In this solo episode I answer two listener questions:
• How do you NOT feel influenced by the pressure from the non-HSPs in your life to do more?
• How do you manage social pressure/guilt that comes up when you need to recharge but feel you can’t say no?
April Snow, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist and author in California. She specializes in working with highly sensitive people to help calm the storm of overwhelm, anxiety, and self-doubt to allow their innate sensitive strengths to shine through. Deeply committed to changing the narrative of what it means to be highly sensitive, April has created and led HSP workshops all over the country as well as online through her Sensitive School. In addition to Find Your Strength: A Workbook for the Highly Sensitive Person, she has written Mindfulness Workbook for Stress Relief and The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person's Self-Care Journal.
Submit a Question: https://www.sensitivestories.com/ask
Additional Resources:
• Free Sensitive Self-Care Workshop: https://sensitiveschool.lpages.co/sensitive-self-care
• Sensitive Sessions Monthly Support: https://www.sensitivesessions.com
• 5 Stages of HSP Grief and Acceptance: https://www.sensitivestrengths.com/blog/hsp-grief-stages
• 4 Steps to Prioritize Your Needs Without Guilt: https://www.sensitivestrengths.com/blog/guilt-free
• The Highly Sensitive Person by Dr. Elaine Aron: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9780553062182

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

12: Finding Your Way Through Grief May 28, 2024

Show notes

Have you felt overwhelmed by grief or been pressured to get over it quickly? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Elizabeth Butler about finding your way through grief as a sensitive person and:
• The unexpected ways grief can show up such as irritability, anxiety, and anger
• How community support and rituals can support you in your processing of grief
• Grief shows up when you lose someone, but also when you go through other types of loss or life changes
• Remembering to come back to yourself as you take care of others in shared grief experiences
• Listening to your emotions and carving out time to be with your sadness via nature, movement, crying, or other practices
Dr. Butler (they/them) is a psychologist and therapist who loves deep conversation, hiking, and crocheting tiny animals. They hold intense professional interests in breaking generational trauma, healing from eating disorders while learning to nourish oneself along the way, and fighting the stigma so many of us face in a society that often doesn't understand anyone who diverges from "the norm." After experiencing many sudden losses beginning at a young age, Dr. Butler is passionate about meeting the need for holding space for and validating grief - at work and far beyond. They are currently enrolled in IPI's intensive psychedelic-assisted therapy certification program, which fits perfectly with their practical yet spiritual approach to recovery.
Keep in touch with Elizabeth:
• Website: https://prismapsychology.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prismapsychology
Resources Mentioned:
• Elizabeth offers psychedelic integration services virtually for California residents. Find more details at: https://prismapsychology.com
• Beth Buelow’s Podcast: https://bethbuelow.com/how-can-i-say-this-podcast/
• Dear Grief Guide Podcast by Shelby Forsythia: https://www.shelbyforsythia.com/dear-grief-guide-podcast
• The Mindfulness & Grief Podcast by Heather Stang: https://heatherstang.com/grief-podcast/
• Terrible, Thanks for Asking Podcast: https://ttfa.org/
• It’s Okay You’re Not Okay by Megan Devine: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781622039074
• Bearing the Unbearable by Joanne Cacciatore PhD: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781614292968
• The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781583949764
• The Smell of Rain on Dust: Grief and Praise by Martin Prechtel: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781583949399
• The Center for Loss and Life Transition: https://www.centerforloss.com/
• Body Grief book and podcast by Jayne Mattingly: https://www.jaynemattingly.com/

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

11: Emerging Into Your True Self as a Sensitive Person May 21, 2024

Show notes

Have you put yourself aside for years? In this episode, I talk with Jen Berlingo, LPC, ATR about tuning back into your inner calling and…
• Emerging in midlife and unmasking to be your full self again
• Looking inward to identify what needs to change
• Navigating big life changes and taking one small step forward at a time
• Turning your ear back inward to listen to your inner yearnings and reclaiming your true nature
• Assessing whether your lifestyle supports your sensitive nervous system
• Learning to assert your preferences in a world that’s not built for HSPs
• Stop abandoning yourself and people pleasing to make others comfortable
Jen (she/her) is a midlife coach, a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Registered Art Therapist, and a master-level Reiki practitioner. After two decades of midwifing hundreds of women through life’s major transitions and experiencing her own passage through a fiery midlife portal where she more fully stepped into her queer identity, she was inspired to write Midlife Emergence to accompany other women in traversing their midlife journeys. Upon its publication, Midlife Emergence reached #1 in several Amazon categories, including midlife management, divorce, LGBTQ+ memoirs, LGBTQ+ parenting and families, adulthood and aging, and self-help. Jen is also a visual artist who not only created the painting on the cover of her book, but also makes custom pieces for collectors worldwide and exhibits her fluid, abstract art locally in her beloved town of Boulder, Colorado.
Keep in touch with Jen:
• Website: https://jenberlingo.com
• Substack: https://jenberlingo.substack.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenberlingo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenberlingotherapy
• Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/artsorceress
Additional Resources:
• Get support when undergoing profound transitions like midlife, divorce, or coming out later in life. Learn more + sign up for a free discovery call with Jen at https://jenberlingo.com/coaching
• Midlife Emergence Book: https://jenberlingo.com/book
• 100 Day Project: https://www.the100dayproject.org/
• Weighted Blankets: https://www.mosaicweightedblankets.com/
• Loop Ear Plugs: https://us.loopearplugs.com/
• The Electricity of Every Living Thing: A Woman's Walk in the Wild to Find Her Way Home by Katherine May: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781612199603 The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self by Martha Beck: https://bookshop.org/a/63892/9781984881502

Get your copy of my new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy anywhere you get your books or at https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths

And for more support, attend a Sensitive Sessions monthly workshop: https://www.sensitivesessions.com. Use code PODCAST for 25% off.

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