Highly Sensitive Person: What It Means and How Therapy Can Help
Some people experience the world with greater depth, awareness, and emotional sensitivity.
You may notice subtle shifts in tone, energy, or emotion. You may feel deeply affected by your environment, relationships, or internal experiences. You may also find that you become overwhelmed more easily than others.
If this resonates with you, you may be a Highly Sensitive Person.
Being highly sensitive is not a flaw. It is a nervous system trait that allows for deep emotional processing, empathy, and intuition. However, without the right support, highly sensitive individuals may experience anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or chronic stress.
Therapy can help you understand and work with your nervous system so your sensitivity becomes a source of strength rather than distress.
What Is a Highly Sensitive Person?
A Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) has a nervous system that processes information more deeply.
This means you may:
Feel emotions intensely
Become easily overstimulated by busy or loud environments
Notice subtle emotional cues in others
Feel drained after social interactions
Need more time alone to recharge
Be highly intuitive and perceptive
Highly sensitive individuals often grow up feeling misunderstood or believing something is wrong with them, when in reality, their nervous system simply functions differently.
Sensitivity is not weakness. It is a form of nervous system responsiveness.
Why Highly Sensitive People Often Experience Anxiety
Because highly sensitive nervous systems take in more information, they can become overwhelmed more quickly.
This can lead to:
Anxiety
Overthinking
Emotional exhaustion
Difficulty relaxing
Feeling constantly on edge
Your nervous system may remain in a heightened state of activation, even when there is no immediate danger.
Therapy helps regulate the nervous system so you can feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control of your emotional experience.
The Strengths of Being Highly Sensitive
Highly sensitive individuals often possess unique strengths, including:
Deep empathy
Strong intuition
Emotional awareness
Creativity
Thoughtfulness
Insight into themselves and others
When properly supported, sensitivity becomes an asset rather than a burden.
Many highly sensitive individuals are deeply attuned, perceptive, and capable of profound personal growth.
How Therapy Helps Highly Sensitive People
Therapy helps highly sensitive individuals better understand and regulate their nervous systems.
This may include:
Somatic therapy to support nervous system regulation
EMDR therapy to process overwhelming experiences
Learning tools to reduce anxiety and overstimulation
Developing stronger emotional boundaries
Building self-trust and confidence
The goal of therapy is not to change who you are, but to help you feel more grounded and empowered within yourself.
Therapy for Highly Sensitive People in Redondo Beach and the South Bay
At Taylor Elyse Therapy, I work with highly sensitive individuals who are seeking greater clarity, calm, and emotional balance.
Therapy is available for clients in:
Redondo Beach
Manhattan Beach
Hermosa Beach
Palos Verdes
and the surrounding South Bay area
Together, we create a space where you can reconnect with your inner stability and learn to work with your sensitivity rather than against it.
Begin Therapy
If you identify as a Highly Sensitive Person and are ready to feel more grounded and supported, therapy can help you develop a deeper sense of calm and confidence.
You can reach out here to learn more or schedule a session.