Welcome, Maui HSP Community!
Over the past seven years, I’ve had the privilege and honor of providing therapy services to many HSPs in the Maui community. Early on in my private practice, I started to notice a common thread amongst my clients. They often felt misunderstood and judged for how deeply they felt their emotions. Often they would reflect to me that they just didn’t understand why they cried so much or that they would criticize themselves for not being able to “just get over things” easily in the way other people could.
I started to pay close attention their self-talk and realized that they often criticized themselves for being “too much.” This is of course a generalization, but it became a common theme I was noticing and it caused me to take a pause to reflect on how I, too, often felt this way. Over time and through my own healing journey, I educated myself about the genetic trait for high sensitivity and started to cater my therapy approach to meet the needs of HSPs who often felt as if they were a different species from their friends and families.
Especially through COVID, I couldn’t help but notice that my clients felt isolated not only from the lack of physical contact that the pandemic presented, but also due to the fact that they felt alone in their sensitivity. It was during this time that a general curiosity evolved into my vision for The HSP Collective group. Individual work is foundational for HSPs to receive regular emotional attunement and to create a cohesive narrative about how our sensitivity impacted our relational development so we can start to re-frame our sensitivity as a finely attuned internal guidance system versus a detrimental trait that needs to be shut down or ignored.
Some key facts for HSPs to know about how group work can benefit them:
HSPs commonly feel misunderstood or isolated in their families and greater society because they perceive the world differently. Entering into group spaces in which sensitivity is normalized and revered is an opportunity to reframe and embody sensitivity as strength.
Participating in a group space where HSPs can engage with others who have similar levels of emotional depth and conscientiousness can be deeply healing, creating validation and authentic connection.
Groups provide ample amounts of interpersonal learning and feedback which can be especially helpful for HSP brains that are extra sensitive to nuance.
HSPs thrive in group environments that have low levels of sensory input, predictable routines to reduce uncertainty and stress, emotional safety and trust, mindful pace with quiet pauses, and grounded facilitation that models empathy and emotional attunement. This type of environment is not common in our overstimulated world.
When HSPs can co-regulate their nervous systems, they can experience deeper levels of connection that then create a new context for what is possible in relationship, fostering secure emotional attunement, the opportunity to practice healthy communication skills, and the capacity to show up more freely and authentically.
Whether or not you’ve participated in group spaces before, you might take a moment to notice what your experience has been. Have there been times when being in community felt supportive? Or times when you chose not to engage in group settings?
Gently consider what it might be like to connect with others who also experience the world with depth and sensitivity. What feels possible there? What questions or hesitations arise?
I wanted to share a brief update about The HSP Collective. I’ll be transitioning the group into a 6-week closed container, with the intention of creating a sense of familiarity, steadiness, and a space where we can settle in and share more deeply over time. If you’d like to learn more or feel curious about joining, you can find the details below. And of course, you’re always welcome to reach out with any questions.
I feel genuinely grateful for the opportunity to cultivate an HSP community here on Maui. This is a space where we can come together to learn, grow, and support one another. So much healing happens when we feel seen and understood in community. As we move through these cozy, rainy winter days, I hope you’re finding moments of warmth and meaningful connection in whatever ways feel nourishing to you.
