Episode #52: Jeff Guenther, LPC, Interviews Patricia About the Strengths of Being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) - Patricia Young

TITLE

Jeff Guenther, LPC, Interviews Patricia About the Strengths of Being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

GUEST

Jeff Guenther, LPC

EPISODE OVERVIEW

Does a client who comes to therapy need to learn to be more resilient? If a couple comes to therapy, should the focus be on getting the HSP to be less sensitive? These are questions that Jeff Guenther asks during this interview. We also talk about how therapeutic ruptures can occur when the therapist is not aware of the trait of being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). We talk a little bit about High Sensation Seeking (HSS), and we talk about the strengths and gifts HSPs have to offer the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

The interview starts with me saying that I’m tired and depleted, and we talk about why this type of authenticity is important to me
We talk about introversion and extroversion and that much that we see about introverts overlays the trait of High Sensitivity, but doesn’t distinguish this
I thought I had social anxiety, but it turns out I probably got overaroused and overstimulated when I was younger, and didn’t understand what it was, and assumed I had social anxiety
I thought I was an introvert and used it as an excuse to not socialize
Turns out, I’m a Highly Sensitive Extrovert, so I need to find my sweet spot for enough socializing, but not too much
We talk about High Sensation Seeking (HSS) and what it might look like
I give the statistic that men and women equally represent that trait of being a Highly Sensitive Person, but I neglect to say that I haven’t seen research about how those numbers impact folx who are non-binary or trans
- Thank you to Dara Hoffman-Fox for bringing this to my attention
50% of clients in therapy are Highly Sensitive (HSP)
- They are the clients who tend to arrive on time
- Pay their bills on time
- Do homework
- Really want to dig in to therapy
If a therapist doesn’t know about the trait of being Highly Sensitive, they may try and get their client to be like the 80% of non-HSPs, this can be detrimental to the client and cause a rupture in therapy without the therapist even realizing it
When a therapist is HS Knowledgeable, their client retention increases since they are able to attune to their HS client. It’s a win-win for the therapist and the client
In the brain of a HSP, more areas are active and taking in information. An HSP may gather 20 pieces of data from an interaction, and a non-HSP may gather 5. This is how mis-attunement can happen, or why HSPs see and experience things that non-HSPs miss
A therapist who is HS Knowledgeable will want to be aware of how they are showing up for the client (are they tired, stressed etc.). It may help the relationship when the therapist communicates their own limitation. It creates safety for the HS client
As therapists and coaches, we want to initially do validating, mirroring, normalization, education, and then skill-building (if that’s in alignment with the client’s goals)
Jeff asks if a Highly Sensitive Person came to see me, would I help them be more resilient. I ask Jeff if he’s assuming that HS clients/people need to be more resilient

GUEST BIO

Jeff Guenther, LPC, is a therapist in Portland, OR. He has been in private practice since 2005. Jeff is the creator and owner of Portland Therapy Center, a highly ranked therapist directory. He also hosts a podcast called Say More About That about trending mental health topics. Jeff has launched a new progressive therapist directory at TherapyDen that fights racism, homophobia, transphobia and all other forms of discrimination. Sign up for a profile at TherapyDen and get your first six months free.

PODCAST HOST

Patricia Young works with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) helping them in understanding their HSP traits, and turning their perceived shortcomings into superpowers. Patricia is passionate about providing education to help HSPs and non-HSPs understand and truly appreciate the amazing gifts they have to offer. Patricia works globally online with HSPs providing coaching. Patricia also facilitates online courses for HSPs that focus on building community and developing skills (identifying your superpowers, boundaries, perfectionism, dealing with conflict, mindfulness, embracing emotions, creating a lifestyle that supports the HSP, communication and more).