Highly Sensitive People: Why Therapists Should Care About High Sensitivity

High sensitivity is a natural, non-pathological individual difference that is associated with a detailed cognitive processing style and usually, but not always, an introverted temperament.

Social psychologist Elaine Aron (1995) suggests that 15-20% of the general population will have the innate temperament difference that she calls “high sensitivity” (HS), or for research purposes, sensory processing sensitivity (SPS ).

30% to 50% of our therapy clients may be affected

High sensitivity can play an unsuspected role in the distress of many of our psychotherapy clients.

Because their sensitivity predisposes them to overstimulation and distress in demanding settings, Aron proposes that this trait may play a role in the difficulties of the 30-50% of the clinical population that we see in our practices.

Common complaints concern sensory sensitivities and emotional sensitivity

Highly sensitive clients describe feeling both positive and negative emotions intensely and responding strongly to physical and emotional stimuli.

• Sensitive people are easily annoyed by sounds, smells, and chaotic situations.

• They have a very detailed cognitive style and receive more stimulation from their environment by noticing details and small differences. As a result, they are often overwhelmed in situations that do not concern others.

• They may have a difficult time making decisions as they struggle to organize detailed insights and multiple imagined outcome scenarios.

• They may be introverts who appear to have “thin skin,” who are easily hurt or offended, or who are too afraid of offending others.

• They can be “touchy” and have strong emotional reactions to things that don’t bother others.

• These differences influence the individual’s responses to their environment from birth.

Because HS predisposes an individual to have strong reactions to stressors, Aron proposes that, under certain circumstances, HS can create greater vulnerability to psychopathology.

When misrecognized and mishandled by parents and teachers, HS can develop into a wide range of common psychopathologies … including social phobia, somatization and avoidant personality styles, and relationship difficulties.

Sensitive people have an impact on others too …

While sensitive people are often thoughtful, caring, and empathetic parents, partners, and friends, when they are stressed … or have never learned to deal with their unique qualities effectively, they can create tension and difficulties for people. that surround them.

Many of our non-sensitive patients have had highly sensitive parents, children, partners, or coworkers and have struggled … sometimes since childhood … with confusion and frustration and disturbed relationships due to a lack of understanding of the trait in terms important. others.

A therapist who is knowledgeable about HS can do much to help their non-sensitive clients understand their relationships with HS family members, both past and present, and help them use this knowledge to interact in ways more effective and efficient. pleasantly with the HS people in your circle.

What a therapist needs to know

A knowledgeable therapist who wishes to work effectively with HS clients must be able to:

• Describe the identification characteristics of high sensitivity,

• Discuss how sensitivity affects child development and adult socialization,

• Distinguish HS from psychological disorders such as sensitivity due to PTSD and personality disorders.

In terms of practical skills, a therapist should be able to:

• Use the Aron HSP scale to assess sensitivity formally or informally.

• Identify complicated and uncomplicated HS

• Assess the therapeutic needs of sensitive clients.

• Apply common psychotherapy techniques in treating highly sensitive clients to promote adaptation and healing.

Suggestion for further reading:

For more detailed information for therapists on this topic, I highly recommend Dr. Elaine Aron’s excellent book:

“Psychotherapy for highly sensitive people; improved outcomes for that minority of people who are the majority of clients”

(Routledge Press, 2010)

In this book, you will find the PAS Assessment Scale, as well as suggestions for tailoring therapy for PAS, detailed information on the research background supporting the concept, and a helpful and informative section on differential diagnosis.