“Might you be highly sensitive and not know it?”
Understanding High Sensitivity: Traits, Science, and Everyday Life
To be a Highly Sensitive Person—or HSP—means having a nervous system that is more finely tuned and responsive to subtleties in your environment and within yourself. This isn’t a disorder or something that needs to be “fixed,” but rather a natural trait, scientifically known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), found in about 20% of the population—roughly one in five people, across cultures and even over 100 animal species.
The Science and History Behind High Sensitivity
The concept of high sensitivity was first widely researched by Dr Elaine N. Aron, PhD, in the 1990s, though Carl Jung had noted “particularly sensitive people” as early as 1913. Dr Aron’s pioneering work led to her 1997 book, “The Highly Sensitive Person,” which has helped countless individuals recognise and better understand this trait.
Key Aspects of High Sensitivity: The DOES Model
Dr Aron summarises the traits of highly sensitive people with the acronym DOES:
- Depth of Processing: HSPs think and feel deeply. They reflect extensively on themselves, the world, and their experiences—whether it’s family, work, or broader issues. This depth often pairs with a strong creative or artistic streak and conscientiousness, but also an acute awareness of the risk of failure.
- Overarousability: HSPs can become overwhelmed by too much stimulation—loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, uncomfortable clothing, caffeine, crowds, or the stress of deadlines. They may seek solitude to recover from overstimulation, and their responses are unique to each individual.
- Emotional Intensity and Empathy: HSPs are highly empathetic, often from a young age, and can easily sense others’ emotions. Their emotional reactions are stronger, longer-lasting, and more nuanced. While this can make them more susceptible to exhaustion, especially from negative feedback or conflict, it also means they experience positive emotions deeply.
- Sensory Sensitivity: HSPs notice subtle changes in their surroundings—a new picture on the wall, a change in tone of voice, or atmospheric shifts. This sensitivity is highly individual and can overlap with overarousability.
How to Find Out if You Are Highly Sensitive
The easiest way to check is through self-assessment tools, like those on Dr Aron’s website, which include separate tests for adults and children. Sensitivity is an inborn trait, not something acquired, and is equally present across genders and cultures.
highly sensitive person test (adult)
And to check if your child may be highly sensitive:
Sensitivity Research also offers up to date tests and links to the sensitivity community.
Everyday Life and Challenges
Being highly sensitive is completely normal and simply another way of interacting with the world. There is no “cure” or need for treatment—though support, understanding, and self-compassion are important, especially in cultures that may mislabel HSPs as “shy” or “different.” Highly sensitive children, in particular, benefit from a thoughtful parenting approach, especially boys who may be told to “toughen up.”
It’s normal to be Highly Sensitive.
It’s simply a trait just like other aspects that you have been born with.
Support and Self-Care for HSPs
Self-care is essential for HSPs. This may include practices that help regulate emotions, manage overstimulation, and foster self-compassion and resilience. Mentoring and counselling can help HSPs better understand their strengths, set healthy boundaries, and develop strategies for thriving in daily life.
To be a Highly Sensitive Person is to experience the world with a depth and intensity that brings both unique strengths and specific challenges. Recognising this trait can be a transformative, empowering discovery, leading to greater self-understanding and compassion.
If you are interested in exploring this trait further, self-tests and professional mentoring are available to help guide your journey.
High Sensation Seeking
This is also an innate trait, so present from birth, and may or may not be coupled with high sensitivity (either as an introvert or extravert). An internal conflict will be present in HSPs who are also HSSs (Sensitive Sensation Seekers): described by Dr Aron as: “one foot is on the brake, the other on the gas”. There are four main aspects, though you don’t need to be “high” in all of them: thrill and adventure seeking; experience & novelty seeking; disinhibition – outside societal norms; boredom susceptibility.
To check on high sensation seeking, try the test below:
Mentoring for Highly Sensitive Persons
Mentoring sessions for HSPs focus on:
- Strengthening your acceptance of being highly sensitive
- Exploring HSP strengths and challenges
- Promoting an increase in your emotional regulation when over-aroused or receiving negative feedback or outright criticism
- Educating in HSP self-care and lifestyle choices, as required
- Checking and working on self-compassion, as necessary
- Working on low self-esteem, as required
- Looking at boundary setting and saying “no”
Do please contact me – I am always happy to hear from you and to help you or refer you on as appropriate.
I am a Highly Sensitive Person and dad to a highly sensitive child. I continue to explore the world of the HSP and have had many hours of personal therapy.
Discovering the trait was a real light bulb moment for me, an enlightenment that changed my life.
Counselling & Mentoring Fees :
Face-to-face London EC1V 50 minutes £95
Face-to-face London SE22 50 minutes £95
Online / Telephone 50 minutes £60 / €uro 71.50
I firmly believe that counselling should be accessible to all.
I offer some concessionary places online during the day for those on lower-income; please enquire for availability and cost.
David Wilson Counselling
Face-to-face – London EC1V & SE22
Online
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Tel: 07421 046591 +44 7421 046591
Email [email protected]
Highly Sensitive Person
Albanian Shqip shumë i ndjeshëm
Basque Euskara Oso pertsona sentikorra
Belorussian Беларус чалавек вельмі адчувальны
Bosnian Bosanski Vrlo osjetljiva osoba
Bulgarian Български Много чувствителен човек
Catalan Català Persona altament sensible
Croatian Hrvatski Vrlo osjetljiva osoba
Czech Čeština Vysoce citlivá osoba
Danish Dansk Højt følsomme person
Dutch Nederlands Hoog Sensitief Persoon
Estonian Eesti Väga tundlik isik
Finnish Suomi Erittäin herkkä henkilö
French Français Une personne très sensible
German Deutsch Hochsensible Person
Greek Έλληνα Πολύ ευαίσθητο άτομο
Hebrew עברית אדם רגיש מאוד
Hungarian Magyar Nagyon érzékeny személy
Icelandic Íslenska Mjög viđkvaem manneskja
Italian Italiano persona molto sensibile
Japanese日本人 非常に敏感な人
Latvian Latviešu Ļoti jūtīga persona
Luxembourgish Lëtzebuergesch Héich Sensibel Persoun
Lithuanian Lietuviška Labai jautrus žmogus
Macedonian Македонски Многу чувствителен човек
Maltese Persuna sensittiva ħafna
Norwegian Norsk Veldig følsom person
Polish Polski Wysoko wrażliwa osoba
Portugese Português Pessoa altamente sensível
Romanian Română Persoană foarte sensibilă
Russian Русский очень чувствительный человек
Serbian Српски веома осетљива особа
Slovak slovenský Vysoko citlivý človek
Slovenian Slovenščina Zelo občutljiva oseba
Spanish Español Persona altamente sensible
Swedish Svenska Högt känslig person
Turkish Türkçe çok hassas biri
Ukrainian Українська високочутлива людина
Welsh Cymraeg Person hynod sensitif
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David Wilson Counselling 