My Strengths
I have an analytical mind, which was honed in my former career in Risk Management working for an Oil and Gas entity. Combined with a strong intuition/perception, I can easily tune in to what makes others tick. I can foresee my clients' needs and root causes of problems and anticipate a path forward that helps them to bring about resolution.
What I’m Further Able to do For You
I like structure (most HSPs do!). Therapy can often be overwhelming and sometimes lacking a sense of direction. No problem, of course- some therapies work best this way. However, my approach involves knitting the complexities into simplicity (although life is often complex) and breaking steps forward into a clear and structured path.
My Personal View on Therapy
Therapy, in my eyes, is not just "talk." It is a seamless integration of the mind, body, and spirit. That means working through the mental, emotional, and physical layers (think of taking care of our body through exercise, nutrition, etc) and finally the spiritual layers (finding the deeper meaning in life, connecting to a higher source).
In practice, I use a wide array of therapies, such as counseling, brief therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and relationship therapy. For HSPs, I’ve found that working with any one of these therapies in isolation is not helpful. It can do more harm than good. For this reason, I am working on building a new and innovative type of therapy specifically designed for HSPs (perhaps it might be called HSP therapy?!). It takes into consideration that therapy is not a one-size-fits-all approach but will form a foundation to aid the average HSP move from point A to Z.
My Personal Story
As a child, I’ve always had an incredibly inquisitive mind. I have so many memories of reading science textbooks and conducting home science experiments because I simply wanted to understand how things worked!
It’s not a surprise that I pursued a Bachelor in Engineering. It reinforced that foundation in logical thinking and processing. In my years of working in corporate, I utilized these analytical capacities well, but I always felt like something was missing. I noticed my penchant for listening and understanding people. I also became acutely aware of my intuitive and empathic side.
Strengths in these areas were piercing themselves through.
I began a meditation practice during this time, which helped me to reinforce my strengths. While under the guidance of the monk who taught me meditation, I began teaching meditation in a youth prison. After the very first class I taught, the monk turned to me and said, “Wow. You have such a natural gift for connecting to people.”
I knew wholeheartedly what he was saying.
I felt it, too.
That was a sign. THE SIGN.
Ten years after a corporate life, I left.
I became a student again- this time, studying psychology. I was also looking for answers to human existence and happiness, which is why I pursued a Master’s in Positive Psychology. During this time, my research project was oriented around understanding intuition from a psychological perspective. The thing is, I had been having many unusual experiences, and I wanted to find scientific proof for it.
Sadly, because of a lack of replicable studies, I could not conclude that our intuition was part of a sixth sense. Science can only prove things to the extent to which they are testable. Intuition as a faculty of the sixth sense remains a mystery to the science world, but one that is very real for me.
I further completed my studies in Clinical Psychology through a doctorate (PsyD). Then I specialized in studying Highly Sensitive People through Dr. Elaine Aron (social psychologist and founder of the term HSPs). Everything I learned about an HSP helped to place my experiences in perspective- depth of processing, high intuition, overarousal, the ability to feel emotions of myself and others deeply, and sensory sensitivity.
So today, I am committed to helping people by combining my analytical and intuitive experiences, being an HSP, and the knowledge gained through my professional accreditation and experiences. I believe the human spirit is incredibly resilient, and healing and personal growth can occur with the right support.
So many people have been there for me on my journey. I am ready to hold space for yours.
