The Highly Sensitive Person By Dr Elaine N. Aron is one of those essential books every Highly Sensitive Person should read. It begins with a short quiz for highly sensitive people, which will help you identify which traits of the Highly Sensitive Person you relate to the most.
Some of these traits include:
Having a keen imagination.
Having vivid dreams.
Needing alone time each day.
Being deeply connected to nature.
Being prone to overwhelm, burnout or anxiety when in more 'toxic' or challenging circumstances.
Thriving in nourishing environments and have the potential to be great leaders and healers of this world.
The book is all about how to survive and thrive in a world that overwhelms you. You might be a Highly Sensitive Person who struggles with anxiety and overwhelm, or you might be in a close relationship or have a Highly Sensitive family member.
Either way, this book will help you make sense of the traits and emphasise with the lived experiences of anyone who is highly sensitive.
Elaine N. Aron, who founded the term the Highly Sensitive Person, has a Master's degree in clinical psychology and a doctorate. One of the reasons I recommend this book is because it's founded on extensive research. Dr Elaine Aron researched the subject using 100s of detailed interviews with HSPs, and research into sensory processing sensitivity - the official term for Highly Sensitive People - continues to grow. More recent research by Bianca P. Acevedo highlights neurobiological variations in the brain of the Highly Sensitive Person. This research also considers environmental factors that will impact how much a highly sensitive child or person can go on to thrive in the world.
What's included in the book?
The book includes several case studies and stories from Highly Sensitive People, which I personally found really helpful. They offer a sense of comfort, relatability and awareness that you're not alone in your experience.
This book also helps us to reframe what it means to be highly sensitive – moving away from the assumption that high sensitivity is a weakness or flaw. The book helps to empower you with the awareness that high sensitivity is a gift and entails enormous potential and possibilities for those of us who are HSP.
In The Highly Sensitive Person By Dr Elaine N. Aron, you'll be able to explore your traits and understand the importance of reframing your childhood experiences. The book also offers practical activities for HSP; at the end of each chapter, there are suggested activities that help you put what you've learned into practice. At the end of the book, there are also tips for health care professionals and teachers working with Highly Sensitive Children!
If you are a Highly Sensitive Person or close to someone who is highly sensitive, this book is a great place to start and understand how to support yourself and others with the traits.
About the Author
Jules De Vitto, MAEd, MSc Certified Transpersonal Coach and Educator
Jules De Vitto has a BSc in Psychology, MA in Education and MSc in Transpersonal Psychology, Consciousness and Spirituality. She is an accredited and certified Transpersonal Coach for HSP, Authentic-Self-Empowerment Facilitator, as well as an experienced trainer and educator.
She is the founder of the Highly Sensitive Human Academy™ which provides quality courses and certified training for Highly Sensitive People all over the globe. She helps those who identify with the traits of high sensitivity to navigate emotional overwhelm, step into their authentic power and align with their true purpose in life.
She is a published author who wrote ‘Resilience: Navigating Loss in a Time of Crisis’ which provides practical resources to cultivate greater resilience and find greater meaning and purpose through times of crisis. She has published her research in the peer-reviewed journal Consciousness, Spirituality & Transpersonal Psychology.