Why I love working with Highly Sensitive Women

When I tell people I coach Highly Sensitive (HS) Women, I get a variety of reactions. Mostly positive, as in 'Tell me more - oh my God, that's me!' to 'I never knew that existed'. Just occasionally though, someone makes a comment that gives me pause for thought.

Someone I hadn't seen for a while commented 'That must be so hard', meaning poor you, those HS women must really take it out of you. Another person immediately came out with 'Highly Strung!' One HS woman really wanted to come to a talk I was giving but was afraid of being seen as 'Over-sensitive'. The best of all though was the comment -'you must be kidding, is this for real?' in response to a flyer for a workshop.

In reply to all these I say, YES the Highly Sensitive trait really is for real. I'm not making it up. What's more, the 20% of the population that are HS are some of the most caring, creative & intelligent people you'll ever come across. That's why I choose to work with them & why I love what I do.

It's true that this gift of sensitivity can bring challenges, but few things in life that are truly worthwhile don't. That's where I come in, in my role as a coach to HS Women. I've experienced many of these challenges myself (being Highly Sensitive) & have found ways to overcome them. There've been times in my life when someone has called me highly strung & over sensitive. Sadly, most of us HSPs have had these labels & more, applied to us. But in using these blanket negative terms, what the person labelling us hasn't seen are the amazing positive qualities that the HS trait brings.

They don't see the depths to which we process things, the myriad of connections we make & the understanding that follows. And they certainly don't realise the beauty we experience each time we're faced with a sunset, or a magnificent painting, or hear a poem that touches our hearts & stirs emotions deep within our souls. They probably don't realise that many of the great advances in our world, from social transformation (Mahatma Gandhi) to scientific innovation (Albert Einstein) were made by Highly Sensitive People.

If we want our world to thrive or even to still exist for future generations to come, it's likely to be the 20% Highly Sensitive part of the population who'll find the way. Precisely because they feel things intensely, think deeply & make the connections. The fact that there's been a consistent percentage of HSPs throughout the history of mankind indicates our importance to the survival of the human race.

This is an important part of our population that needs to be acknowledged & nurtured, not criticised or ignored. As a society we need to take notice of what HSPs have to say & provide environments in which it feels safe to speak up. Because what HSPs say is usually worth listening to.

So go ahead, call us Highly Strung & Over sensitive, but know that without us you probably wouldn't be here.

If you're a HS Woman struggling to find your voice & resonate with what I've written, please get in touch. You have a special gift that needs to be shared!

Please comment, or email me: info@ninakhoo.com. I'd love to hear what you have to say.

Photo credit: Foter.com