The Many Gifts found in HSP Friendships, Connections & Community

The Many Gifts Revealed in HSP Friendships, Connections & Community  

Reciprocal, meaningful relationships which enjoy, encourage,  and  honor  our depth of thought, emotion and our desire for deep conversations are often elusive.  Yet, this type of connection is always found at the HSP Gathering Retreats, as well as in many HSP social media sites.

 This does not automatically imply a “friendship” so much as a moment in time when one is is allowed to see and be seen, to understand and be understood.

With an open hear, below are ten beautiful gifts one could expect to receive ~~ and give~ within an authentic HSP friendship.  It is my sincerest wish that an HSP friendship is in your life, or comes your way so that these gifts begin to be revealed to you.  

1. The safety of the relationship provides us with a forum within which to fully “come out” and reveal ourselves as a highly sensitive person.

2. It provides us with validation and acknowledgment – allowing us to be seen, heard and understood.

3. It relieves pressure, tension and energy drain from not being authentically seen or heard in our daily lives.

4. It creates an avenue for fuller self-expression of our Spirit, including our emotions, imaginations, and perceptions, often leading us to wonderful (inner) places and (outer) possibilities never before revealed.

5. It provides us a place to share our vivid and often intense experiences of the world around us.

6. It focuses on our strengths, opens our heart and infuses us with a sacred innocence and joy.

7. It helps us move beyond blind faith to a feeling of “faith like prayers just heard.”

8. It can take the pressure off others, especially our non-HSP partners or friends, who may find it tiring to go the depths we naturally find energizing, nurturing, and supportive.

9. It can keep us focused on what really matters and away from irrelevant details which can ultimately drain our energy.

10. It can provide us with a mirror that allows us to fully see, hear, and feel our own energies which can then serve as validation and clarification for the depth of our perceptions.

Molly and Pumpkin

This list comes from my personal experience and was co-created with my special HSP friend, Molly, back in 2001.  Thank you, Molly.

Some of you might remember meeting Molly at the 6th HSP Gathering Retreat near Sequoia National Park in the fall of 2004, and also at the Colorado HSP Gathering Retreat in Colorado in the fall of 2007.

P.S. And did I say : 
“ These same top ten reasons  are often experienced at the HSP Gathering Retreats ! ”

Picture of Jacquelyn Strickland

Jacquelyn Strickland

Jacquelyn became a Licensed Professional Counselor in 1993, and began working exclusively with highly sensitive people in 2001, shortly after the first HSP Gathering Retreat in May of 2001. Her private psychotherapy practice has now transitioned to mentoring and coaching, which is not therapy, yet definitely therapeutic for most clients. She also offers consultations and accepts speaking engagements about the trait of Sensory Processing Sensitivity. She is a member of ICHS – International Consultants High Sensitivity, a professional, national, and international group of HSPs who were trained by Elaine Aron in March of 2018. She makes a cameo appearance in the 2015 documentary film: Sensitive: The Untold Story, available at sensitivethemovie.com.

Although not always able to accept new clients, please do inquire here about how and if we might best work together.

Secret Link

Depth of Processing

Depth of processing is the most basic aspect of our SPS trait, and results in the deep, rich inner life most HSPs experience. Research has shown more brain activation in the prefrontal cortex and in a part of the brain called the insula which has sometimes been referred to as the ‘seat of consciousness.’ This creates the tendency to reflect more than others about the “way the world is going or “the meaning of life.” By integrating information and experiences, from both past and present, the HSP’s unique depth of processing can enable a sense and understanding of longer term consequences and may be able to influence future decisions with more creative and expansive thought.