Therapy for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) in Oregon

If you identify as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), you may experience the world more deeply—emotionally, physically, and relationally. I offer therapy for highly sensitive adults in Oregon through online telehealth. Not sure if you are highly sensitive? Take the quiz here.

What Does It Mean to Be Highly Sensitive?

The term Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) was coined by psychologist Elaine Aron and is grounded in decades of research on sensory processing sensitivity. Highly sensitive people tend to process information more deeply and are often more attuned to emotional, relational, and environmental subtleties.

High sensitivity is a temperamental trait, not a diagnosis. While sensitivity can be a meaningful strength, it can also contribute to overwhelm, anxiety, or nervous system fatigue—particularly in fast-paced, high-demand, or emotionally intense environments.

Many highly sensitive adults seek therapy not to change who they are, but to better understand their nervous system, build resilience, and learn how to care for themselves in a world that often feels overstimulating.

Highly sensitive people may experience:

• emotional overwhelm or burnout

• heightened anxiety or stress reactivity

• strong empathy and atunement with other’s emotions

• sensitivity to noise, light, or stimulation

• feeling misunderstood or “too much”

Research suggests that high sensitivity has a biological component. Studies indicate that sensory processing sensitivity may be associated with variations in genes related to how the nervous system processes emotion and stimulation, including the DRD4 and 5-HTTLPR gene variants.

These genetic differences are not diagnoses and do not determine outcomes. Rather, they reflect natural variations in nervous system functioning that appear in both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals, and are shaped over time by environment, stress, and life experiences.

Therapy for Highly Sensitive Adults

My approach to therapy for HSPs is non-pathologizing, and nervous-system informed. Rather than trying to change your sensitivity, therapy focuses on helping you work with it.

Depending on your needs, therapy may include:

• EMDR therapy for distressing or overwhelming experiences

• ACT-based approaches to build flexibility and self-compassion

• polyvagal-informed tools to support regulation and recovery

• a holistic approach that honors your values

Many HSP clients find therapy helpful in building resilience without losing their depth or authenticity.

Online HSP Therapy in Oregon

I provide online therapy for highly sensitive adults across Oregon, including Portland. If this resonates, please reach out to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.