You're Not "Too Much": Understanding the Highly Sensitive Person
Some people move through the world with a nervous system that notices everything.
They pick up on subtle shifts in tone and mood. They feel deeply affected by conflict, noise, crowds, or emotional intensity. They may need more time alone to recover after stressful experiences or social interaction.
If this sounds familiar, you may be what psychologist Elaine Aron called a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).
What Is High Sensitivity?
Dr. Aron introduced this concept in the 1990s after researching what she described as an innate temperament trait found in about 15–20% of the population. Highly sensitive people process experiences more deeply, meaning they often feel more emotionally and physically impacted by their environment.
Being highly sensitive is not a diagnosis or a flaw — it's a nervous system trait. And while sensitivity can be a genuine gift, it can also feel exhausting without the right support.
The Gifts and the Struggles
Highly sensitive people are often empathetic, thoughtful, intuitive, and deeply caring. But many also struggle with emotional overwhelm, anxiety, people-pleasing, burnout, or feeling like they are "too much."
Over time, many HSPs begin criticizing themselves for the very traits that make them who they are. Instead of learning how to care for their nervous systems, they learn how to push themselves beyond their limits — until something gives.
This is where counseling can make a real difference.
How DBT Can Help
Many HSPs arrive at therapy feeling burnt out, broken, or like they've been failing at something everyone else finds easy. DBT offers a different starting point: rather than trying to make sensitive people less sensitive, it teaches practical skills for living well within the nervous system you already have.
Those skills include:
Mindfulness — noticing emotions without becoming consumed by them
Emotion regulation — better understanding and responding to intense feelings
Distress tolerance — moving through overwhelm without shutting down or spiraling
Interpersonal effectiveness — setting boundaries, communicating clearly, and protecting your emotional energy
Sensitivity Is Not Weakness
Many HSPs have spent years believing their sensitivity is the problem. It isn't.
Sensitivity is not weakness — it is responsiveness. With support, awareness, and the right tools, it can become less of a burden and more of a strength, something to work with rather than against.
You are not "too much." You may simply be deeply attuned to the world around you.
Ready to Explore What Support Could Look Like?
If any of this resonates, I'd love to talk. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation and we can explore together whether DBT — or another approach — might be a good fit for you.
