Stefanie Stahl is a best-selling author and psychotherapist, Lukas Klaschinski is a podcast star and psychologist. In this episode of their column, the two explain things about high sensitivity – and give advice for everyday life.
by Stefanie Stahl and Lukas Klaschinski
Lukas Klaschinski: When we describe a person as very sensitive, we are simply saying that they experience external and internal stimuli more intensely. As neutral as this statement may be, being a “sensitive” is not necessarily desirable in our culture. Some people suspect that people use this self-attribution to make themselves comfortable or to solicit sympathy.
But there are also prejudices in the other direction: highly sensitive people have very special abilities, for example the superpower to perceive all the moods in the room. I think that’s a romanticization that doesn’t do the matter justice. One thing is clear: Highly sensitive people are better equipped in some respects and have a harder time in other areas than people who are not highly sensitive. Steffi, how do you view this as a psychotherapist?