As with anything in life, being a highly sensitive person (HSP) can bring on positives as well as challenges throughout your life, especially within a career. Everyone wants to have their career aligned with the best strengths and assets that they bring to the table. When a highly sensitive person approaches a career, they need to also factor in their sensitivity. It can be challenging for an HSP to find a career that doesn’t overwhelm or overstimulate them from day to day. Are you looking for the best career options as a highly sensitive person? Look no further! Let’s learn more about some of ..read more

Teachers have their own teachers for their personal career goals or to use as a mentors. Their children may be taught by a different teacher depending on the grade level and subject. Nurses, doctors, and dentists will go to their own primary caregiver or dental provider. Tax advisors may hire their own tax advisors. Even lawyers will have their own lawyer instead of acting as their own. While these individuals may all be considered experts in their fields, they still don’t have the resources, capacity, or time to blend their work life with their personal life and provide the same services to t ..read more

No matter if you had a good upbringing or not, many people prefer to keep their past in their rearview mirror. For some, it isn’t always that easy. No matter how painful the memories are or how hard they try to forget about them and move on, it’s part of them. Those good and bad experiences are what shape everyone into the people they are today. Individuals who experience a negative upbringing like a childhood trauma don’t always have the luxury of leaving it behind them. Most of the time, other signs, symptoms, and disorders may form. Let’s learn more about the connection between childho ..read more

A lot of people think of being sensitive as someone being weak or fragile. In today’s world, sensitivity can be viewed as a negative trait. You may have even heard of phrases in real life or in television shows or movies like “Get over it,” “It’s not that big of a deal,” or “Rub some [...] The post Highly Sensitive and High Sensation Seeking: How to Find Balance and Harness Your Strengths appeared first on Sara Dochterman, LCSW ..read more

You’ve heard phrases like “you are what you eat” or “feel good from the inside out.” These phrases imply a connection between your gut and your overall sense of well-being. But is any of that rooted in fact? Can your gut activity influence your mental status? Can it change how you feel beyond a physical level? As it turns out, yes, it can.  The post The Gut-Brain Connection: How Your Microbiome Might Influence Depression appeared first on Sara Dochterman, LCSW ..read more

When most people carry in groceries, they apply a certain strategy to it. Carry the heavy stuff first, then finish with the light stuff. Once everything’s inside, you’re done for a couple weeks until you have to shop again. High-five! Carrying in groceries is similar to acute pain caused by injury or disease that heals over a short period of time. Chronic pain is different. It looks like carrying in groceries every day without much of an option to choose a lighter load over a heavy one. You don’t even get the satisfaction of fresh food after exerting so much energy. Instead, you feel constantl ..read more

Childhood is a time of innocence. It is a time of playfulness and carefree attitudes.  As a child, your main goals are to have fun, make memories, and lay the groundwork for who you’ll become later in life. There shouldn’t be a care or worry in your world during those formative years.  Unfortunately, life sometimes has other plans. When you experience trauma at a young age, it isn’t something that can be brushed under the rug and forgotten about. If that trauma goes unprocessed or unmanaged, there could be lasting effects that begin to appear later in the adult years.  Here are ..read more

Depression is an extremely common but serious mental health disorder. While it’s completely normal to experience feelings of sadness and fatigue from time to time, if you notice that these feelings persist for longer than two weeks, it’s a good indicator that depression may be at play. If you suspect that you or a loved one is struggling with depression, it’s important to seek support. If you’re not quite ready to make a call and set up an appointment with a therapist just yet, there are lifestyle changes that you can make to try to reduce or limit some of the signs and symptoms you may be exp ..read more

While sensitivity can manifest in various ways, two terms that frequently come up are “Highly Sensitive Person” (HSP) and “Autism Spectrum Disorder” (ASD). These two conditions, while distinct, share some common traits that can sometimes lead to confusion as to how they are different. Let’s explore. The post What Is the Difference Between Autism and Being a Highly Sensitive Person? appeared first on Sara Dochterman, LCSW ..read more

Trauma isn’t easy. You know that it takes time to heal, to overcome, and to move forward again. But trauma isn’t just a battle that you’re fighting in your own head. It affects your body, too. Trauma is not just a figment of the mind; it is a narrative written deep within the very cells of our body. While we try to move on mentally, our bodies have their own way of keeping score. Often, trauma manifests itself in physical sensations, patterns of tension, or even chronic illnesses that can seem inexplicable. From the subtle tightening in your chest to chronic pain or fatigue, your body com ..read more