Emotional Sensitivity and Intensity: How to Manage Intense Emotions as a Highly Sensitive Person

by Imi Lo

Overview

Do you feel you experience life more vividly than others?
Do people sometimes describe you as emotionally intense or oversensitive?
Do your emotions soar high and plunge so quickly that you feel you can't keep up?

This book is for you. Learn how to cope with intense feelings, and discover how to use your sensitivity, empathy and intelligence to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Emotional Sensitivity and Intensity will give you in-depth information about this trait, as well as practical exercises and strategies to help with your daily struggles.

It will help you come to new ways of thinking about your past, thrive in your current life, and create exciting possibilities for the future. Written in a friendly and compassionate tone, the chapters will answer questions raised by many emotionally intense individuals:

Is there something wrong with me?
How does this trait explain my life experiences so far?
What can I do right now to better my life and to fulfil my potential?

You will learn to:
- Understand what it means to live with emotional sensitivity and intense feelings
- Debunk the myths and stereotypes about this trait
- Let go of old emotional baggage and limiting mindsets
- Develop real resilience and find peace within life's ups and downs
- Navigate challenging social and family situations
- Build healthy and fulfilling intimate relationships
- Find your unique calling and liberate your creative potential

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473656031
Publisher:	Mobius
Publication date:	05/29/2018
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Imi Lo is a Psychotherapist, Art Therapist, and Consultant for emotionally intense and highly sensitive people. She is the Founder of Eggshell Therapy and Coaching and author of the book Emotional Sensitivity and Intensity, available in multiple languages. Imi specialises in emotional intensity, high sensitivity, giftedness, complex trauma (CPTSD), and personality disorders.

Imi is qualified as a Clinical Psychotherapist, Creative Arts Therapist, Schema Therapist, Philosophical Counsellor, Mentalisation-based Treatment Practitioner, Clinical Supervisor and Mindfulness Teacher. With more than a decade of experience, she has worked in the NHS, charities and other mental health settings. Now, as an independent consultant, she works holistically, combining East and Western philosophies with psychological and spiritual healing modalities.

Imi is the recipient of multiple scholarships and awards including the Endeavour Award by the Australian Government. She has been featured as a pioneer in the field in publications such as the Psychologies magazine, The Telegraph, Marie Claire, and The Daily Mail. Her work appears on Psychology Today, Psych Central and other online platforms. 

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Part 1 The emotionally intense person

1 Emotional sensitivity, intensity and giftedness 3

Definitions

The caveat

2 What do we know about emotional sensitivity and intensity? 11

The highly sensitive person

Giftedness

Empaths and empathy

Having thin boundaries

Trauma-induced environmental sensitivities

Introversion

3 Emotional intensity and giftedness 25

The giftedness that no one talks about

Forms of emotional giftedness

Personality traits of the gifted

Over-excitability

Reclaiming your giftedness

4 Emotional intensity and mental health 39

What is normal?

Borderline personality disorder and empathy

The relationship between sensitivity and mental illness

Part 2 The complexities of being emotionally intense

5 At home 49

The invisible wounds

Forms of invisible wounds for the emotionally sensitive child

Results of having an inadequately supported childhood

6 In the world 63

Standing out

Envy and the social dynamic around the gifted

Hiding and shrinking

7 In your mind 75

The shame of being 'too much'

Emotional storms and being out of control

Feeling empty and numb

Part 3 From healing to thriving

8 Healing old wounds 91

Telling the truth

Letting go of 'what might have been'

Breaking free from the past

Dealing with difficult family times

9 Building emotional resilience 111

Moving from defensiveness to openness

Having a secure base

Befriending your emotions

Listening to your feelings

Riding the waves of change

Opening to life

Trusting life

10 Stepping into your truth 141

Reclaiming authenticity

Staying in flow at work and in life

Expressing your true self safely

Letting authenticity take charge

11 Being in the world 165

Looking after your emotional boundaries

Understanding passive-aggressive behaviour

Seeing your shadow

Embracing your light

12 Finding true intimacy 185

Knowing when the past is present

Saying 'no' to bad relationships

Avoiding burnout and bore-out

Your armour

Finding your way back into love

13 Actualizing your creative potential 211

Tapping into your creative vitality

Looking inwards for your creative calling

Being in creative alignment

A letter to passionate souls 223

Further Reading 227

Index 236