Sensitivity Is A Superpower
Self-empowerment coaching for highly sensitive young women, ages 13-25
If you've ever been called "too sensitive," I am here to reassure you: nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, the world needs more sensitivity. Fortunately, clinical psychologists like Dr. Elaine Aron are proving what we sensed all along. There IS such a thing as a Highly Sensitive Person and our natural abilities are, in fact, superpowers. (Also check out the beautiful, uplifting book, Sensitive Is The New Strong by Anita Moorjani.)
One of the qualities of a sensitive person is that we absorb a lot more information—both sensory and intuitive—which we process a lot more slowly. We're also intensely empathetic. Although sensitive people account for just 20-30% of the population, it's speculated that a similar percentage of every species is highly sensitive. This suggests to me that one of our roles is to be bellwethers, to both foresee the problem and envision the solution, leading the way to a more just, balanced, and peaceful world.
FOR YOUNG WOMEN:
How to know if this might be a good fit for you
1. Highly sensitive people are unique in Depth of Processing. That means that we take in more information than most people—a lot more nuance and intuitive subtlety—and then we process this information more deliberately and deeply over time. (For example, are you someone who can't stop contemplating EVERYTHING—every feeling, thought, book, movie, song, conversation, encounter—indefinitely?) Not surprisingly, it also means we're more easily overwhemed, more likely to feel anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. But if you'd like to feel more confident and self-connected, to be able to hear and trust your intuition more consistently, I am here to support you in reclaiming your unique brand of magic, to learn how to trust—and live in alignment with—your own soul-centered guidance.
2. Highly sensitive people have “differential susceptibility,” meaning that we are more intensely affected by both darkness and light, more easily discouraged, yes, but also quicker to heal and reclaim our wisdom. If you’d like to have more peace and personal power—no matter what is going on around you—I can support you in self-regulation and self-trust: knowing your gifts, knowing what lights you up, and knowing how to transform the outer chaos into inner clarity. The more you connect to the wisdom of your sensitive nature, the more you will bring your peace with you.
3. Despite many misunderstandings, our sensitivity is, in fact, a superpower, a gift of perceptivity and empathy that is needed now more than ever before. If you’d like to have stronger, more authentic friendships and partnerships, I can support you in becoming an exceptional communicator, to honor your needs, maintain energetic boundaries, and create the kind of deep, soulful, mutually-empowering relationships you need to thrive.
4. If you are intensely empathic and feel like it would be easier to just stay home all day like Emily Dickinson, I empathize! But as the memes remind us, "your boundaries must be stronger than your empathy." If you'd like to own your power as the authority of your own life, I can support you in "breaking the spell" of unconscious, self-limiting beliefs and then consciously choosing what you DO want to believe—separate from the beliefs and conditioning of others—to claim your power as the author and heroine of your own magical life.
FOR PARENTS | 4 ways coaching can support your daughter
1. Coaching builds self-confidence.
Through listening and reflecting back the unique strengths of your child, I can support them in cultivating a grounded sense of self-confidence and self-trust based on who they authentically are, learning to trust their inner voice and cultivate an unshakable sense of their own value and worth.
2. Coaching supports a leadership-mindset.
I am committed to giving your child the time and space they need to discover their unique values, interests, and talents as the leader of their own lives, to support them in taking initiative and making things happen, advocating for themselves and the issues they care about most.
3. Coaching cultivates critical thinking skills.
I am here to support your child in learning to think for themselves and strategically solve problems, to excel both academically and personally. This, in turn, improves executive functioning, goal setting, and accountability, supporting your child to be self-motivated in the face of relentless peer and social media pressure.
4. Coaching fosters self-direction.
My job is not to lecture or teach but to guide each young person back to their own inner wisdom, to support them in knowing their values, trusting their intuition, and making the best, most empowered decisions for a happy, successful life.
"Thank you, Elizabeth, for helping our daughter find her voice and share her talents with the world. You truly helped her believe in herself and follow her dreams and we are so grateful.”
— Parent of a young woman, age 21
“I was pretty unconfident the first twelve years of my life. I had no idea I could be beautiful for who I was… but Elizabeth showed me that. I would have been a completely different person than I am if it weren’t for her.” — Young woman, age 16
"Elizabeth, you are such a blessing to so, so many young girls who struggle with the challenges of these difficult, self-doubting, teenage years. I hope more girls will find you so they can learn about themselves and learn to trust themselves.”
— Parent of a young woman, age 17
ABOUT ME:
My name is Elizabeth and I have dedicated my life to supporting, elevating, and celebrating Highly Sensitive young women, to channel my own Sensitivity Superpowers into supporting YOU in your Sensitivity Superpowers. That is why I created The Intuitive Writing Project in the first place, because this was the program I wanted and needed when I was young, a safe space to speak my truth and have it heard.
Like most HSPs, I have been coaching and counseling literally everyone around me (friends, family, random people at the grocery store, the person waiting in line in front of me at the post office...) since I was a young woman myself. My favorite thing to do—my default setting, really—is to ask a lot questions, listen deeply, and then look for the light. Although the word "coach" has many different meanings, for me it's about being both a mirror and an advocate: to reflect back and lift up the strengths I see in others. I’m basically an “inner-talent scout," someone who can intuitively perceive (and then enthusiastically encourage!) the unique brilliance I see in each young woman.
Whether I'm doing 1:1 coaching or leading my group writing programs, I believe my primary job is to provide a safe container, to support every young woman in becoming the truest, best version of themselves. Finally, the reason I call this "self-empowerment coaching" is because we are the only ones who can reclaim our power—and all meaningful change deserves meaningful support.
For the last thirteen years, the greatest joy and honor of my life has been the opportunity to coach and mentor sensitive young women through The Intuitive Writing Project. I live to serve. In the words of the great writer, Ayesha Siddiqi, every day I strive “to be the person I needed when I was young.”
THE ROOTS OF MY COACHING PHILOSOPHY:
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The Amherst Writing Method: a focus on strengths-based feedback as taught by the great Pat Schneider, acknowledging that "everyone has their own unique voice" and every voice is needed. (I am certified in the Amherst Writing Method.)
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Neurolinguistic Programing (NLP): NLP just so happens to be what I wrote about in my book, Word Magic, which is the power of language to become conscious of our unconscious, self-limiting thoughts and then to consciously choose more empowered, self-actualizing thoughts.
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The teachings of Dr. Elaine Aron, Anita Moorjani, and Judith Orloff, M.D. on the nature of empathy, empaths, and Highly Sensitive People.
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The Nurtured Heart Approach: a focus on deep listening and empathy to draw out and amplify our “innate greatness,” based on the teachings of Howard Glasser.
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Nonviolent Communication (NVC): the communication structure developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg which recognizes our “universal human needs.”
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Humanist psychology: a focus on seeing each other with “unconditional positive regard" as first coined by Carl Rogers and imagining new and better outcomes through what Carl Jung called, “the active imagination process.”
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The Intuitive Writing Project: Most of my knowledge of young people comes from young people themselves, from the over five thousand hours I’ve spent leading classes and coaching sessions for teenage girls. You can read some testimonials from girls and their parents here.
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All the wise, compassionate, empowering therapists and coaches who have faithfully guided and supported me for the last twenty-five years, in memory of my first and greatest teachers, Shona Bellew and Sarah McCroskey, and with boundless love and gratitude to Jennifer Pister, MFT, Julia Stenzel, Gloria Synn, Tracy Poff, PhD, and Fiona Fletcher, MA.
How is coaching different from therapy:
While young people often call our classes and sessions "like therapy" and “therapeutic," I am not a psychologist nor can I diagnose mental health conditions. In both my writing group and 1:1 sessions, my coaching focuses on future-oriented, self-directed growth. I see every young person as a whole, complete human being who, like all of us, deserves to be supported in their self-empowerment. As I mentioned above, we are the only ones who can stand in our power—and all meaningful change deserves meaningful support.
Cost:
Parents can schedule a free consultation call at anytime. For young people, I offer a free 30 minute intro session. If this feels like a good fit, we'll develop a schedule that fits your needs. For parents, I provide regular updates and am always available to talk.
The cost for each 1-hour session is $150. Because sustainable growth requires consistent support over time, I recommend meeting twice a month for 3-6 months. I will send you a personalized invoice whenever you're ready to begin.
Thank you for being brave and open-hearted in pursuit of your best, most authentic life. I am honored to support you and your HSP child in any way I can.
