A Guide to Effective Communication in Relationships for a Highly Sensitive Person or Empath
As an empath or highly sensitive person, your sensitivities to others and your ability to attune to yourself and the outside world can be overwhelming. This may lead you to adjust your communication style - sometimes to shield others from what you sense is a vulnerability. By absorbing these fragile states in others, it makes sense for your interpersonal relationships to pose specific challenges. You may find difficulty around boundary setting or staying within a boundary, assertiveness, and communicating directly and effectively. Combined with continued misunderstanding, guilt, and/or resentment, what started as a wonderful gift of intuition can spiral, and turn into a cycle of communication that creates more pain. Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA at Therapy on Fig can help you navigate your communication issues in a healthy way.
Notice What Happens When You Sense Discomfort, Pain, or Conflict in Your Partner
Your ability to notice others' emotions and state of mind may lead you to make repeated and specific decisions about how you communicate. You may find that you adjust your wording, over-qualify what you're saying to prevent any surprises or misunderstandings, or even diminish a necessary boundary.
A few questions to ask yourself:
How do I know when I am over-identifying with my partner's emotions versus my own? How do I make that distinction?
When I have over-identified with my partner's emotions, how do I adjust and edit my words and communication style to cater to what I perceive as my partner's needs?
Are there any worries and fears if I didn't adjust my communication to meet my partner's needs?
Identify Conflict-Avoidant Thoughts and Behaviors
The desire to prioritize harmony, especially because you can sense discomfort in others, isn't the problem. We're not looking to play down or eliminate it. It's when we translate noticing this discomfort as it's not okay to be open and honest that we find ourselves fawning instead of speaking up and appeasing instead of resolving.
The next time there's a conflict, rupture, or disagreement in your relationship, notice:
What thoughts come into mind when conflict/disagreement/rupture happens?
What feelings come up? Can you locate them anywhere in your body?
What's your response(s) to these thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations?
Creative Ways for Effective Communication While Being A Highly Sensitive Person
As an empath or highly sensitive person, you're likely to be highly creative. You may also be able to express this in your profession, interests, hobbies, or how you process your thoughts.
Creativity in effectively communicating as an empath or highly sensitive person can look like:
Imagine speaking up for a younger part of you that needed speaking up. This may help take away the internal judgment of being uncaring or selfish.
Add a "rule of thumb" practice to buy yourself pause, such as saying, "Let me think about it and get back to you,” or allowing conversations to broken into sections, carrying over to multiple mini-check ins, as opposed to one and done.
Approach hard conversations as "sections" to normalize certain topics as ongoing rather than a "one and done" ultimatum.
Fostering Connection as a Highly Sensitive Person
Navigating communication as an empath or highly sensitive person takes specific practice. Especially when balancing sensitivity with assertiveness. Recognizing when accommodation leads to boundary issues and discerning others' emotions from your own is part of the process. By staying mindful of conflict-avoidant tendencies and exploring creative ways to communicate, either on your own or with an HSP therapist, you can foster an authentic connection with your partner. You can honor your empathic nature and have enough confidence in navigating uncertain and challenging conflicts in your relationships.
Enhance Your Communication Skills as a Highly Sensitive Person through Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA Today!
Ready to enhance your communication skills and strengthen your relationships as a highly sensitive person or empath? Discover effective strategies and techniques through Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA at Therapy on Fig . Learn how to balance sensitivity with assertiveness, recognize and set healthy boundaries, and navigate emotional nuances in your interactions. Take the first step towards fostering deeper, more authentic connections by implementing these practices in your relationships. Start your journey to improved communication and relationship satisfaction today by following the steps below:
Reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Speak with an experienced HSP therapist.
Learn to communicate effectively as a highly sensitive person!
Other Therapy Services Offered at Therapy on Fig in Los Angeles, Highland Park, and Throughout California
At Therapy on Fig, we offer therapy services that fit the unique needs of empaths and highly sensitive people (HSPs). In addition to Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA, we also provide Trauma Therapy and Grief and Loss Therapy. We also address related issues such as anxiety, stress management, and relationship issues. Our goal is to empower you to embrace your sensitivities and gifts as strengths and start on a path to self-discovery and healing. Reach out today to begin your journey of understanding and acceptance as a highly sensitive person.
Sharon Yu is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is a trauma-informed therapist and approaches her clients with a non-pathological lens, believing it's worthwhile to find the legitimacy behind stigmatized behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. Finding capacity for our most rejected parts can bring restoration and healing. To learn more about Sharon or our team reach out today!