Supporting Highly Sensitive Children: Guidance from an HSP Therapist
You love your child so deeply, but more days than not, you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by this tiny human who seems to bring out the worst in you. You’ve read all the books and asked all the questions in your parenting communities. Yet somehow you’re still struggling to understand how to care for your child in a way that doesn’t feel so hard all of the time. You find yourself getting stuck in the guilt and shame cycle because you feel you “should” know better, but what you’re doing just isn’t working. And, at the end of the day, it’s not just your kid who’s had the meltdown, but you’re having them too.
If this rings true for you, you might be parenting a highly sensitive child. Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA, offers support to help you navigate these challenging emotions. All while developing effective parenting strategies that work for you and your child with the help of an HSP therapist.
Understanding Highly Sensitive Children
Highly sensitive children are sensitive to both changes within themselves and in the world around them. They seem highly attuned to pick up on the energy of everyone around them. Even the slightest conflicts can send them into tears. On the other side of the continuum are children who seem out of touch with others’ emotions. They are perhaps labeled “insensitive” because they respond to perceived conflict by yelling or even pushing you away.
The common thread is that their brains and bodies simply don’t know how to handle it all. So their nervous system takes over, with a fight, flight, fawn, or freeze response that can baffle even the most attuned caregiver. In these moments of sensory meltdown, one of the most important things that you, as the parent of a highly sensitive child, can remember is this:
Neither you nor your child are broken…you both just need a different kind of support From an HSP therapist
The key to the above lies in the recognition that a better approach takes into account both your child’s needs AND yours too. Highly sensitive children often come from a highly sensitive caregiver (or two…or three, depending on the family’s structure). That means it is only natural that a cycle of sensitivity can amplify the distress that both the child and their caregiver are experiencing.
Parenting with Empathy: Understanding Your Child's Experience
So, how might you approach things differently? The first step is to start with yourself, getting curious about the specific thoughts, feelings, and sensations that arise when you notice your child having a meltdown due to their highly sensitive experience. You might ask yourself:
Am I concerned about how people perceive my child and internalizing their judgments as a reflection of me as a parent?
Am I worried that my child won’t be “strong enough” to survive a challenging world?
Am I feeling the shame of “imperfection” as a parent that is creating an unrealistic pressure to “get this right?”
Or is there something else that feels true for you in these overwhelming moments?
Finding the Right Support from an HSP Therapist
Once you’re able to identify the part that is scared and anxious more clearly, I invite you to see if you can access any curiosity or compassion toward that part. Does it make sense to you when you really hear it out?
Once you’re able to soften, even just a bit, toward those parts of yourself that carry the guilt and shame for not getting it right, it’s often the case that your nervous system will become a little bit more regulated and better able to offer what your child does need in these moments. Not to figure them out, but rather to be present with them as they allow their emotions to move through them so that they can start to accept themselves more fully. Because being highly sensitive isn’t just about being overwhelmed. It’s also the potential for accessing the gifts of their sensitivity, just as you learn to more readily access yours.
If you are seeking support as the parent of a highly sensitive child. Or if you feel your child or family might benefit from a therapist who understands the challenges and gifts of your sensitivity, I invite you to reach out to Therapy on Fig. We can connect you with an HSP therapist who can best support you and your family’s needs through Therapy for Empaths.
Support Your Highly Sensitive Children through Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA Today!
If you're a parent of a highly sensitive child seeking guidance and support, don't hesitate to reach out. At Therapy on Fig, we offer specialized support for highly sensitive individuals and their families through Therapy for Empaths in Los Angeles, CA. As HSP therapists, we understand the unique challenges and gifts of sensitivity. We can help you navigate the complexities of parenting a highly sensitive child and provide you with strategies to support their emotional well-being. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where your child can thrive. Take the first step towards supporting your highly sensitive child by following the steps below:
Reach out to schedule a free consultation.
Speak with a caring HSP therapist.
Get you and your highly sensitive children the support they need!
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 for your highly sensitive children.
Sabrina Bolin is a Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT 144696), supervised by Sharon Yu. As a multiracial neurodivergent woman, she helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent, and creative folks relate to themselves and to the people in their lives with more compassion and greater understanding through a trauma-informed and identity-affirming lens. Learn more about her and the rest of our team by reaching out today!