(Excerpt from The Genius of Empathy by Judith Orloff, MD) In healthy relationships, you don’t have to work so hard emotionally all the time. Codependency can be defined as a relationship that has become so unhealthily enmeshed that people lose their individual strength and power. Typically, a person with codependent traits feels overly responsible for…
Read more »
I’m such a visual empath. Watching films is a pure delight for me, but I can’t tolerate loud or terrifying movies with big explosions. I’m not alone; many empaths are often overwhelmed by violent, fast-paced, or loud movie soundtracks. Even the actors can be too loud. Instead, sensitive people love heartwarming movies, so I want…
Read more »
Highly sensitive children are often shamed for their sensitivities. They grow up believing there’s something wrong with them. In “The Highly Sensitive Rabbit,” you’ll see how being sensitive is a creative talent that needs to be nurtured. Shame is a deeply painful emotion, a sense of humiliation and unworthiness that comes from feeling flawed. Unfortunately,…
Read more »
Caregiving is an opportunity to help someone with a physical, emotional, or spiritual infirmity. It is a chance for your empathy to shine. In the 1990s, I was the caregiver when both parents became ill at different points. I am thankful that I could bring them more peace and stability in their final days. They…
Read more »
As a psychiatrist and empath, I want to show you ways to balance your work, friends, children, and other family members without going on sensory overload, as many empaths do. The secret to thriving as an empath parent is to have strategies in place to counter tension and overstimulation. Of course, this is important for…
Read more »
Success and power have many facets. You can have every material success in the world and still not be happy. Happiness comes from within and without. As a psychiatrist and empath, I respect that each person has different values and needs. Because of this, I know never to judge a person’s happiness simply by how…
Read more »
Empath children are gifts to the world and need to be nurtured properly. As a psychiatrist and empath, I’m often asked by parents for advice on raising their sensitive children. As an empath child myself, I never felt like I fit in. Much of the time, I felt like an alien on earth, waiting to…
Read more »
Are you “overly nice” and suffer as a result? What I mean by this is that empaths and many caring people often burn themselves out by over-giving and don’t know when to back off. They mean well. But what’s missing is balance and knowing when to give less and replenish themselves. I’ve known people who’ve…
Read more »
Empathic listening is a way to help heal others through the quality of your presence and attention. You consciously give your time, focus, and compassion to someone who needs to be heard. You slow down to be fully in the moment without distractions. No checking messages, being on the internet, watching television, scanning the room,…
Read more »
Intuition is a potent form of inner wisdom. It’s an unflinching truth-teller committed to our well-being. You can experience intuition as a gut feeling, hunch, a physical sensation, a snapshot-like flash, or a dream. Always a friend, it keeps a vigilant eye on our bodies, letting us know if something is out of sync. Intuition…
Read more »
