Therapy for Highly Sensitive People, Online in New York, Massachusetts, and Florida

If you are a sensitive soul navigating deep anxiety and ongoing stress, you deserve a safe space where your mind can finally find some rest.

What it means to be a highly sensitive person

"Highly sensitive person" is a term from psychologist Elaine Aron's research into a temperament trait she called sensory processing sensitivity. It describes people who process the world more deeply — emotions, sensory input, other people's moods. It's a trait, not a disorder. Many people who see themselves this way also use the word "empath." Whichever word fits you, this page is for you.

You might be highly sensitive if:

• You notice small details, shifts in tone, or changes in a room that others miss
• Other people's moods affect you strongly, sometimes before they've said a word
• You end up carrying other people's feelings as if they were your own
• Noise, crowds, bright lights, or a packed schedule wear you down quickly
• You need real downtime to recover after busy or emotional days
• You feel things intensely — beauty and joy as well as hurt and worry
• You've been told you're "too sensitive" or that you "think too much"

Why sensitivity and stress so often go together

Sensitivity itself isn't the problem. The trouble starts when a deeply feeling person lives at a pace built for someone else. Without enough rest and protection, the same depth that makes you perceptive and caring can tip into overwhelm, worry, and exhaustion. Many highly sensitive people also carry a heavy inner critic and worn-down self-esteem, because they've spent years trying to toughen up instead of learning to work with how they're built.

When sensitivity turns into burnout

Highly sensitive people often describe a tiredness that sleep doesn't fix. You may be the one everyone leans on, the one who notices when something's off, the one who smooths things over. Carrying all of that for long enough can leave you drained, short-tempered, or numb. That isn't weakness. It usually means your load has been bigger than your recovery time for too long.

How I work with highly sensitive clients

Here, we honor your spiritual foundation and high sensitivity as strengths, gently working together to quiet anxious thoughts and ease the weight of overwhelm.

In practice, that means:

• Understanding your patterns — what drains you, what restores you, and where your limits are
• Compassion-focused work to quiet the inner voice that says you should be able to handle more
• Mindfulness-based skills to settle your nervous system when stimulation builds up
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you build a life around your values instead of around avoiding overwhelm
• Emotional regulation and coping tools you can lean on when feelings run high
• Boundaries — learning to say no, protect your energy, and stop over-giving without guilt

The goal isn't to make you less sensitive. It's to help you work with your sensitivity rather than against it.

Being understood

Many sensitive people have spent years being told they're overreacting. In our sessions, you won't have to explain away how deeply you feel. My job is to listen, understand how you're wired, and help you find ways of living that fit you. If over-giving is a big part of your story, my page on codependency and interdependence may help too.

Why online therapy can suit highly sensitive people

Meeting by video means no commute, no waiting room, and no unfamiliar office to adjust to. You can join from a space that already feels calm to you — with your own lighting, your own chair, and a cup of tea if you want one. For many sensitive people, that alone makes it easier to settle in and talk.

The practical details

• Based in Albany, New York; sessions are online only, by secure video, for adults located in New York, Massachusetts, or Florida
• Individual sessions for adults, including elders (65+)
• Sessions Monday through Thursday, 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM
• In-network with CDPHP, Highmark Blue Shield of Northeastern New York, and MVP Health Care. Superbills for out-of-network plans. See fees and insurance
• $200 per session, with a sliding scale available — ask if you may be eligible

Questions about therapy for highly sensitive people