Therapy for Highly Sensitive People in Vancouver, BC.
Somatic therapy for Highly Sensitive People (HSP), in person in Kitsilano and online across BC with Nevada Banks, RCC.
You might recognize this.
You've been told you're too sensitive, too emotional, or that you take things too personally. A busy day leaves you drained in a way other people don't seem to feel. You pick up on a shift in someone's mood before they've said a word.
Many highly sensitive people spend years trying to toughen up, and end up exhausted and quietly ashamed of how they're wired.
What it means to be a highly sensitive person.
High sensitivity is a temperament trait first described by psychologist Elaine Aron. Highly sensitive people process information more deeply, notice subtle details, feel emotions strongly and get overstimulated more easily. Researchers estimate that roughly 15 to 20 percent of people share this trait.
It isn't a diagnosis or a disorder. It does mean you need different conditions to feel well, and that a world built for less sensitive nervous systems can wear you down.
How HSP therapy helps.
Therapy with Nevada focuses on four things:
Your nervous system. Learning to notice overwhelm early and bring yourself back down, using body-based tools that work in the moment.
Boundaries. Protecting your energy without guilt, and saying no before you're depleted.
Self-esteem. Untangling years of being told you're too much, and seeing your sensitivity as a strength. [More on self-esteem therapy]
Relationships. Explaining your needs to the people close to you, and choosing people who can meet them.
Meet Nevada.
Nevada Banks, RCC, works with people who feel things deeply and have spent years wondering if they're too much. A former performing artist and movement instructor, she brings a somatic approach that helps sensitive people feel more at home in their bodies.
HSP Therapy FAQ.
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Common signs include feeling overwhelmed by noise, crowds or busy schedules, being deeply moved by art or nature, needing time alone to recharge, and noticing small changes others miss. Elaine Aron's self-test at hsperson.com is a good place to start.
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No. It's a normal temperament trait, not a mental health condition. Therapy helps with the stress and self-doubt that often come with it.
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It gives you tools to manage overstimulation, set boundaries and quiet the self-criticism many sensitive people carry. It's also a place where your sensitivity is understood rather than corrected.
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No, though they can overlap. High sensitivity is how you're wired; anxiety is a state of worry or fear. Highly sensitive people can be more prone to anxiety when they're overloaded, and therapy can help with both.
Ready to start?
Book a free 15-minute consultation with Nevada.
Direct billing is available for most extended health plans.