Highly Sensitive Person: A Way of Being – A Humanistic Synthesis of Lived Experience
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Authors
Hollick, Stacey
Issue Date
2026-01-19
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
sensory processing sensitivity , highly sensitive people , qualitative , lived experience , highly sensitive person
Alternative Title
Abstract
The lived experiences of highly sensitive people (HSPs), understood through the construct of sensory processing sensitivity, are gaining increased attention among clinicians and comprise 20%–35% of the population. These clients describe deep thinking, emotional depth, overstimulation, and being able to notice subtle nuances, all of which differ from typical patterns. Despite this emerging visibility of HSPs, the counselling field lacks cohesive and non-pathologizing clinical frameworks capable of addressing the dual reality of sensitivity, both as a strength and vulnerability. Existing research focuses on quantitative methods that assess traits, stress, or links to psychopathology. This capstone synthesizes eight qualitative studies exploring the lived experiences of HSPs. Using a humanistic, person-centred framework and a thematic synthesis methodology, the project integrates findings across line-by-line coding, descriptive themes, and analytic interpretations. The synthesis produced four themes: empathic resonance, identity, self-care, and emotional and perceptual amplification. Findings reveal that HSPs experience both profound depth and heightened overwhelm, are prone to transliminality and boundary thinness, navigate stigma while constructing affirming identities, and rely on pacing and grounding to stay regulated. These insights informed the development of the GENTLE framework, a person-centred, neurodiversity-affirming model for supporting HSPs. Together, the synthesis and GENTLE framework offer clinicians a cohesive, strengths-based lens for understanding sensitivity, challenging deficit-based narratives, and creating a culturally responsive and ethically grounded practice with HSP clients.
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License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
openAccess
openAccess