Although I have worked with a variety of different people, I have a special understanding of empaths because I am one myself.  If you have never come across the term, you might very well be wondering “What is an empath?”  I have included information below from an expert in the field.  I will likely expand upon these points at a later date.

For me, being an empath means that I am able to feel other people’s emotions.  Earlier in my life, I had difficulty separating my emotions from those of other people.  I usually know when someone is not feeling well before they say anything.  Over time, I have learned how to manage my energy and create a safe space for other people.  I often find that people tell me things that they don’t tell anyone else.  Intuition has gone hand-in-hand with my ability to be empathic.  I am able to receive relevant insights for myself and other people.  I have had to learn how to set boundaries and enforce them because I have found that when I do not, people tend to take advantage of me.  If you have shared some of these experiences and would like help navigating them, please feel free to visit my offers page.  I also welcome you to check out my blog, where I will be sharing all sorts of good information.

Judith Orloff, MD, who wrote The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People, identified several traits of empathic people:

1. Empaths are highly sensitive.
2. Empaths absorb other people’s emotions.
3. Many empaths are introverted.
4. Empaths are highly intuitive.
5. Empaths need alone time.
6. Empaths can become overwhelmed in intimate relationships.
7. Empaths are targets for energy vampires.
8. Empaths become replenished in nature.
9. Empaths have highly tuned senses.
10. Empaths have huge hearts but sometimes give too much.

My life’s journey has been about finding myself, learning to trust myself, and showing up as the most authentic and real version of myself as possible.  This has been a challenging process, similar to peeling back the layers of an onion.  As I continue to heal and work on myself, I continue to find increasingly beautiful new layers.

I consciously started this process during elementary school, although the situation that made it possible was an unexpected blessing in disguise.  I experienced a feeling of disconnect when I became aware that I was being kind to a boy when we were away from school and mean to him when we were at school.  Embarrassing, right?  I remember thinking, “I am a fake.  This is not who I am.”  I knew I acted like that to maintain my popularity.  The problem with this, of course, is that I wasn’t sharing who I really was.  The motive behind this was simple, really.  I wanted to have friends, and I did not want to feel ridiculed, shamed, and alone.  I was afraid that if I was really me, I would be rejected.

The summer after that realization, my family moved to a nearby city.  Although it felt terrible and like the world as I knew it was ending, it turned out to be a wonderful opportunity.  I made the decision to be who I really was, and I made friends as this “new” person.  I felt loved and accepted for who I really was, and that was such an amazing, beautiful gift for me.  By taking this first step of becoming more accepting of who I really was, I attracted a handful of friends who accepted themselves, too.

Starting in high school, I decided to learn more about religion.  I had two friends who seemed to be very deep in their faith, and I realized that this was missing from my own life.  This study continues until this day.  It has expanded to include spirituality and personal growth.  Obtaining my degree in sociology with a psychology minor also helped me to understand myself more deeply, as well as other people.  Along the way, I obtained certificates in a few different healing modalities. 

This learning and healing has had some amazing results.  Each aspect has allowed me to understand myself and my place in the world better.  I have developed a deep level of faith, and I have learned to trust myself and my intuition, which has caused my intuition to grow in amazing ways.  Relevant insights consistently pop into my head, and I offer my clients the same relevant insights that I have enjoyed for several years now.

All of this learning, healing, and soul-searching ultimately led me to create Soulfull Integration, a healing modality that helps my clients heal, accept, and integrate various aspects of themselves.  This process helps with self-acceptance, which leads to self-trust.  This work also tends to include working closely with Source/The Universe/God/etc.  With all of these pieces in place, it becomes easy and fun to create the life you really want.