Big Feelings, Big Joy: The Essential Practices to Reclaim Your Strengths as a Highly Sensitive Person

by April Snow, LMFT

A licensed psychotherapist and expert in sensitivity and introversion shares an insightful, practical, and hopeful approach to help Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) embrace their big feelings and live by their own rules.


"Snow gives you practical tools to honor your nervous system and step into sensitivity as the superpower it can be."—Melody Wilding, LMSW, author of Trust Yourself


When you look back on your life, can you see your sensitivity peeking through? Little signs that you were a big feeler, a deep thinker, and a noticer of subtle details?

Licensed psychotherapist April Snow, LMFT, has worked with thousands of Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) around the world in her clinical practice and popular workshops. Most have been told they’re “too sensitive,” but in this groundbreaking book, April proves that sensitivity isn’t a problem to be solved; it’s something you’re born with and a gift that can lead to a more engaged, fulfilling, joyful life . . . if you know how to live in alignment with your unique needs.

As an HSP herself, April is intimately aware of both the struggles and strengths of being a big feeler and deep thinker, and how it impacts your identity, daily life, work, and relationships. Drawing from her lived experience, community connections, and the three-part framework she uses in her therapy practice, April provides an essential checklist that will help you accept your sensitivity rather than try to "fix" it. You will learn

recognize what high sensitivity is and why your needs have always been differenttend to your overwhelmed nervous system to feel more relaxed and recharged in every part of your lifenurture your inner world to quiet your overthinking mind and welcome all your emotions with open armsconnect in more heartfelt ways with the people you care about most without putting their needs before your ownreframe sensitivity as a strength and the key to your compassion, intuition, and keen observation skillssupport your Highly Sensitive Children (HSCs), whether or not you identify as an HSP, with the self-knowledge and skills they need to thriveWith April's expert guidance, you too can follow your inner compass and embrace who you truly are, for a life that is full of joy in the big and little moments, and everything in between.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Published October 6, 2026

About the author

April Snow, LMFT is a licensed psychotherapist, author, and consultant. She specializes in working with highly sensitive people to help calm the storm of overload, guilt, and self-doubt to allow their innate sensitive strengths to shine through.

Deeply committed to changing the narrative of what it means to be highly sensitive, April supports HSPs around the world through her Sensitive Circles community, Sensitive Sessions workshops, and Sensitive Stories podcast. In addition to Big Feelings, Big Joy she has written Find Your Strength: A Workbook for the Highly Sensitive Person.

April holds a Master’s Degree in Integral Counseling Psychology and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California where she lives with her wife. In her free time she enjoys seeing live music and being at the beach, in her bed, or on her yoga mat.

For more info, visit www.sensitivestrengths.com

Reviews

[The Bookworm Girl Bethany · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Review:

Thank you, HarperOne, for an ARC of Big Feelings, Big Joy.

Wow, what a book. I will continue to come back to this. I wept multiple times while reading this book because I finally felt like someone understood my brain. This book taught me to see my HSP nature as a superpower, not a flaw. What a relief. I can't express how much I valued April Snow's words and thoughts. Her action tasks were so helpful, and I hope to continue to work on them as I live my life.

Although the author and I have differing ideas on some topics, I deeply appreciate her empathy and love for other HSPs. This is a book that I won't ever finish because it will keep encouraging me as I live out my days.

We've got this, HSPs!

Happy reading,
Bethany the Bookworm Girl

[Jeff Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, and as the author says in the introduction, I believe it will become a trusted companion that I can return to over and over again for support in living the Highly Sensitive Person life. The neurodivergent in me appreciates how well this book is laid out and how accessible the information is. April Snow writes as an HSP herself and gives very practical strategies for how to best live the HSP life and find joy rather than feeling like we are trudging through quicksand. Every chapter has practical strategies to try and a very helpful section of takeaways at the end. April says on page 5 of this book that "Being highly sensitive is living with your heart and eyes wide open, which benefits everyone" and she's written a guide to support those special souls walking the HSP journey - I feel we don't get the positive side of this often enough in published works. Thank you, April, for this trusted companion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperOne.

[Jennifer Birner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Feelings, Big Joy is the book for HSPs! As a highly sensitive person who is also a therapist that specializes in working with HSP’s, I adore this book! It is filled with practical tools and helpful information, that can help all HSP‘s to thrive. April Snow has done an amazing job of collecting so much data into a well laid out and thoughtfully presented book. I really appreciate its focus on the positive aspects of being HSP.
If you are or know an HSP you will recognize yourself on these pages. For me reading this book was like a warm hug from a friend gently reminding me of my own inner strengths and necessary self care. There are so many great tips and ideas to implement. It is truly magical when an HSP understands themselves and their unique needs and the beautiful life that comes from that knowledge and conscious alignment. My hope is that every HSP can read this book and more fully experience the gifts that our beautiful trait gives.

[Erica Gozukara]

Big Feelings, Big Joy is such a validating and heartwarming book. As a Highly Sensitive Person and a therapist who specializes in working with HSPs, I found myself relating to so much of what was shared on every page. This book beautifully captures what it can feel like to experience the world so deeply, reminding us that our sensitivity is not something to fix or hide, but something to understand and embrace. I especially love how it makes space for the full range of emotions, including the ways joy, connection, and even the beautiful parts of life can sometimes feel overwhelming. It is such a gentle reminder that there is nothing wrong with feeling deeply and that we deserve to meet ourselves with compassion rather than judgment. A beautiful, validating read for anyone who has ever felt that their feelings were “too much.” I received a complimentary copy from HarperOne.

[Angela S · Rating 5 out of 5]

​This book is a great self care read for HSPs! It really gets into the specifics of the HSP experiences in various facets of life (basic needs, family and friends, relationships, career, finding fulfillment and more) with simple action steps to support your sensitive and deep internal world. It reads conversationally with a combination of storytelling and psycho-education, and is very digestible for those who may be slower readers due to their neurodiversity. If you are looking for a read that will validate and support your sensitivity, this book is a great option! :)

I received a complimentary copy from HarperOne.

[Tyndal Schreiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, practical read for HSPs! For people just dipping their toes into HSP literature and for seasoned readers alike! I enjoyed how it can also be a book that you grab off the shelf, flip to a chapter that you feel most drawn to in this season of life, and find something helpful and reassuring in that moment. I appreciated the strengths-based approach and how Snow highlights the gifts of sensitivity. It was a validating, genuinely helpful, and permission-giving read. I received a complimentary copy from HarperOne.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc! This is a great update on Elain Aron's book The Highly Sensitive Person that is almost 30 years old. The first third of the book felt very similar to Aron's information. However, I really enjoyed the timely updates on this book, especially how to deal with technology and screens. This book has some very practical ideas and was a good book to listen to as an audiobook.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Feelings, Big Joy offers a warm, hopeful perspective on being a highly sensitive person. April Snow treats sensitivity with compassion while acknowledging that overwhelm and overthinking can be difficult. I especially appreciate the focus on understanding your needs, caring for your nervous system, and recognizing sensitivity as a source of strength. It’s an encouraging book for anyone who has been made to feel that they’re “too sensitive.”

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book if you or one of your loved ones is more sensitive. It’s positive without being toxic and full or practical advice. It’s very nicely written and laid out and covers all areas of life. Well worth a read. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperOne for the ARC.

[Stacey · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I felt seen and very much encouraged! Excellent recommendations for how to thrive. It's entirely reassuring and positive, and for me, personally, some transformation might be better.

[Deepa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see HSP as it overlaps with other conditions like anxiety, ADHD, and introversion. I don’t see it as a singular phenomenon. Yet I still connected with book’s ideas to my own lived experiences and patterns, especially in how stimulation, emotion, and meaning affect me.

I disagreed most with author during part I. I believe sensitivity was framed as the main actor in situations where I felt conflict and communication might have been the real problem. In comparison, part 2 and 3 shifted my outlook. Big Feelings, Big Joy became practical and applicable for me as someone struggling with overstimulation and social anxiety.

Overall, I found a lot of value in how an HSP handles anxiety‑intuition, emotional regulation, communication, and connection. I would love to learn more about HSPs through different clinical lenses.

* Thank you to HarperOne, April Snow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc in exchange for honest review.*