The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person: A Workbook to Harness Your Strengths in Every Part of Life

by Amanda Cassil

Become a highly empowered, highly sensitive person with practical strategies and exercises

Do you experience more emotional intensity than others? Do you tend to be more easily overstimulated or process information more slowly? You may be an empath or a highly sensitive person (HSP). Functioning in a world not made for your sensibilities can be overwhelming, but The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person is full of practical, research-based exercises to help. With this workbook, you can understand and leverage your qualities as a highly sensitive person for success—no matter what life throws your way.

Discover everyday strategies to cope with overstimulation, process intense emotions, curate your experiences and environment, communicate effectively, and practice good self care. Learn to harness your individual HSP characteristics in a way that aligns with your goals. Once you put your high sensitivity into perspective, you can truly get to know yourself.

The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person

Support for all aspects of life—Exercises are targeted for social situations, relationships, health, or work, so you can find what you need right away. A guide to HSP traits—Get to know your HSP characteristics with in-depth examination and an at-a-glance checklist of the four principles of the HSP trait. Quick reference guides—Find succinct summaries of each chapter so you can easily revisit their themes and be reminded of what you’ve learned.

Blossom and thrive as a highly sensitive person—this book has the tools you’ll need.

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Education

193 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 10, 2020

About the author

Dr. Amanda Cassil is a licensed clinical psychologist as well as the founder and CEO of STEM Psychological Services, which provides psychological support to women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Highly Sensitive Person, it is such a relief to have a book like this! It describes the HSP experience so clearly, and gives real and practical ideas for navigating the strong emotions and overwhelming sensations that come with having an HSP brain.

There is a quiz you can take to determine whether or not you are an HSP. The quiz says that if you score a 14 or higher, then you are an HSP. I scored a 24! I am extremely sensitive, and it's always been a struggle. I've felt misunderstood my entire life, and have spent years telling myself, "Why can't you be like other people? Why does this bother you so much? Why can't you just let it go?" This book spoke so compassionately to my frustration and emotional pain, as well as my physical struggles.

I love that it is in the format of a workbook, where you can answer questions, think deeply, and formulate some new habits and ways of dealing with situations that cause you to get overwhelmed. Having an exit strategy or a plan for self-care, and establishing boundaries of what you can and cannot tolerate, are all so important for an HSP.

This book covers topics like emotional health in relationships, balancing your work life, taking care of your physical health and food sensitivities, navigating social situations and expectations, and especially the specific traits that are most common for an HSP. It starts with a broad topic and quickly gets specific, giving examples of real situations and problems, and guiding the reader to find creative solutions.

I really liked that the book has a balance of focusing on both the positive and negative aspects of being an HSP. Yes, it means we get overwhelmed from too much external stimuli, but it also means we can appreciate beauty and tune in to subtle artistry in ways that others are unable to do.

I'm so impressed with this book! The writing style is wonderful. The information is detailed and full of great truths and insights. The questions are thoughtful and go into deep emotional levels. An excellent book for any HSP, and even for anyone who is not an HSP themselves, but has a loved one who is.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This workbook is - dare I say it - empowering. Starting wherever you are on your highly sensitive journey - from just learning about the trait to knowingly coping for years - it invites you to assess what's working and what could use some improvements, and includes suggestions for making this trait into the strength it can be.
Author Amanda Cassil, PhD, also encourages readers to reframe past experiences using what we now know about how the highly sensitive nervous systems reacts. It can be a game-changer to reassess the past through this lens.
This book is a worthy addition to the highly sensitive bookshelf!

[Tiffany Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Empowered Highly Sensetive Person by Amanda Cassil is a wonderful workbook for anyone who wants to be more empowered. This is a good guide for those new to being a HSP ( highly sensitive person) and also those who think they may be. I enjoyed the exercise s found in the workbook and definitely came out more empowered than before. I would highly recommend it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This workbook is a great intro to mental health and managing intense emotions. There are a lot of complex ideas that are simplified and made easy to understand in this book. There were also a few exercises and diagrams that I really liked that I'll be referencing back to with clients.

However, even with all that, I found this book to be very basic and I'm not sure I'll be using it much in sessions (beyond the few diagrams and exercises I bookmarked) or recommending it to clients. Still, it was worth reading and a great review of a few concepts that I haven't thought about recently.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t realize it until my I was in my 20s, but I’m a sensitive person. I am more strongly affected by my environment than many of those around me. I am sensitive to the energy and feelings of others. I think deeply about things and process some thoughts slowly.

I have been told many times that the people around me find this frustrating. Sometimes I find it frustrating too. I can barely go to concerts anymore, as the noise and the lighting and the crowds all make me incredibly uncomfortable, sometimes physically ill. There is a narrow hallway at work, and whenever I encounter a co-worker there, my breath catches. I can’t always think of what I want to say immediately. Sometimes I have to think for minutes, or hours, or days about my response. And I have a very strong sense of justice.

These are qualities that are both frustrating and rewarding. I like that I am quick to stand up against unfairness. I like that I think things through deeply and prepare honest and personal answers when I’m given a chance to think something through all the way. These are gifts. But I haven’t always felt that way.

If you’re sensitive like me and need help managing in a world that seems designed for those who don’t have to deal with a central nervous system that is always on, then The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person workbook might be just what you didn’t know you were always looking for. With chapters on what it is to be a Highly Sensitive Person, everyday life and social situations, relationships, work, health and self-care, and deeper work for those who are seeking more healing from past shames, this workbook offers real-life advice for situations that sensitive people find difficult.

While this book can’t automatically change you into a less sensitive person, it is invaluable for helping you reframe your sensitivities so you can see them for the gifts they are. It also encourages you to make allowances for yourself and find ways to be more prepared for those challenging moments when you need extra protection.

Author Amanda Cassil, a clinical psychologist known for her work with women and minorities working in STEM fields, understands how difficult, painful, and shaming it can be to be different. And she wants those who identify as Highly Sensitive to know that there is help, there are tools they can use (we can use!) to feel more empowered in situations that usually find us struggling.

How do I know that the exercises in The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person will work? Because I know that they helped me feel better about my sensitivities, to change my thinking about those who try to make me feel ashamed of being different, and to feel like I have tools to help me face those times where my sensitivities might otherwise overwhelm me. And if it helped me, it might be able to help you too. Seriously, if you’re a sensitive person, give it a try. You might find the help you never knew was available.

A copy of The Empowered Highly Sensitive Person was provided by Rockridge Press through the Callisto Media Publisher’s Club, with many thanks.

[Ramona Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've known I'm a Highly Sensitive Person and an Empath, for several years now. This would have been a great book to have when I was first learning about myself in this regard. The writing is straightforward, positive, and easy to understand. The exercises range from basic checklists for understanding your sensitivities, all the way to charting out how you feel at certain times of day, or after specific activities. This would be a great tool for someone who wants to understand how their sensitive are impacted by their lifestyle and the world in general. I will be gifting my copy to a friend who is earlier in her journey than I am and could use the explanations and support offered here.

Many thanks to Calisto Publishing for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a reluctant HSP. I don't like considering myself a special snowflake, but there I am, sensitive to the world around me. I greatly enjoyed Elaine Aron's research and books, while recoiling a bit at considering myself so *special*. All that said, this might be resistance to the fact that those of us who are HSP have to navigate our world with a whole bunch more self-care and self-kindness. Dr. Amanda Cassil spells out practical ways to navigate our world, and includes enough science that I can't deny the HSP state as a physiological state of being!

The six chapters: The Highly Sensitive Person, Everyday Life and Social Situations, Relationships, Work, Health and Self-Care, and Deeper Work. If you enjoy reading works of Elaine Aron or Susan Cain, this is a high quality supplemental workbook. Thanks, Callisto, for the review copy!

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy.

I am glad I got to enjoy this book.
I didn't know anything about this type of person while I have some traits and was thrilled to get to know another aspect of someones self. It is a workbook that well you guessed it actually has ways to work on empowering strength, which any person could benefit from.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad that this book exists and is evidently helpful to many people. Personally, I don't feel like there are many takeaways that I'll use. I'm guessing that the HSPs who rave about this are new to these ideas and thrilled to get some validation for their unique/weird life experience, which I understand. However, for those who've been working with these ideas for a while, this isn't going to be earth-shattering.

2.5 stars. I wouldn't re-read it, but may recommend it to people in the future as an introduction to living as a HSP.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important scientific insight into how some brains + bodies are set up to respond to stimuli differently than the social “norm”, and how that can be compounded by nurture - especially with trauma, physical/verbal abuse, neglect, etc. “You’re too sensitive” is never an insult here and it is so satisfying to have that sensitivity explained, validated, and phrased as something positive and powerful. This helped me see my sensitivity as a superpower - not a problem to be fixed - and my quality of life is better because of it!

[Chevonne Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't sure what to expect going on. It's not got a lot of detail on the research around HSP's but for that I'm going to look at Elaine Aron's books. However this book was really helpful is finding out traits I have that I didn't realise were part of being a HSP. I have a much better understanding of why I sometimes react the way I do and how I can manage my sensitivity so would recommend it as a read.

[Shonna BE · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
I picked this up with one specific client in mind, and ear marked several pages that I feel will be supportive to their growth. Not all of the book is applicable or resonates, but it’s a great start for those beginning to understand what it means to be an HSP and how to better support their system’s needs in a society not set up for them.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting

I learned so much about myself and my children. I only wish I would have been awake to all this while raising them.

[Virginia Bieszad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was certainly a book worthwhile to complete. It was amazing some of the similarities were to exactly how I have been feeling and functioning.

[Sunny]

Didn’t realise it’s a workbook in the first place. It doesn’t have a lot of info about HSPs, but mainly exercises to guide HSPs to think about what works for them when they’re uncomfortable, what triggers their anxiety, how to deal with their insecurities, etc.

I’m not really into this kind of exercise stuff, especially when there’s no way to help me understand how I did, so I skipped all exercises :/ Might come back to this in the future if I feel the need. But for now, I wouldn’t say it’s of great help..

Date read: March 5-7
Removed so this doesn’t count towards my 2022 reading challenge.

[Annmarie Reddick · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first got this book I didn't really understand what it was about. When I saw it I imagined it was going to talk about how to empower yourself if you are sensitive in a mood sort of way, for example someone who cries all the time. However, after reading it I realize it's in a more spiritual way!

This book talks about and helps to work you through day to day life when you are easily over stimulated by daily things or when you tend to pick up on other people's emotions. If you feel that you are highly sensitive and are more attentive and aware of others emotions and things around you, I recommend getting this workbook!

[Weslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This workbook hit the nail on the head. As a highly sensitive person who didn’t even know there was a term for it (besides empath,) the characteristics listed were ridiculously spot on. I’m looking forward to going back through this book and working through the exercises.

I truly appreciated the scientific approach to the traits that I often associate with empathic abilities (I’m a spiritual person.) I was also grateful for the inclusion of sources. That’s something that is often lacking in books for me.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review.

[Witch-at-Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This workbook is great. I'm not much of a workbook person but I decided to give this a chance and it was very thought provoking. The principles are helpful and I was impressed with the amount of information in this book.

I recommend this book for a HSP person who is willing to sit and fill it out.
If you struggle to engage in prolonged activities or don't journal this may not for you.

I recieved this book as an ARC from Calisto Publishing and Rockridge Press for an honest review.

[Alyssa Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

This workbook is spot on, I felt like it was made for me! I can be overly sensitive at times. There is a ton of great info in this workbook. The techniques offered in this book are simple and helpful. This book is perfect for anyone who is Highly sensitive and finds work book helpful.

I received a free copy of this product from Callisto Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an extremely sensitive person and tend to dwell on things long after they are over. It felt like the author wrote this workbook for me, as everything that I struggle with was in here! The simple techniques offered by the author were extremely helpful in dealing with situations that came up after reading this. I recommend this to anyone else that is a highly sensitive person.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is tons of great info in this book. I felt like this book was speaking directly to me. I'm definitely an HSP! I have gone through a few of the exercises and know there is a lot to work though in this jam-packed workbook! It will keep my busy for a long time! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't particularly fond of this book. I felt it lacked depth and original content. Although I finished it, I didn't find it inspiring or enlightening. I don't think I will revisit this title or recommend it to others.