Sharon Barnes, Author at Therapist for Sensitive and Gifted

CASIGY

Facing CASIGY Inferiority

Different by Design: How CASIGYs Can MOVE From FEELING Defective to BEING Distinctive Highly creative, acutely aware, super- sensitive, intense and/or gifted youth and adults, whom I like to call CASIGYs™, are often assumed to have an (unfair) advantage over others because of their higher observable abilities. Unfortunately however, it is not unusual for a CASIGY’s inner experience of life to stand in stark contrast to the privilege and advantage that they are rumored to be experiencing. The characteristics that

Sharon Barnes December 29, 2016

Happy Holidays – as the light returns to the North

Happy Holidays! No matter what religious holiday each of us celebrates this time of year, we all share the change of the seasons. CASIGYs (Creative, Acutely Aware, Super-Sensitive, Intense and/or Gifted You-s) may feel more connected to this phenomenon and be impacted by it than do many others. For those in northern climates, the light of the sun begins to increase again. In ancient times, this was often celebrated with outdoor bonfires. In winter’s deep

Sharon Barnes December 23, 2016

Happy Halloween

Today is Halloween – the one day in the year that we dress up in costumes, put on masks and . . . . well, we pay attention and even homage to parts of ourselves that we hide and put away the rest of the year. Psychologically speaking, this is a very healthy and an even necessary thing, especially for highly sensitive people, which, of course, includes many creative and gifted people as well. For

Sharon Barnes October 31, 2016

Life’s A Bicycle – How to Balance Your Life Like You Balance a Bike

Tips & Tools to Balance Your Creative, Sensitive or Gifted Life How’s your ride through life been lately? Smooth? Bumpy? Got a flat? Has the path disappeared? There was a time several years ago when my path disappeared. During that difficult time, I learned that you can balance your life just like you can balance a bike. And so can you. Even if you’re a CASIGY – a Creative, Acutely Aware, Super-Sensitive Intense, and/or Gifted

Sharon Barnes October 10, 2016

Healing Trauma in Creative, Sensitive and Gifted People

Healing Trauma in Creative Sensitive Gifted People: Many creative, sensitive, and gifted people are traumatized by the media coverage of the 15th anniversary of the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York City. Of course it’s appropriate to commemorate this world-changing event. So to help CASIGYs™ heal from this and other trauma, I’m republishing my article – Healing Trauma in Creative Sensitive Gifted People Six weeks before the Columbine High School shooting in April

Sharon Barnes September 11, 2016

Remembering Columbine Trauma – 17 years ago

Seventeen years ago today, I was horrified and traumatized as the Columbine Trauma unfolded, along with everyone else. Along with all of you, I was horrified as the events of April 20’s tragedy unfolded, and saddened even more when the connection became known of high sensitivity and giftedness to this catastrophe. My family and I had just moved into the Columbine West neighborhood. Two of my sons were in high school, although they had not

Sharon Barnes April 20, 2016

Balancing Your CASIGY™ Life

If You Can Balance a BIKE, You Can Balance Your LIFE! One Sunday afternoon in the spring of 1999, I had just drifted off to take a nap when my husband Gary put his hand on the calf of my leg and gently shook it as he said these encouraging words: “What’s wrong with you? I’m worried about you. All you do is sleep. Are you depressed?” The searing bone pain that had kept

Sharon Barnes July 11, 2015

5 Fun Steps to Overcome Obstacles and Reach Your Goals

Bridging the Gap: Five Fun Steps OR What to do When You’re Caught Between the ‘No Longer’ ….. and the ‘Not Yet’ Do you have goals that are big enough to be daunting? Does the gap between where you are and where you want to go sometimes seem too big to cross? Are you betwixt and between- caught between the no-longer and the not-yet? If any of this rings a bell for you, then I’ve

Sharon Barnes May 22, 2015

Happy CASIGY™ Mother’s Day

Happy CASIGY™ Mother’s Day! Balancing CASIGY™ Mom’s Own Needs With Your Family’s Needs Today is Mother’s Day in the United States, Australia and many other countries. It’s a day of great joy and also pain for many. If you’re having a tough time with Mothers Day, you may appreciate this post from my archives: ‘I Hate Mother’s Day!’ When I had young children, my fantasy of the perfect Mother’s Day was for my husband to take

Sharon Barnes May 10, 2015

Remembering the Columbine Shooting … and the Healing

Yesterday April 20, marked the anniversary of the Columbine Shooting. During the day of what became known as the Columbine Massacre, everyone was (of course) focused on how to deal with the crisis at hand. The real work of healing started the day after. Today is the anniversary of this day of mourning and of the the beginning of the healing. While everyone is affected by trauma and tragedy, CASIGYs™ (Creative, Acutely Aware, Super-Sensitive, Intense,

Sharon Barnes April 21, 2015

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