Psychotherapy for highly sensitive or gifted persons

As a Highly Sensitive or Gifted Person,

Do Tough Times sometimes affect you so intensely or hurt you so deeply that you have difficulty coping?
Does the intensity of your emotions frequently pull you off balance or interfere with your life?
Do you get told that you’re TOO Sensitive, TOO Smart, Too creative, too this or that?
Do you carry labels such as ADD, AD/HD, Sensory Processing Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Asperger’s or Autism?
Do you feel like you’re so different from most people that you have trouble connecting in a meaningful or satisfying way?
Do all of this contribute to your feeling depressed and/or anxious much of the time?
Do some of these things apply to someone you care about – a friend, child, significant other?

You are not alone. These are common concerns for many HSPs or gifted people. I’m Sharon M. Barnes, LCSW. Super-sensitivity, anxiety and depression are the top three issues that bring HSPs and Gifted People of all ages to my office for counseling and psychotherapy. You too, can come and learn tools to manage your stress, your emotions and your lives. You can come and gain self-knowledge and self-acceptance in ways you haven’t known before. You, too, can come and heal your past, transform your pain, become fully alive and begin to thrive. You can come and realize your dreams while fulfilling your destiny. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Many HSPs and Gifted People feel as if they were given scraps−life’s leftovers. They struggle with how to cope with their creativity, sensitivity, intensity and intelligence. What if – you could pick up those scraps and DO something constructive with them? I’m also known as The ScrapLady because I help you pick up the pieces and the scraps of your life. I’ll help you explore them, sort them and decide which ones to keep and which ones to discard. I’ll help you find new ways to combine them so you can transform these scraps into images that are beneficial and maybe even beautiful. And while you’re doing that, you’ll become transformed as well..

All this talk of working with scraps can be both metaphorical and literal. For those who are kinesthetic

learners; who like to do hands-on work; who want to powerfully connect their mind, body, soul and spirit; creative expression becomes a potent tool of transformation. Creative expression becomes Creative Handwork™, which evolves into Contemplative Handwork™. Whether you work individually or in a group, you can access this fun tool that I call Play Therapy for Grown-Ups™.

To change the metaphor, some HSPs or Gifted People experience life like being in a wilderness. Exploring “Inner Territory” can also be like wandering in a vast wilderness to many people. It can be even more intimidating for CASIGYs, with our unique sensitivities, intensities and vulnerabilities. We are used to being a resource for others; feeling in need of help from someone else can trigger a sense of even greater vulnerability than we already had. We CASIGYs often don’t even think of reaching out for help until we are feeling quite desperate. But when we overcome our own inner hesitations, and the stigma of seeking mental help, we often find it so helpful that we wonder that we waited so long.

As CASIGYs’ Guide to the Wilderness of Inner Territory, I’ve been helping CASIGYs find their way for over 25 years. I also know by my own experience what an inner journey can be like, especially for a CASIGY. Since no two paths are identical, my role as a guide is not to give precise directions and answers, but to assist you in your own personal discovery process. As your guide, I walk alongside you, sharing information about the wilderness and the path, helping you find a way of traveling that gets you where you want to go without losing your way, in better shape and in shorter time than you might have done alone.

As an experienced, licensed counselor and therapist who specializes in working with CASIGYs, I can help you make the most of your sensitivity, intensity, creativity and intelligence. I can help you heal and THRIVE, not just survive. As a fellow CASIGY as well as the daughter, sister, mother, wife, sister-in-law, mother-in-law and grandmother of CASIGYs, I walk this path with you and know many of its pitfalls. I have also seen many of the grand vistas that are unique to a CASIGY’s journey through life.

I have a gentle, yet powerfully supportive style as I help gifted, highly sensitive, creative, often introverted

people develop awareness and acceptance of your inner self. My life work is to help you release your creativity to become fully alive and realize your dreams. As you do this, you may discover that you are hindered by pain or haunted by your past. If you like, I can then help you to transform your pain and heal your past. This frees you to thrive and live the life of your dreams, to fulfill your purpose and destiny as a creative, sensitive, intense, gifted YOU.

I have a Masters Degree in Social Work from San Diego State University and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Colorado. I am a leader in my field. I work with CASIGY adults, teens and school-age children. I offer in-person or online counseling or psychotherapy for those in Colorado, and online consultation for those elsewhere. Counseling and consultation are not exactly the same; I will be happy to discuss their differences with you.

May I answer a question for you about my counseling or consultation services? Call (303-987-0346) or Click Today for a New Tomorrow!

Counseling/Consultation