Episode #27: Self-Acceptance and Stepping into Your Power as an HSP

A journey through identity, boundaries, and embracing sensitivity as a strength with April Snow.

Welcome back to The Happy HSP Podcast. I’m your host Kimberly Marshall, and today, I’m joined by psychotherapist, author, and host of the Sensitive Stories podcast April Snow.

We explore how to embrace your inner landscape and build confidence and clarity, all why honoring who you are — fully and unapologetically. We talk boundaries, empathy, and how to find the keys that gently unlock your best self and inner growth.

I hope you enjoy it!

Kim: April, thank you so much for joining me today. It’s so great to see you.

April: Thank you so much, Kim. I’m so happy to be on the podcast today.

Kim: Yeah, same here. My first question for you is your personal journey with sensitivity and how you found out and what that looked like.

April: Yeah, so it’s been, gosh, more than a decade now. I was in grad school, to become a therapist at the time and was obviously when you’re becoming a therapist, you’re doing a lot of introspective work and trying to figure yourself out and why you see the world as the way that you do. And I was thinking, oh, I’m an introvert. That’s why I am the way I am, why I need more quiet, or why I love to go deep. And I was like, oh, it’s not quite it. It’s not the full picture. And I was out to lunch with a classmate, and she had said, have you heard of Dr. Elaine Aron? And I was like, no, I haven’t heard of her. And she’s like, well, here’s read the book, read The Highly Sensitive Person book. And I did, and it literally changed my whole life. I mean, it’s been pretty incredible.

I was lucky enough to have supervisors at the time support me in weaving that into my practice early on as a trainee and an intern, and that has been my specialty ever since. Pretty much the whole time I’ve been a therapist, I’ve been able to build into that and obviously done a lot of my own self-reflection on it.

Kim: Yeah, that’s amazing. I feel like a lot of the people that I’ve spoken to that are in the therapy space find out later after they’ve been practicing, then they realize those are my strongest clients and end up going in that direction. But you found out while you were studying.

April: Yeah, exactly. I’m trying to think. I don’t think I was even seeing clients yet. It might’ve been before. But then in year one or two, I really started realizing this is what I want to dive into clinically. And again, was very lucky to have support behind me in doing that, where I could really just dive all in. And I live in the Bay Area and thankfully Elaine, that’s where she lives also, or at least most of the year. So, I was able to attend events with her in trainings and because there’s not a lot of structured trainings for therapists who are focusing on the trait, I think by design, because every HSP is different depending on our life and our other parts of our personality. But just being able to soak up as much as I could in person and then through the books and the research and then really get a strong sense of how do I want to support HSPs and how has it shown up in my own life?

It just really opened up my understanding of myself. And then yes, starting to see clients, I’m like, you’re an HSP, because at the beginning, not all my clients were HSPs until I really put a stake in the ground and said, this is what I’m going to be focusing on, and now 100% are because that’s why people come to me. But at the time, I was starting to recognize, okay, I think you’re an HSP and let me help you connect the dots as well, and what a privilege to be able to do that with folks and be part of that process for them of discovery. It’s been quite special.

Kim: I have a question for you. How do you approach that? Because I feel like in my personal, I’m starting to realize not everyone identifies with it or celebrate it. I feel like you and I celebrate it. We love it about ourselves, and so when we point it out to someone else, it’s just like that’s a delicate kind of thing. What do you think about that?

April: You’re absolutely right, because I have had clients who were resistant, whether it was the language, because a lot of us were told we’re too sensitive as a negative as a weakness or a deficit, and so the word sensitive has been weaponized against us. So, then we have to figure out how can we go through that grieving process of realizing this isn’t going to change. I am going to be sensitive forever, but you’re going to be sensitive forever, not in the way that you’ve experienced sensitivity in the past because now you understand who you are, what you need, and we can make the necessary lifestyle changes and go through the emotional work of reframing that idea of sensitivity. But it’s a process. And some clients, it took years, a lot of unlearning to do. But yes, I approach it very delicately with folks who haven’t heard of the trade or who are not accepting yet.

And first, I always like to say, I notice you’re more empathetic than most people, or I notice that you really pick up on the little details. Is that true? And they’re like, okay. And we just start building and connecting the dots without even talking about sensitivity yet. And then slowly kind of working up towards it, if I can tell that maybe it’s not something they’re ready to process. But then other people, I’m like, oh, have you heard of this trait? Let’s take the questionnaire together.

I’ve kind of gone both extremes, diving right in and then kind of tiptoeing around it and leading up to it depending on the client’s past experiences and where they’re at today.

Kim: Yeah, it sounds like you can get a sense of where they are.

April: You get a sense of, if you can tell they’re rejecting parts, the sensitive parts or the sensitive experiences, whether there’s a lot of self-criticism around it or they’re trying to wear a mask all the time or pushing those parts away, those experiences away and others are just like, yeah, I’m sensitive, I’m empathetic. And they just embrace it. So, it’s different for everybody.

Kim: Yeah. What was it like for you? How did that change your idea of maybe yourself in the world or when you learned about this trait, what shifted for you?

April: Yeah. I’d say the biggest shift was not trying to change myself anymore. That was a huge change for me because growing up in a family, it’s interesting. I kind of have a family who’s split. We have the quiet ones and then the loud, boisterous, extroverted ones. And I was constantly battling with, oh, I need more space for myself to reflect. I need more quality connections, not just big group connections, which my family’s really good at. And I was constantly trying to fight that part or that need and apologize for myself or thinking, oh, you’ve got to be like them.

So, a lot of that noise faded away. And now I am a quieter person. I like a simpler life, and I don’t apologize for it anymore, which is very liberating and exciting. And to be on the side of it where it’s like, yeah, my sensitivity is a gift. It shows up in my work, it shows up in my relationships, it shows up in my personal life everywhere, obviously. But yeah, it’s been this deep acceptance that’s happened and not needing to fight myself anymore.

Kim: Yeah. Maybe it’s how you separate that, because I feel like for people who do have that new awareness, there’s this point where you’re kind of fighting who you were who want to be in that new light. And your loved ones, your friends, your family don’t really get it yet.

April: Yet. Yeah, exactly.

Kim: Experience that. What was that like for you? Was it difficult? Was it a journey?

April: Yeah, definitely a journey of being comfortable saying, no, this is how I am. I’m not going to change it. And that took a while to get comfortable with, especially with people that are a little bit more pushy and are used to you bending all the time. And folks that don’t have lived experience. If you have a non-HSP, extroverted family member or friend or even coworker, they don’t understand. They’re not living this experience, so they can’t put themselves in your shoes. So just I try to make connections from their own experience. There will be times they also get overwhelmed or there will be times, even the most extroverted person also needs some time alone. So, helping them understand that that’s my experience almost every day.

And I think that’s the way in to help people connect to, oh, I experienced that. Okay. It’s just more prevalent for you. It’s not a perfect system, but that’s fine. That’s what I’ve found works the best, is making it personal, making it relatable. And I think the way you talk about it makes a big difference. If I’m talking about it confidently, matter of factly, that’s different than if I’m like, oh, I’m meek about it, or I’m unsure about it, or I’m apologizing for it. And I’ve seen more and more HSPs that I’ve talked to that are strong in their sensitivity in the sense of, this is how I am. I’m not changing, accept me. And that’s been very exciting for me to hear.

Kim: That was two parts there, because one was people who aren’t sensitive. It’s not like we have things they don’t, we experience them on a deeper level. Exactly. Probably more strongly. So that’s that point where you can relate and they can relate to you, Hey, I just need more downtime. And then just being matter of fact about it. Not like wishy-washy, just like, Hey, I know you love me. I know you want to spend time, but this is what I need right now, and I just need a minute or a day.

April: Or a week.

Kim: Yeah, I’ll see you in a month!

April: Exactly. Right. Exactly. Because if we’re showing up at every moment, what’s the quality of that showing up? Am I irritable? Am I snappy and checked out, or am I here with you and I’m listening and I’m engaging and I’m participating and I’m enjoying myself? Those are two very different experiences, and I think most people would rather have the version of you that’s here.

And there will be a transition process there where there’s some grief on both sides and maybe some tension to work through of, You’re not here as much as I’d like you to be, or You’re not here as much as I’m used to you being here. It’s a process. I don’t want to minimize it and say It’s not easy because, or say it’s easy because I know it isn’t. Especially if you have people who aren’t willing to really listen to you.

And sadly, sometimes you get to a point where you have to maybe pull back from certain relationships, whether they be family or friends or people you’ve known for a long time. I think it’s okay to have those relationships shift. I’m not saying you need to cut those people out or end those relationships altogether, although sometimes you do, but there will be some people you pull away from and others that you lean towards as you going through your discovery process. And mine has been, it’s taken me years to get to this place of I’m fully sitting in my sensitivity proudly and unapologetically and have figured out the ways to navigate my relationships. And of course, still learning. Not saying I’ve gotten there 100%, but just to know it takes time.

Kim: Yeah. I think you shift sharing that. I think people think, oh, I made the shift. I’m good. That’s when the hard work starts because it’s practice, and then you try it with this relationship, and then it goes kind of awry, and you take something from that, and then you try it with a new one and it goes well, and it’s just like, it’s a honing.

April: Thousand percent a honing. Exactly. Give yourself time to fine-tune, to shift your relationships and to figure out what you need. Because we spend so much time looking outward that we lose track of what we need and what could be okay for us. And also, we don’t have the opportunity to see how much space would people give us, right. If they could receive a better version of ourselves?

Kim: I love that. I feel like I do that sometimes. Now I’m trying to be more with the boundaries and kind and share. I feel like I’m saying trust them, trust that person that what I say, it’s going to land well, and it’s helped me. I’m not the only one in charge of a conversation. It’s a two-way street. People can be understanding.

April: They absolutely can trust them. Give them a chance.

Kim: Yeah.

April: Yeah. That’s a good reminder.

Kim: And I feel like this journey can take so long too, because you’re not just learning new things about who you are, you’re also shedding parts of who you’re not. Yeah. It’s a process. It does not happen overnight. And it’s not easy. It’s far from easy.

April: It’s far from easy, and I appreciate that. Yeah. Shed what you’re not, because there will be a lot of that letting go, unmasking not trying to keep up so much anymore. And that also takes time. And there can also be a lot of emotion that comes up of, oh, I’ve been kind of faking it for so many years, or I have been disconnected from my true self for so long.

That can bring up a lot of sadness, regrets, all the feelings that come through with that of what if I would’ve done, I hear this so much, especially from HSPs in their 60s, 70s, 80s, I really wish I would’ve figured this out sooner. And sadly, this information wasn’t available 30 years ago. Elaine was just starting Elaine Aron was just starting to do research, write her books and bring this from the scientific world into the public sphere. And we’re still working to do that, to make it everyday language, the introversion. It’s an everyday language. Everybody has heard that word before at some point now, but a lot of people haven’t heard of the term HSP.

Kim: Same with empath. I feel like that’s thrown around a lot too. And it’s kind of a mixture of all, but as we know through research, not everyone is extroverted, introverted who are HSP. It’s all a mix.

April: Yeah, yeah, exactly. That’s true. Empath is getting a lot of traction now, and it’s now, if I’m listening to a podcast or a show, I’m like, Ooh, they said empath. Are they HSPs? It’s a fun thing to do.

Kim: And also sense too, I feel like a lot of HSPs have a gentler nature. We tend to speak more softly sometimes. I can just get the vibe.

April: Yeah, exactly. It’s fun to just say, oh, I think you’re an HSP. There’s just a way we show up in the world.

Kim: So, what is the work that you do? How do you describe the work that you do and where you are now?

April: That’s a great question. So, I have a couple different legs of the work. A big part of it is obviously my private practice. So, I work exclusively with HSPs at this point, which is so exciting to say that I get to be part of all these HSP stories and get to support HSPs in my practice at a very deep level. I work long-term with folks. I work with them weekly. So, we get into all the, it’s like seeing the whole map of their lives from present to past and just helping them really step into a sensitive lifestyle that’s supportive of them, and then undo all the messaging and look at how their sensitivity has shown up and all these different points before they even realized they were an HSP. It’s really exciting work to do, and it’s rich and it’s emotional, and it’s the perfect work for an HSP where you’re just diving in deep with people.

So, I do that on one sphere. And then if we expand out into more the general public, I would say I’m teaching workshops every month. My sensitive session workshops, I have my own podcasts Sensitive Stories, just finished writing a book, which will come out in the next year. So, what I’m trying to do there is just really change the perception of sensitivity, really spread the message, build upon what Elaine Aron has done. We’re bringing the awareness out into just everybody.

Kim:  Mainstream!

April: Mainstream, exactly. To normalize it, 30% of people are HSPs, and yet we don’t know that, right? It’s amazing. A third of the population is sensitive, and yet so many HSPs are out there in the world, and they don’t know. So, I’m trying to change that slowly by having these conversations like we’re having today, putting out resources, because if we can help HSPs own, This is who I am, I need to live a little bit differently, and then all these gifts can start to pour out which we need in the world, the empathy, the creativity, the intuition…

We are the emotional leaders, and we can see what needs to change before others can. So why wouldn’t we pour into that group of our population? We also need the non-HSPs who are going to jump into action quickly and make quick decisions, but we have to come together in that. So just trying to create as many resources as I can and make connections with other HSPs and support and lift each other up so we can change the perception of sensitivity, make it more well known, and hopefully HSPs can step into their power, I guess. I’m not sure how to say that, into their strength. Yeah.

Kim: How do you see that when HSPs are able to step into their strength? What do you see changing?

April: So, I see HSPs living under this cloud of constant overwhelm where all of the best parts of our sensitivity are trapped underneath that cloud. Because we are trying to live a non-HSP life, we are trying to push ourselves at work. We’re trying to show up every weekend at social activities, do everything our family’s doing, just be there all the time, every day, every moment. Instead of pulling back, sometimes recharging, reflecting, integrating our emotions, processing everything that we’ve picked up throughout the day. We were a little antennae. We pick up everything and we need time to digest it and to assimilate it.

So, when we give ourselves that downtime, not just downtime but sleep and then space to nourish ourselves with whatever fills us up, we get to be those sensitive, emotional, empathetic, intuitive people that can, I dunno, that helps everybody. That helps us at work. We can quickly problem solve. We anticipate problems before they happen. It helps us in our families noticing what people need before they even realize it, or just keeping all the little details going, making sure everyone gets to the doctor, making sure the batteries and the smoke detector are changed on time. Whatever it is, all the little details and everybody benefits from our perception. So, if we can pull back that overwhelm though, all those things can come to the surface.

Kim: Yes.

April: And we need that, right? Yeah.

Kim: What about your thought on people who are not highly sensitive? What needs to change there, would you say?

April: Oh, that’s a great, I haven’t been asked that question before. I had say acceptance. I remember when I was in grad school, we had this moment where there’s almost not a standoff that’s dramatic, but it was like the introverts versus extroverts, and we were actively talking about that, how the extroverts show up in the room, and then how the introverts show up in the room. And we made a conscious effort as a group. I was in a cohort to the extroverts would actively give space for the introverts to have a moment to think and then speak. And it really changed the dynamic in our cohort. And I would love to see that on a bigger scale where the HSPs have a little bit of space to take time for themselves, where that’s okay, that’s not demonized, that’s not a pathology where you’re allowed to have some bigger emotions that that’s okay.

Maybe you get to cry when you’re happy or sad, or you get to express your emotions more instead of shoving them down and trying to wash them away and to make other people comfortable. That can make a big difference for us as HSPs. If non-HSPs would create a little bit more space for us to be our full selves and to not expect everyone to be the same…that would make a big difference, I think, for everybody.

Kim: Yeah. I’d like to add to that too, because you brought up allowing, and this made me think of it when you said, allowing us to be our full selves. That includes our feelings and emotions, and I feel like our culture and society is so afraid of feeling anything.

April: Yeah. It’s true.

Kim: That’s what we’re built to do. And yeah, I just feel like there’s such a part of all of us that is missing out when we don’t allow for that. And as the HSPs, I feel like we’re a great example of how to feel emotions healthily and when we’re confident in ourself and able to.

April: Yeah, it’s absolutely true. What’s good for us is good for everybody. Everybody needs rest and sleep and space to feel their emotions. Everybody benefits from that, right? Like you said earlier, we are kind of experiencing kind of an amplified version of what everyone else is experiencing. Everyone else feels emotion, everyone else gets tired and needs downtime. We just need more of all of that. So, anything that we’re needing, it spills over into helping other people as well. If we just maybe increase our tolerance and space to have a full range of emotional expression more in our lives, not just alone at home, but out in the world too.

Kim: Absolutely. What is one of the things that you would say you struggle with as a highly sensitive person? What is your challenge?

April: What is my challenge as a highly sensitive person…sometimes I do well, sometimes I get frustrated that I can’t do more. It still comes up for me as much as I accept myself, and I’m a big proponent of balance, taking time for myself every week and resting. But I do get a little frustrated sometimes because I’m like, I want to do more. I do get a little FOMO at times, so that would be something that feels like a limitation at times. But there’s been so many counter-examples for me of the value of waiting, of slowing down, of doing less, of doing more quality over quantity. But I’ll admit there’s sometimes where that frustration comes up for me.

Kim: Yeah, I hear you.

April: Yeah.

Kim: Love that you say FOMO. I always laugh that I brag that I have JOMO the joy of missing out, I have FOMO too sometimes. Yeah.

April: Yeah. I definitely get JOMO as well, probably more often than FOMO, honestly.

Kim: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m with you. Sometimes I wish I could go out all my friends all the time, and on the weekdays, I got invited to do something on a Wednesday night, and I was like, who does that? Who does that on a workday? It was like, exactly lame, but whatever.

April: I know it’s true. Sometimes there’ll be a concert I really want to go to. I’m like, oh, that’s on a Wednesday. I can’t do it.

Kim: Well, maybe not.

April: Exactly.

Kim: Exactly. We know that. Then the next day we’re going to be just off and yeah, want to sleep till noon and just doesn’t for sure.

April: No, it doesn’t work. Well, that’s it. You kind of have to build, you always have, well, at least for me, always have to have a little bit of buffer around things. I know there’s going to be that decompression that has to happen.

Kim: Yeah. I had plans last weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and I was like, oh, I’m going to have to take Monday off.

April: A thousand percent

Kim: Like zero plans.

April: Well, and that brings up a good point that it’s not that we can’t do that sometimes, right? Because there will be special events or sometimes if there’s, my wife and I will sometimes travel and do destination concerts where we’re like, oh, this artist is playing for two or three nights in a row. We’ll do that, but then make sure there’s some time after to decompress, right? So that’s not going to be an everyday thing. That’s going to be a kind of special occasion moment, but it doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Just make sure that you’re considering yourself in the aftermath of that.

Kim: Yeah. Give yourself a buffer to unpack, to unwind. You need a little vacation from your vacation.

April: A thousand percent. Exactly.

Kim: So, what do you love about the trait and what do you celebrate?

April: Oh, I love to, okay, A couple things. So, I’ll give a professional and a personal answer. So professionally, I’d say empathy as a therapist is such a gift to be so empathetic and to be able to connect with my clients so deeply and in a way that I think others may not be able to do. There’s an unspoken language that happens. Empathy in my personal life gets a little bit more complicated because it’s not as defined, and I have to be careful. I don’t lean in too much with my personal relationships where I’m losing myself, but I love it in my work. It’s just been such a gift.

Personally, I’d say. I love being able to feel things so deeply is such an amazing experience. Like going to concerts or having spiritual experiences where, or even things like massage where I’m experiencing ’em on a different level.

I almost can’t explain it. It’s like life-altering, deeply healing. Everyday experiences can turn into spiritual experiences for me, live music or body work, it just happens at a different level that I know that I wouldn’t experience it that exact way or at that depth as a non-HSP, which feels pretty incredible. And that’s the piece about sensitivity. When we can clear away the difficult parts, when we kind of get ourselves into more balanced way of living and start accepting that we have different needs, we get to experience these moments of bliss and all and deep happiness and joy at a level other people just aren’t capable of. And yeah, it almost feels weird to say that, but I know it’s true. We have a wider range of emotional expression or experience, and so that shows up in the good moments too, not just the negative or the difficult. It happens on both sides. So, I always remind people like, don’t miss that deep joy that we’re so lucky to experience.

Kim: Wow. Thank you so much for all of that. Gosh, there’s so much there. First of all, the empathy on two spectrums. I think that is such a beautiful way to put it. I felt that, and I don’t think I’ve ever put words to that where when you’re working with your clients and strangers even, and you’re able to give so much of your empathy and love, but when it comes to personal relationships, people who you’re dealing with maybe on a longer-term basis, you can’t overgive in that way.

So, thank you so much for sharing that. That really spoke to me, and I think that’s important for us to remember that that’s where a lot of the boundaries come in, where we’re protecting our own energy and loving on ourselves that there can be a different way that you treat certain people with empathy, others, that was really great, and then the bliss and the joy.

And even though we can feel that on the lower end, our grief can be very deep, those moments of bliss are just all-encompassing. And not that non-HSPs don’t have that gift, or we’re better than them. And the way you put it, because that’s exactly, I didn’t get that sense at all. It’s just that’s something that we should really or not should, but if you remember to just appreciate that not everyone has that ability to do that, especially on the deep level that we do.

April: Yeah, it’s true. Yeah, A couple of things there. So yeah, with the empathy, we really have to have that internal monitoring of how much am I giving? Is it sustainable? Especially in those long-term personal relationships. Work for me is a lot easier because it’s happening in a container 50 minutes, once a week. It’s a professional relationship, so I know exactly where I’m showing up and where I’m not personal. It’s harder, and it pulls on my heartstrings in a different way, especially if it’s my brothers or my wife or my grandmothers, people. That means so much to me. I just want to give so much everything,

Kim: All of it.

April: Exactly, exactly. So, I have to watch myself and make sure I am finding that balance where I’m not overgiving and not opening myself up, and also not taking up space in the relationships.

Kim: You can show up in a better way.

April: Yeah, exactly. And that can be something, when we’re talking about boundaries, I think we often think of boundaries as kind of confrontational or difficult, these difficult outward conversations, but a lot of the boundary work can happen internally with ourselves, which to me is a relief because that means I can do it quietly in the background, and I can just slightly adjust how I am. Even if you’re in the same conversation, you can lean your body back, you can be checking in with yourself. There’s subtle differences that you can make, which I’ll do in personal and professional settings just to make sure that I am staying in contact with myself and catch when I’m about to cross that line of overgiving.

Kim: Gosh, that’s such another great point. So, boundaries real quick, they’re not just, and I’ve heard this mentioned, too, they’re not just the way you tell people to act with you. It’s more how you are managing your inner world and how you allow others to act with you. Is that how it looks? Can you give an example?

April: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. There’s external and internal boundaries. So those external boundaries, I think we’re more familiar with of saying no to an invitation or I’m not going to share that, or I’m not going to be spending time with you, at least at this level. But then there’s those internal boundaries where we’re saying it could show up a lot of different ways. It could be I’m listening, but I’m not taking on this emotion of yours, or even with yourself, I’m having this emotion, but I’m only giving it so much time…I’m not letting it dominate everything. Or it could be things like, oh, I am turning my phone off at night, so I’m not as available.

There could be lots of different ways it shows up, but it’s just kind of that self-monitoring of I’m making adjustments whether or not other people notice or not, but it’s just a way to not give so much energy away.

Kim: Yeah, I know that’s such a hard thing to walk, because especially as empaths, you’re always worried about how you’re making other people feel.

April: For sure. And it can be kind. I’m sure other people have said this, I’m trying to think of where I’ve heard, but boundaries can be gentle. They can be kind. It doesn’t have to be a conflict. It doesn’t have to be painful. And you can communicate those boundaries if you feel like the other person would notice and they would maybe be upset or be confused, you can say, I’m turning my phone off after eight, or I’m connecting with you, but I only have 20 minutes, or whatever it is. You can turn those internal boundaries into external boundaries if you feel like that’s necessary, but sometimes it can happen quietly.

Kim: Yes. I love that so much. And it’s more about clarity than anything. I think Brené Brown says it that clarity is kind. Yes,

April: Exactly.

Kim: Here, and the opposite of that is unkind. When you’re not clear with someone, it’s unkind because then people are guessing. It’s all about that communication, which can be hard when you’re not used to doing that.

April: Absolutely. Yeah. That’s why I encourage people to really go slowly.

Kim: Yeah.

April: Test it out,

Kim: Brazenly and Yeah, chop around.

April: Yeah, exactly. Start with a safe person.

Kim: Start with someone safe. That’s a great point.

April: And practice it. And then you’ll have that muscle memory and that sense of confidence that you can then go turn up the dial a little bit and do, or set a boundary that’s a little more edgy or difficult.

Kim: Yeah. Wonderful. Thank you so much for all of that, that’s beautiful. My next question for you is, what advice do you have for HSPs who are struggling to find kind of happiness, joy, or meaning in their lives?

April: Yeah, that’s a good question. We touched a little bit on it earlier, but a big, I think turning point is when you’re taking that gaze, that tends to be outward. What’s everyone else doing? Am I matching up? Am I keeping up, turning it back inward? And that again, is a process, but starting to check in with yourself, carving out little bits of time to be with yourself, kind of like self-dates almost, or moments where you’re journaling or you’re doing a hobby or you’re going for a walk with your dog.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, but these little quiet moments where you just spend time with yourself and you start to listen to what’s happening inside, because that’s the guidance or the path that you want to follow, not trying to do what everyone else is doing. That’s been a big shift for me. And again, process. Start with five minutes a day and go from there until you get more comfortable listening to your emotions, your guts. But just starting to ask yourself, what do I need? Not, what do I think everyone else expects of me?

Kim: Gosh, that’s a whole other conversation in and of itself.

April: A whole other conversation!

Kim: Oh, that’s so amazing. Thank you so much.

April: Of course.

Kim: You have a book coming up next fall. You have sensitive Session workshops. Can you tell me a little bit about

April: That? Sure, absolutely. Yeah. So, the book will be forthcoming, but the sessions, I teach a workshop every month on a different HSP-related topic. Everything from grief to unburdening yourself from other people’s emotions to living an HSP-friendly lifestyle. So once a month, we drop in for a one-hour workshop, have some conversation with the community. There’s a workbook, there’s some follow-up resources. It’s just a way to drop into some community and just start to slowly tend to those different parts of your life and make them a little bit more HSP aligned. And then I have some other resources as well. Everything is at my website, sensitivestrengths.com. That’s the hub to find everything.

Kim: And what about your podcast? Can you share with me?

April: Oh, yes, of course. So, the Sensitive Stories podcast. So, it’s a mixture of, it’s all deep conversations with fellow therapists, authors, coaches, experts, and just diving into their area of expertise. And so, they’re sharing resources as well as their own personal stories around sensitivity. So, it’s a mixture of education and introspection.

Kim: Beautiful. Well, thank you so much for all the work that you’re doing. It was really, really nice to meet you, and I enjoyed our conversation.

April: Thank you so much, Kim. This was just a lovely experience. Thank you.  

Thanks so much for listening in on my conversation with April. I hope it inspired you to honor who you are and what you need when it comes to your sensitive nature, no matter what anyone else might have to say about it.

If you’re an HSP who’s struggling in your career and purpose and would like to get back to a gentler and more nurturing path in life, that’s the work I do. You can visit happyhspcoaching.com to download your free career clarity guidebook and stress-less toolkit or sign up for a free career clarity breakthrough session with me. I’d love to meet you and learn more about your journey!  

And if this episode resonated with you, it would mean the world to me if you could share it or leave a review to help more HSPs find this show. It’s a quick and easy way to spread love for our fellow HSPs in a time when this type of awareness and support is so needed.

Until next time! Take care.

About April Snow:

April Snow is a licensed psychotherapist, author, host of the Sensitive Stories podcast, and teacher of the Sensitive Sessions workshop series. She specializes in working with highly sensitive people to help calm the storm of overwhelm, anxiety, and self-doubt to allow their innate sensitive strengths to shine through. In addition to her popular HSP workbook, Find Your Strength, she’s currently writing her next book Big Feelings, Big Joy which will be published Fall 2026. 

Follow along on April’s journey:

Website: https://www.sensitivestrengths.com 

Podcast: https://www.sensitivestories.com 

Find Your Strength Workbook: https://www.sensitivestrengths.com/find-your-strength 

Sensitive Sessions Workshops: https://www.sensitivesessions.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sensitivestrengths 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths  

Let’s Connect:

🤍 Loved this episode? Share your biggest takeaway or follow us on Instagram @happyhsppodcast — we’d love to hear from you!

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review to help more HSPs find this space: thehappyhsppodcast.buzzsprout.com

📩 Want to be a guest on the show? Reach out to Kimberly at: kmarshall@happyhspcoaching.com

📖 Learn about Kimberly’s work or grab your free Career Clarity Guidebook: happyhspcoaching.com

About Kimberly:

Kimberly Marshall is a career coach for highly sensitive people (HSPs) and host of The Happy HSP Podcast. After 20 years in the publishing industry working for companies like Time Inc., Monster.com, and W. W. Norton, she left her corporate career to pursue work that better suited her HSP needs. She now helps HSPs overcome burnout and low confidence in the workplace and create gentle and nurturing careers that bring them lots of purpose, meaning, and joy. 

Through her work and creative ventures, Kimberly hopes to shed more light on the reality of living with high sensitivity and inspire more HSPs to embrace their empathetic, loving, and gentle natures.

• Hosted/produced by Kimberly Marshall

• Edited by Fonzie Try Media

• Artwork by Tara Corola