In my practice lately, I am finding many of my clients are empaths. As a fellow empath, I understand the care and safety they need in order to identify their empathic qualities and learn how to balance using their gifts without overspending themselves.
So, what is an empath? Dr. Judith Orloff defines empaths as highly sensitive people who feel everything and use intuition as the filter to experience their world. I often begin to suspect a client is an empath when they feel their emotions deeply, seem to carry excess emotions including the emotions of others, and often feel drained in their life.
First, we begin with Dr. Orloff’s Quiz:
1. Have I been labeled as “overly sensitive,” shy, or introverted?
2. Do I frequently get overwhelmed or anxious?
3. Do arguments or yelling make me ill?
4. Do I often feel like I don’t fit in?
5. Am I drained by crowds and need alone time to revive myself?
6. Am I over stimulated by noise, odors, or non-stop talkers?
7. Do I have chemical sensitivities or can’t tolerate scratchy clothes?
8. Do I prefer taking my own car places so I can leave early if I need to?
9. Do I overeat to cope with stress?
10. Am I afraid of becoming suffocated by intimate relationships?
11. Do I startle easily?
12. Do I react strongly to caffeine or medications?
13. Do I have a low pain threshold?
14. Do I tend to socially isolate?
15. Do I absorb other people’s stress, emotions, or symptoms?
16. Am I overwhelmed by multitasking and prefer doing one thing at a time?
17. Do I replenish myself in nature?
18. Do I need a long time to recuperate after being with difficult people or energy vampires?
19. Do I feel better in small cities or the country than large cities?
20. Do I prefer one-to-one interactions or small groups rather than large gatherings?
Answering yes:
1-5 questions = partial empath
6-10 = moderate empath tendencies
11-15 = strong empath tendencies
More than 15 = full empath
Typically empaths actually feel the emotions of others and may even experience the physical pain of others. Are you more sensitive, intuitive, and creative? Do you become overwhelmed, leading to exhaustion or overstimulation? More to come on strategies to shield and shed that energy!
~Melissa McGee, MA, LPC-S
Source: https://drjudithorloff.com/