In Europe, HSPs Are Getting Organised
Sensitivity coaches are making waves in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
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Retreat update: Jules De Vitto and I would love to welcome you to the retreat we’re hosting at the amazing Quadrangle in Kent, UK from June 15-18. We’re very excited to be convening an in-person gathering, and have some very special guests for what’s shaping up to be a fantastic few days. For more details, please click here:
When it comes to championing high sensitivity, it seems that parts of Europe may have a head start on my native Britain.
When I spoke on a panel on sensitivity research a few weeks ago, I was struck by the high proportion of people on the call who were tuning in from the Netherlands and Belgium, where there seems to be a wealth of fantastic coaches and therapists doing great work with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs). In Belgium, Carrefour, a supermarket chain, has even introduced “quiet hours” when managers turn down the muzak and dim the lights to provide a more conducive environment for HSPs to pick up their groceries. Likewise, I noticed that Spain is gearing up to host a conference on high sensitivity — for the fifth year running.
I have no doubt we’re at the start of a cultural wave — propelled by books like Andre Sólo and Jenn Granneman’s Sensitive — that will make high sensitivity a much more mainstream topic. That can only be a good thing for the wider cause of helping HSPs to contribute their gifts to the world — and manage the vulnerabilities that this personality trait, shared by some 30 percent of the population, can bring.
I’m sharing the below events in the hope they might prove useful resources for some readers directly, and inspire further discussion on how we can spread the word about high sensitivity, and support HSPs everywhere to thrive.
Spain
Spain’s HSP association, known as APASE, holds its National High Sensitivity Conference “Jornadas sobre la alta sensibilidad” in Madrid from May 27-28. There’ll be talks, workshops and plenty of time to get to know one another. Learn more and register here.
Netherlands and Belgium
Coaches, therapists and other professionals working with HSPs in the Netherlands and Belgium are running their fourth “HSP Week” from June 12-18. There are a host of online workshops, webinars and downloadable e-books and other content available on the event site. And the Flemish HSP association, led by Ilsa Van den Daele, organises talks, courses, get-togethers, children’s camps and youth initiatives that involve 5,000 people annually.
In the Netherlands, Professor Corina Greven is leading ground-breaking sensitivity research by her team at the Radboud University Medical Centre.
United States
America has a well-established tradition of HSP retreats, thanks to Dr Elaine Aron, the psychologist who coined the term HSP, and and Jacquelyn Strickland, who co-founded the HSP Gathering Retreats in 2001. More details here.
United Kingdom
And last but not least, Jules and I warmly invite you to join us at the retreat we’re co-hosting at the Quadrangle in Kent, UK from June 15-18. We’re so excited to be providing an inspiring few days of workshops, sound healing, walks in nature, wild swimming, incredible food, great company, and lots more besides. Reserve your spot to reset and recharge — and connect with others on the journey of self-empowerment and connection as an HSP.
See you next week!
