I am an Empath. Although many people don’t capitalize the word Empath, I choose to when I am speaking about being one because to me it’s not just a word; it is a huge part of what makes me who I am. I’m proudly declaring it and owning it. Even if you aren’t really sure what it means to be an Empath, or are skeptical about this type of thing, I hope you keep reading.
I guarantee that even if you don’t resonate with this post, someone in your life will. If this doesn’t particularly call to you, there is a reason you are here, and maybe it can help you understand someone you love better. To those of you who do relate, my soul brothers and sisters, I see you, and I hope this helps you as well.
I have known I was a highly sensitive person since around the age of five, but it wasn’t until my early forties that I began to truly understand why my emotions seemed to run so deep. I have written about the shame I used to feel around my sensitivity in other blog posts, and this post peels away another layer of my healing journey; how I began to understand and accept that my sensitivity was not a curse but a gift.
It was 2016 and I was officially in my forties. Like many do at that stage of life, I felt a strong pull towards change, growth and development. I felt a general sense of restlessness that prompted me to want to do some soul-searching.
I don’t remember where or how the word empath made it’s way into my conscious mind, but it was around that time. I had always been a highly empathic person; but, the more I learned about what it meant to be an Empath, was like being given some sort of secret decoder ring unlocking the key to my authentic self. Knowing my MBTI personality type felt similar, (see blog post: The Power of Four Simple Letters) but, understanding this about myself went so much deeper; it felt spiritual.
I never had to do an internet search for what it meant to be an Empath because once I opened the Empath door, the information seemed to make it’s way to me. Back then, I had not yet discovered the book, The Empath’s Survival Guide by Judith Orloff, MD; it would’ve helped me so much, but my road to discovery took a different route. The revelation that I am an Empath has been a key piece of a long and winding healing journey that had quite a few fits and starts. I know now that it all unfolded exactly as it was supposed to, and the time it took made my desire to help others even stronger.
Here is a passage from Orloff’s book that I felt really captured what it feels like for me to be an Empath:
"As an empath, however, we actually sense other people’s emotions, energy, and physical symptoms in our bodies, without the usual filters most people have. We can experience other people’s sorrow and also their joy. We are supersensitive to their tone of voice and body movements. We can hear what they don’t say in words but communicate nonverbally and through silence. Empaths feel things first, then think, which is the opposite of how most people function…
There is no membrane that separates us from the world.
We can sense subtle energy, which is called shakti or prana in Eastern healing traditions, and we absorb this energy into our own bodies. We often have trouble distinguishing someone else’s discomfort from our own."
If any of that resonates with you or someone you love, I recommend starting with her book. With the internet and social media at our disposal, there is a lot of information readily available about what it means to be an Empath, and it can get overwhelming and even a bit confusing. I believe that there are certain baseline traits in all Empaths, as Orloff put it in the passage above, but I also share her belief that everyone’s gifts are unique.
When I started to research what it meant to be an Empath, not all the traits called to me, but most of them did. The following are just some of the most common Empath traits, some I connected with, some I didn’t:
Empath traits that did resonate with me:
Taking on other people’s emotions as my own—positive and negative
Experience sudden overwhelming emotions in public
Easily overstimulated—can feel overwhelmed by crowds
Experience “emotional and social hangovers” (Judith Orloff, MD)
Easily startled, reactive to loud noises; sensitivity to light, smells, temp.
Sensing the good or bad vibes or energy of a room
Ability to tap into other people’s emotions—many times people I don’t know
People turn to me for advice—also many times people I don’t know!
Strong “knowing” or gut feeling about things & people
A natural helper or healer
Struggle with boundaries
Often feel isolated—lonely, misunderstood
Need time to recharge by myself
Hate conflict
Energized by water
Strong intuitive bond with animals-often talk to them like they are humans
Difficulty expressing needs in intimate relationships
(Sources: The Empath’s Survival Guide book, 13 Signs & 12 Signs You’re an Empath-see Resources & References for article links)
Empath traits that didn’t quite fit for me were:
Tragic or violent events on TV can completely incapacitate you*
You can’t contain your love of pets, animals, or babies**
You might feel people’s physical illnesses too—not just their emotions***
*I have never enjoyed anything really violent like watching MMA Fighting or really gory horror movies, but none of it “incapacitates” me. I just find it too disturbing and have no desire to watch it. I am, however, a fan of True Crime & suspense or psychological thrillers! I think what draws me to that is because they portray human stories, and I also really love to solve a good mystery!
**I am a dog lover & babies are cute, but I can contain myself. If there is a cute dog my attention will usually go to the dog before it goes to the human! I can’t handle seeing an animal hurt or suffering in any way, but that seems pretty universal, unless something else is going on...I could NEVER be a hunter, but I’m also not a vegetarian.
***I am sometimes able to attune to people’s physical pain, even if they’re masking it I can sense something is off with their energy, but thankfully don’t feel their pain.
As you read through those examples, did you see yourself or someone you know reflected in any way? According to Orloff’s book, there are many different types of Empaths. Based on the information in her book, I would say that I’m an Extraverted Emotional, Intuitive, Earth, Animal Empath. There are also other types of Empaths she lists that don’t align with my gifts. For the sake of this blog post, we are just going to focus on the Emotional Empath part of me.
"Emotional Empaths mainly pick up other people’s emotions, and can become a sponge for their feelings both happy and sad." (Orloff)
I believe part of the reason it took me so long to realize I was an Empath, and to connect to it in a positive way, was because my family’s addiction issues muddied the waters for me. The history of addiction in my family led to codependency for me, which made being an Empath a very difficult, and emotionally unsafe place for me for most of my life.
Let me connect the dots for you with a few examples of how the push and pull of being an Empath and being codependent spelled D-A-N-G-E-R for my emotional wellbeing:
Codependent Traits | Empath Traits |
Difficulty identifying your feelings | Taking on other people’s emotions as my own |
Difficulty communicating in a relationship | Difficulty expressing needs in intimate relationships |
Fear of abandonment or obsessive need for approval; conflict avoidant | Hate conflict |
Lacking trust in yourself and having poor self-esteem | Struggle with boundaries |
Caretaking; strong desire to “help” or “fix” | A natural helper or healer |
May struggle with pathological loneliness | Often feel isolated—lonely, misunderstood |
(Sources: Do You Have a Codependent Personality? 13 Signs & 12 Signs You’re an Empath)
So many of my Empath traits were wrapped up and bound tightly with my unhealthy patterns of codependency, and that made it extremely difficult for me to separate one from the other. My codependency had such a strong hold on me for so long because in a weird way it aligned so well with my gifts as an Empath. It took me a long time to be able to sift and sort through when to set a boundary as a codependent, and when it was emotionally safe for me to lean in with my gifts as an Empath. At a certain point I had to shut down and basically close myself off from most people in order to quiet all the "noise" in my head, so I could hear my own inner voice; the pandemic actually ended up being a gift for me in that regard.
It was like my inner being had been held hostage by my family’s dysfunction, and I could no longer ignore the cries coming from deep within me. When I decided I was no longer willing to collude with my family by continuing to keep the addiction secret, it created a seismic shift in my life; sometimes it felt messy, frustrating and confusing, but it always came back around to something positive. Who I am at my core started to break free, and that opened the door for my soul to begin to heal.
I didn’t announce to people in my life that I believed I was an Empath because I was still figuring out what it meant for me. I also felt protective of my discovery, and believed that not everyone would understand; even I didn’t fully understand it yet, so I kept it to myself. I continued to gather information and follow the signs that provided confirmation about my gift, and soon the Universe would deliver all the validation I needed.
In May of 2017, my best friend, Laura, and I planned a fun, adventurous trip to visit her Aunt Gwen who lived in Arizona. I had only met “Auntie Gwen” once in person at Laura’s 40th birthday party weekend, but she was one of those people I felt an instant connection with, and was looking forward to spending more time with her. Laura is also a professional photographer, and she was excited to capture spectacular photos amongst the rugged, natural beauty of the Arizona landscape.
Laura and I have been friends since the third grade. We don’t talk every day, in fact we often have no idea what is going on in each other’s daily lives; but no amount of time apart or distance between our homes could break the bond between us. In many ways we are very different people, but she is more than my friend, she is family. She has also always been really good at helping me step out of my comfort zone, and not take myself so seriously. Her adventurous spirit is one of the many reasons I cherish her friendship so much.
At the start of our Arizona adventure, Laura and I flew separately into Phoenix airport to meet up with Auntie Gwen, who was there to pick us up at the airport. Up until the day we left for the trip, Auntie Gwen had been in bed with a horrible case of bronchitis. With all of our busy schedules we had somehow managed to carve out the time together, so she rallied and made it happen. I’m so glad she because the trip wouldn’t have been the same without her. I was so excited to spend quality time in a beautiful place with two amazing people as we ventured out together on a road trip of a lifetime in Auntie Gwen’s bright blue jeep.
Our first destination was the Grand Canyon, then we made our way to Horseshoe Bend, and our last stop before heading back to the Phoenix suburb where Auntie Gwen lived was Sedona. It was a lot of ground to cover in a matter of a few days, but I was up for the challenge. I was excited for all the places we were going to see, but I couldn’t wait to get to Sedona.
I had always heard Sedona was a spiritual healing destination, and as I dug deeper, I became very intrigued about the so-called vortex sites. There are seven main vortex sites you can visit that hold different healing energies, some had feminine energy, some masculine energy, some had both. I told Laura that I wanted to visit the Airport Mesa Vortex for sure because it was known to hold masculine energy. I felt I had feminine energy oozing out of me, so I was curious to dip my toe into the masculine energy vortex.
Since my mom passed in 2013, I had gone through a great deal of upheaval in my life. Both my parents had passed ten years apart before I turned 40, I was no longer speaking to my sister, I had quit my job, started a business with my husband, started a new job while running the business until we closed the business right before this trip; it was a lot. I was looking for balance, and maybe a little spiritual enlightenment too…when in Sedona…
When we finally reached Sedona we were ready for a little rejuvenation. We had been waking up early every day, packing up, driving all day from one fantastic location to the next; then stumbling, happily exhausted, from our daily adventures, into to a random hotel room at around 11 p.m. The day before arriving in Sedona, we had made the trek to check out Horseshoe Bend, which was almost at the border of Arizona and Utah; that day we drove through rain, hail, sleet and snow in a matter of a few hours. We were so happy it was still early in the day when we finally reached beautiful Sedona. We would have a full day to take it all in and not have to leave until late the next day.
As we arrived in Sedona we saw a visitor center, and Laura and I desperately needed to use the restroom, so we decided to stop there before driving any further. Auntie Gwen decided to stay in the car and rest a bit. She had been feeling really tired since Horseshoe Bend, and I had taken over the driving so she could rest in the backseat while Laura sat in the passenger seat scouting out places she wanted to stop for pictures. It was not a rare occurrence for her to want to jump out of the car to capture something random and beautiful along the way.
After using the restroom, Laura was asking the visitor center attendant some questions while I walked around checking out the maps, artifacts and pictures they had on display. I was focused on something when I heard the familiar click of Laura’s camera snapping candid pictures of me, as she tended to do. I knew I was looking pretty haggard by then so I gave her a grumpy look and she laughed and lowered her camera. I realized my grumpiness wasn’t just because I didn’t want my picture taken, but at that moment I noticed I was suddenly not feeling well.
I felt an intense pressure around my head, and I felt a little light-headed and dizzy. I told Laura I needed some fresh air, and she had gotten what she wanted there so we headed back to the jeep. Auntie Gwen was now standing outside of the jeep, still looking pretty tired, she said, “Hey girls, I’m not feeling so well, I think I need to eat so I can take my medicine.”
I said, “I must need food, because I feel really weird too.” After running all over Arizona without much downtime, I figured I just needed to get some food, unwind and enjoy our first relaxing day of the trip.
We stopped at a place nearby and ate, and Auntie Gwen seemed to feel much better, but I still felt weird. I felt lethargic, that weird pressure was still pressing on my head and I was still pretty dizzy and lightheaded. It was a temperate 75-80 degrees in Sedona that day, so we had taken the top off the jeep and were now driving with the “bikini top” which protected us from the sun, but everything else was open.
Since Gwen was feeling better and was ready to drive, I opted for the backseat as we headed out to do a little shopping. I closed my eyes and let the fresh air pour over me, whipping my hair around as I tried to relax and feel better. Nothing seemed to be helping and I thought I might need to go lie down back at the hotel.
We drove up a slight grade towards an area where we were told there were some cool local shops and just as we rounded a corner, it was if a light switch turned off; suddenly I felt completely normal again. I was relieved to feel like myself again, but was still baffled by such an overwhelming feeling completely taking over me, and then stopping as abruptly as it started. It was bizarre, but I chalked it up to my food kicking in, and maybe the magic of a little jeep wind therapy.
We found a place where we got some delicious custom brewed iced tea, and spotted a sign for chair massages outside a crystal store. We all jumped at the massage idea after all our travels, and the fact that it was inside a crystal store made it even more intriguing to me. In my mind, a trip to Sedona just wouldn’t have been complete without visiting a crystal store!
As I entered the store, I instantly felt the positive vibes. As my turn came for the massage, I was guided to the small room off to the right side of the entry to the store. The room felt very serene with lush draperies, soothing music, soft lighting and a sampling of well-placed crystals. There were candles lit and the smells of incense filled the small room with a pleasing scent that added to the mood, but didn’t overwhelm my senses.
I instantly liked the massage therapist. He had such good energy and was very engaging and funny. He asked about our travels and I told him we just arrived in town. He asked what we thought of Sedona so far, and I decided to share with him how I felt while we were at the visitor center. He responded with a certainty and a little sassiness, “Yes honey, you were in the area of the Bell Rock Vortex, which has some of the strongest energy…you are an Empath, for you it would feel like plugging yourself into a light socket and blasting your whole body with electricity!”
My eyes widened as my face was still firmly placed looking towards the floor in the cushioned massage chair as I blurted out, “YES! That is exactly what it felt like!”
I was so happy that he named what I was feeling, I almost missed the other part of what he said…I never said anything to him about being an Empath…I pulled my face up from the massage chair and said, “How do you know I’m an Empath?”
He just looked at me, smiled and winked and said, “I knew it the second you walked in the door. Your gift is very strong. But you need to learn how to protect your energy or you will feel depleted.”
His intuitive words seemed to hang over me as my brain tried to process what he said; his words shocked me at first before I felt them continue float softly toward me and comfort me like a warm blanket. I had an overwhelming sense that I was exactly where I was supposed to be in that moment. We talked a little more about his gifts, as well as mine, and he gave me a quick lesson in grounding myself, and told me that as an Empath I can be an “energy sponge”.
He didn’t try to sell me anything, but I knew crystals had healing properties, so I asked him which crystals were best to help ground me, and protect my energy. The tumbled stones were pretty cheap so I grabbed an assortment of those that included Hematite, Labradorite, Fluorite and a Tiger’s Eye for a little added confidence, along with small Kunzite and Black Tourmaline necklace pendants and one large Labradorite and Amethyst pendant I simply couldn’t live without. I had been enlightened, and was eager to begin to build my Empath Toolkit.
Later, I learned that the Bell Rock Vortex is an “electromagnetic vortex that has immense quartz crystals within or beneath, creating a very high energy. The energy is very intense and strengthens all three parts of the human being: the masculine side, the feminine side, and the balance” (Source: Sedona’s Seven Vortexes website). It holds best energy for serenity and for solving problems from a spiritual perspective. I had unknowingly wandered into the energy of the Bell Rock Vortex, and as awful as it made me feel physically, it also seemed to unlock something in me spiritually that I had needed for a long time.
After my predestined massage encounter, I was happily gathering my stones, and basking in the feeling of being seen and validated by a complete stranger, when a woman approached me. I had heard her talking to someone else in the store and she said she was a local Medium. I had a couple readings with Mediums before and knew that some were legit, some not so much. I didn’t give her much thought until she walked over to me and said, “Hello my dear, my name is...I have been called to deliver a message for you from your mom…would you be open to receiving it?”
I had never seen this woman before that day in the store, and while we were there we had said NOTHING about my mom passing away. First the Empath stuff with the massage guy, and now this? This was my first time in a crystal store, and for me it felt like it was this magical portal where the veil the between physical and the spiritual world was much thinner. I was definitely open to spiritual enlightenment, but I never could have imagined all of this.
As I took in her words, “I have a message from your mom” a lump formed in my throat and a feeling of uncertainty tightened its grip on my stomach and my brain was flooded with thoughts and questions, the main one being: What kind of message was so important for my mom to deliver to me from beyond the grave that she compelled this woman to approach a complete stranger in public? The last thing I said to my mom before she died was, “We promise mom, we will keep the family together.”
As I stood there frozen, I knew that less than a year after my mom died, I made the difficult decision to tell my 20 year-old niece about my sister’s addiction issues, as well as my mom’s. I made the choice not to continue to keep our family’s dirty little addiction secret anymore, and that decision changed everything within what was left of our family. It had been almost four years since I had spoken to my sister, and my decision had been the catalyst for that, for better or worse.
Even with everything I feared the woman might say, I knew I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to connect with my mom again. Part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip was because I was searching for something; I never imagined that what I was seeking, was also seeking me. Something told me this woman had a message I needed to hear. I took a deep breath and said with curiosity and slight hesitation, “Yes, I’m open to that.”
She proceeded to tell me something, which I won’t share publicly, that confirmed for me that in fact she had without a doubt connected with my mom. As she started to speak, all the other people that were shopping and chatting around us in the store simply faded into the background, and I was solely focused on her. It felt like time stopped; and the two of us were somehow suspended in a protective bubble that held space for our celestial encounter.
As she spoke, I felt an overwhelming feeling of warmth come up from my stomach and slowly inched its way through my chest, wrapping its way around my throat and then making its way up through my face to the crown of my head. Then, as if I was not in control of my body’s response, a loud sigh came out of my mouth and suddenly I begin to cry.
Like a young child choking on my sobs, I struggled to breathe as I felt the emotion pour out of my body. It was so intense; I can only describe it as a deep cleansing of my soul. I knew I was releasing something, and it literally made it’s way out of my body, through my tears and the guttural sounds coming out of my mouth.
I realized that the message from my mom allowed me to let go of the part of my grief that had been weighing me down and blocking my healing. And then as quickly as the tears started to flow, they stopped. Although at first I felt overwhelmed, by the end, it felt therapeutic and soothing to my weary soul. I steadied myself, took another deep breath, and looked her in the eyes and said with all the love in my heart, “Thank you.”
Her soothing, melodic voice responded, “You are so very welcome my dear.” She took my hand and patted it in a motherly way and said, “Love and light to you, beautiful soul.” And she turned and walked out of the store.
I stood there frozen trying to process all that had just happened, as the sights and sounds of the others around me came back into my awareness. As my senses acclimated back to the physical space, I turned to my left and saw Laura standing there with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open having witnessed the whole thing.
I took a deep breath, and in a question directed at her, but also the Universe in general, I said, “What the heck just happened?”
She slowly shrugged her shoulders as if not to disrupt the flow of positive energy left behind in the wake of the mysterious encounter, then let out a nervous giggle as she said, “I don’t know, but WOW…”
I shook my head slowly, still trying to process what had happened and said, “I’m so glad you were here to witness that. There is no way I could’ve conveyed what just happened to you in a way that would have captured how amazing that was.” She agreed, and we shared the story with Auntie Gwen. All three of us had lost our mothers, and there was an unspoken appreciation between us for the gift I had just received.
I walked out of the crystal store feeling like a weight had been lifted off my heart; I felt rejuvenated and filled with gratitude, and a renewed sense of love for my mom.
With all the beauty we saw on that trip, and the fun we had, being in that crystal shop was a life-changing experience that I will never forget. We visited two other vortex sites, but none of them had anywhere near the impact on me that the Bell Rock Vortex did. As electric as the energy felt to me just being in the vicinity of the vortex, I can’t imagine how it would’ve felt if we had actually gotten close to the north slope known to be where the energy is the strongest.
The trip to Sedona felt like coming home for me; it seemed to awaken a part of myself that had been fighting to be released my whole life. Understanding that I’m an Empath, and being validated by a complete stranger helped to open the door to a spiritual awakening that would become an integral piece of my healing journey. It was in no way a rapid transformation, but once I learned to embrace my gifts, I never looked back.
I also realized that in order for me to be a “healthy” Empath, I needed to first unravel all of the toxic threads of codependency that had been binding me to those unhealthy patterns. I had to learn to embrace the discomfort of conflict, and how to set and hold healthy boundaries without drowning in guilt. I needed to learn how to use my gifts in a way that was helpful to others, while also not being harmful to me.
Once I had the knowledge, I had to begin to unpack what that meant for me, and my life. Parts of that process were easy, and having this new knowledge was helpful; other parts of it were extremely difficult. I had spent most of my life as a people pleasing, conflict avoidant, perfectionist with abandonment issues, and a need for approval and control; learning how to take care of myself, and how to ask for what I needed was excruciatingly challenging for me at first. But, over time, I learned that this place I had thought of as my comfort zone, had actually been a prison cell I was eager to escape.
I have spent time learning how to protect my energy, and have a solid self-care routine in place to make sure I don’t get depleted. I can’t always control my environment or the people I come in contact with, so I do my best to stay grounded, and to limit people and places that tend to drain me. I do sometimes still get drained by the occasional emotional vampire, or get suddenly overwhelmed or overstimulated; the difference is, now I know what I need to do to recharge myself, and better protect myself the next time I encounter something, or someone that has that effect on me.
Trying to be everything to everyone all the time, and holding myself to impossible standards was exhausting, and I was ready for a change. I had started learning how to set healthy boundaries in grad school, and I was going to need to increase my capacity for that, and other things if I was going to heal. I had to learn that “No” is a complete sentence. I can just say no and not give a reason as to why. Sometimes that is still a struggle, but I’ve gotten much better at it!
Before I learned how to create my own protective layer to keep from absorbing everyone else’s energy, I would feel like I was a car running on an empty tank of gas. When my energy stores got that low, I would just shut down. When it got that bad, even people I usually enjoy being around are a risk to me; because even when my energy tank was empty, my desire to please people and for people to like me would cause me to dig into my reserves. The more of my energy I gave away, the longer it took to get it back.
The people pleaser in me had me resort to faking an illness if I was feeling too drained. If I wasn’t able to take a break from work or other responsibilities, often it made it difficult to socialize with friends when what I really needed was time alone to recharge. As a natural caretaker, it was especially difficult to say no when my friends were going through a difficult time. I didn’t want to let anyone down, or hurt anyone’s feelings, so I would just say I was having stomach issues, or a really bad sinus headache. My need to be liked and accepted left me afraid that being honest and saying, “I’m burnt out and I have nothing left to give” wouldn’t be enough for some people to understand or accept.
There were also plenty of times I allowed my energy to be depleted, or I was stressed or overwhelmed, which actually led to real physical ailments. To me, if there is no other reason for it, a sore throat or stomach issues are my body’s way of alerting me that I’m exhausted, stressed, or giving too much of myself. I used to push through the pains I felt in my body, or mask them with medicine, but now I tune into it and let it reveal what I might not be noticing.
The further along I got in my healing, the more I leaned into being authentic with the people in my life about what was going on with me. I got used to being okay with speaking my truth and letting go of the outcome. I also started being more intentional about how I spent two of my most precious commodities: my time and my energy. I learned who gave me energy and soothed my soul, and who drained it. It wasn’t just about people, but certain places and situations could also be triggering, or just too much.
In my early twenties, I used alcohol to numb my senses, as well as my insecurities, so I didn’t feel as overwhelmed in crowded places. Alcohol can be an effective, yet dangerous way to help Empaths tune out from their gifts. My use of alcohol back then only provided temporary relief from what could feel like an assault of emotional energy, coming at me from all directions in crowded spaces; unfortunately, it also often led to bad decisions followed by regret and anxiety.
Alcohol isn’t a problem for me the way it was for others in my family. As I've mentioned in other posts, I struggled with food addiction and emotional eating. These days, I do very much enjoy a delicious cocktail or glass of wine, but in moderation, and not with the purpose of numbing my gifts. My body doesn’t always respond well to it, so that is a natural deterrent; and I have come to realize that with my family history that is also something I see as a blessing.
As I look back on my journey through life, I am very clear that every single experience I have had, regardless of how difficult or frustrating, it has all been part of me finding my purpose in life. There were definitely times when in the moment I clearly recognized that things were happening for a reason, and other times when it took a great deal of time for me to see the divine wisdom in my unique experience. I am grateful for all of it because it is part of what makes me who I am; and I am proud and happy to say that feels better than I ever imagined it would.
Once my eyes were opened to the beauty of being an Empath, it also helped me to make connections with others like me. Knowing there were others out there like me helped ground me, and my healing was enhanced through connecting. My own awareness also helped me tune into other Empaths, and what I found was that I had been surrounded by them all along; some who are aware of their gifts, others who are not quite there yet. Maybe this post will be part of what helps guide them on their path, maybe not; just like me, when the time is right for them they will know.
As always, I hope you found this helpful, either for yourself or someone else. Maybe you are raising children who are Empaths, or you have a dear friend or intimate partner who has shown signs they might be an Empath; hopefully reading this helps to open a line of communication that allows both of you to have a more authentic and transparent relationship.
If you think you are an Empath, this post and the resources I have provided here is a good place to start. If you’re not an Empath, try to be open, and the next time someone in your life says they have a “feeling” about something, believe them. 😉
Thank you for your time and attention. Questions and comments are always welcomed. Sending love and light to you all.
*Certain photo credits go to my amazingly talented best friend at Photography by Laura Jean https://photographybylaurajean.com/
Resources and References:
*Book: The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People by Judith Orloff, MD
*Book: Codependent No More by Melody Beattie
*Article: “13 Signs That You’re an Empath” by Andre Solo https://highlysensitiverefuge.com/empath-signs/
*Article: “12 Signs You Are an Empath” (A Highly Sensitive Person) by Luna
*Article: “Do You Have a Codependent Personality?” by Beth Gilbert, Medically Reviewed by Allison Young, MD
*Website: Sedona’s Seven Vortexes
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