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Not Too Sensitive - Empowering Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) To Own Their Sensitivity

Advertise on podcast: Not Too Sensitive - Empowering Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) To Own Their Sensitivity

Rating
★★★★★
4.9
from
149 reviews
This podcast has
268 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
Alissa Boyer
Explicit
No
Date created
2021/05/17
Latest episode
2026/10/20
Average duration
26 min.
Release period
7 days

Description

Have you been told you're "too sensitive" or "too emotional"? Do you often feel drained by other people? Are you moved to tears easily? If so... you just may be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Join host and HSP Mentor, Alissa Boyer, as she breaks the stigma of sensitivity and teaches you how to embrace your sensitivity as a gift. Here, you'll always be welcomed exactly as you are. New episodes every Tuesday!

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Check latest episodes from Not Too Sensitive - Empowering Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) To Own Their Sensitivity podcast


266. Why Do I Always Have to Be the Bigger Person? Resentment, Self-Abandonment, and Good Girl Conditioning
2026/10/20
In this episode, Alissa gets into what it’s like to be the one who holds it all together. Your always the listener and the bigger person for everyone else. She names the anger, the resentment, and the physical toll of keeping yourself small, and offers a way out that starts with what you can actually take ownership of. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why being the one who always holds it together isn't good for you or your healthWhat good girl conditioning is and how it teaches you to keep your needs smallWhat you may be gaining from an unhealthy dynamic, including safety, approval, and avoiding conflictHow accepting someone’s limitations gives you information for reimagining the relationship, not an excuse for how they treat youWhy a boundary that gets ignored hasn’t failed, and what holding it again looks likeHow to stay rooted when the second guessing and pushback show upWhy creating opportunities to be vulnerable is part of finally feeling heard Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
265. You Are A Match for Your Mountain: Finding the divine lessons in life's greatest challenges w/ Jeminee Ternus, Author
2026/10/13
In this episode, Alissa sits down with Jeminee Ternus, author of You Are a Match for Your Mountain and fellow mom to a daughter with type 1 diabetes, to talk about what it means to meet a hard diagnosis with acceptance instead of a fight. When life hands you a mountain you never asked for, it can feel like betrayal. This conversation offers a gentler way through, one where grief and gratitude get to sit at the same table. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the number on a glucose monitor is information about a body and not a grade on your motheringWhat it feels like when life splits into a clear before and after, and how grief and trust in the bigger plan can live side by sideHow shifting from fighting a diagnosis to fighting with it turned chaos into a more peaceful way of livingWhy the fun mom and the health mom turned out to be two parts of the same personHow a highly sensitive mom can feel her own grief without letting it land on her childWhy allowing the people you love the dignity of their own experience is its own form of love Connect with Jeminee: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemified_/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Match-Your-Mountain/dp/B0CPPG2MF8?th=1&psc=1 Sign up for Unshakable Interactions during presale for just $17!: https://www.sensitiveandsoulful.com/offers/DfoKpzEo/checkout?coupon_code=UIPRESALE Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
264. Big Feelings, Big Joy: Why Your Capacity for Pain Is Also Your Capacity for Joy w/ April Snow, HSP Author & Therapist
2026/10/06
In this episode, Alissa welcomes April Snow back to the podcast to celebrate her new book, Big Feelings, Big Joy, and to talk about why having everyday language for being highly sensitive makes it something you can own instead of explain away. Sensitive people are often told they're fragile. April and Alissa share the research and the lived experience that say otherwise. Alissa and April trade personal stories, from feeling different as kids to writing books during some of the hardest seasons of their lives, along with the small daily practices that keep them steady. Sensitivity isn't fragility, it's the capacity to feel the hard and the good at full volume and grow stronger from both. In this episode, you'll learn: What April's signature acronym, ORCHID, stands for Why differential susceptibility is an HSPs greatest gift. How a nervous system that moves in and out of different states is healthy, and why stretching toward what's meaningful expands your capacityWhat tiny pockets of transition time and fewer daily decisions can do for your overwhelmHow savoring good moments became a life raft in April's childhood and still carries her through hard seasonsWhy joy and grief can be held at the same time, and how connecting to something bigger than yourself makes that possible Connect with April: https://www.sensitivestrengths.com https://www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths Big Feelings, Big Joy: https://www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book Sign up for Unshakable Interactions during presale for just $17!: https://www.sensitiveandsoulful.com/offers/DfoKpzEo/checkout?coupon_code=UIPRESALE Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
263. Carrying Yourself Like An Equal Even When You're Around Intimidating Or Successful People
2026/09/29
In this episode, Alissa gets into what happens when a rejection lands from someone you admire and why choosing to see yourself as an equal, instead of putting them on a pedestal, is the first step toward becoming a match for what you desire. She shares what she's been noticing in her own season of rejection while her publisher sends her book out for endorsements, plus a look back at her early corporate retail days, when intimidating colleagues made her feel small. When you develop your self-worth, you stop waiting for external permission, and instead start to create the life you want from your own belief in the inevitability of your success. In this episode, you'll learn: Why a "no" from someone you admire can feel like proof you're not good enough, and how to catch that story before you agree with itHow putting someone on a pedestal quietly distances you from the very reality you want for yourselfWhat it looks like to meet a rejection with curiosity and self-belief instead of treating it as a verdict on your worthWhy carrying yourself as an equal is a choice you can make before you have any accolades to stand onHow the deeper work of building self-worth makes that choice easier to access when the moment actually arrivesHow highly sensitive people can be deeply attuned and kind while still holding rock solid boundaries in rooms that feel intimidating Sign up for Unshakable Interactions during presale for just $17!: https://www.sensitiveandsoulful.com/offers/DfoKpzEo/checkout?coupon_code=UIPRESALE Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
262. How my client found a deeper connection with her husband (by making it less about her)
2026/09/22
In this episode, Alissa gets into what it really means to get out of your own way. She talks about a habit so many highly sensitive people fall into without realizing it, which is scanning everyone else's moods to feel okay. So much of the checking and managing is really an attempt to get someone else to respond in a way that settles your own nerves. Alissa names where that pattern comes from and what it takes to stop outsourcing your sense of safety to the people around you. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the constant checking is often more about easing your own anxietyHow your natural attunement can tip into hyper-vigilance when you're anxious in a relationshipWhat cleaning up your side of the street looks like when you're caught in a dynamic you don't loveWhy getting out of your own way frees you to focus on the message you came to share instead of how you're coming acrossHow showing up anyway, even when you might be judged, slowly desensitizes you to the fear of being dislikedWhy sourcing your worth from within means an awkward moment costs you about thirty seconds instead of three days Sign up for Unshakable Interactions during presale for just $17!: https://www.sensitiveandsoulful.com/offers/DfoKpzEo/checkout?coupon_code=UIPRESALE Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
261. "I Can Survive Being Disliked" (And So Can You): The Good Girl Conditioning Episode
2026/09/15
In this episode, Alissa revists the topic of good girl conditioning and why so many highly sensitive women build an entire identity around being the responsible one, the kind one, the person who never rocks the boat. She looks at what happens when agreeableness stops being a natural expression of your sensitivity and starts becoming a way of abandoning yourself to keep everyone else comfortable. The traits themselves are often innate, but the problem is when they are expressed at the cost of self-abandonment. Alissa names the fear sitting underneath it all: the fear of shining too brightly and being disliked for it. Through her own story of a work friendship that went cold the moment she got promoted, and the clients she has watched give themselves permission to take up space, she walks through what it looks like to expand your tolerance for discomfort and stop managing everyone else's reaction to you. In this episode, you'll learn: Why being the responsible, easygoing one can quietly turn into abandoning your own needsHow the fear of shining too brightly keeps so many highly sensitive women playing smallWhat it means that other people benefit from you never setting a boundary or speaking upWhy stepping out of the good girl identity almost always brings pushback, and how to be okay with thatHow to hold the guilt of someone being upset and still trust that you did the right thingWhy giving people the dignity of their own reactions frees you from carrying everyone Sign up for Unshakable Interactions during presale for just $17!: https://www.sensitiveandsoulful.com/offers/DfoKpzEo/checkout?coupon_code=UIPRESALE Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
260. Am I Overreacting, or Do I Actually Need a Boundary? An HSP Guide to Trusting Your Own Reaction
2026/09/08
In this episode, Alissa tackles a question she hears constantly. "How do you know if you're actually allowed to be upset, or if you're just being too sensitive?" If you've ever replayed a conversation for days, questioned your own reaction, or wondered if you made something out of nothing, this one's for you. Alissa traces that self-doubt back to where it actually started, and what it takes to fully trust yourself even when someone else insists you're overreacting. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the question "am I overreacting or do I have a right to be upset" usually points to a deeper lack of self-trustWhy the people who dismissed your reactions were often responding from their own depletionWhat writing out your personal values and boundaries does for you in the middle of a triggering momentHow to recognize when a reaction is bigger than the situation because it's hitting an old woundWhy "cleaning up your side of the street" comes before deciding whether a boundary conversation is necessary Sign up for Unshakable Interactions during presale for just $17!: https://www.sensitiveandsoulful.com/offers/DfoKpzEo/checkout?coupon_code=UIPRESALE Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
259. How to Stop Feeling Like a Pushover in Conflict and Stand Firm When You Feel Wronged
2026/09/01
In this episode, Alissa gets into why the instinct to smooth things over the second someone reacts to your boundary is actually a form of people pleasing, and why building your tolerance for that discomfort is the first step toward feeling unbotherable. Alissa traces this back to the fear of abandonment underneath it, whether that shows up as a partner flipping the story back on you or a family member waving off a hurtful comment as a joke. She shows how the pattern gets reinforced every time it's smoothed over instead of named, and why noticing what's actually driving the rush to resolution is what starts to shift the pattern. Alissa shares what it actually looks like to sit in the discomfort of a boundary instead of collapsing it, so you can source your safety and self-respect from within instead of from someone else's reaction. In this episode, you'll learn: Why the urge to smooth things over the moment your boundary lands is people pleasingHow to recognize when you're rushing to resolution out of a fear of abandonment rather than genuine repairWhy letting someone avoid the consequences of their own behavior quietly teaches them how to treat youHow trusting what your body is telling you becomes more reliable than the story someone else is offering in the momentWhy pushback from someone who's benefited from your smallness is a sign you're doing this right, not a sign you did something wrong Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
258. Why Am I So Triggered? How to Get to the Root and Feel Unbotherable
2026/08/25
In this episode, Alissa gets into why triggers land the way they do and why finding the root cause is the first step toward feeling steady, unshakable, and less at the mercy of what everyone around you is doing. Most triggers trace back to one of two places, an old wound from the past or an unmet need in the present. Alissa shows how naming that root pulls the charge out of it, so emotional memory stops determining your responses. Alissa walks through what it actually looks like to clean up your side of the street so you can confidently source your safety from within. In this episode, you'll learn: Why a reaction that feels disproportionate to the moment is a clue you've been triggeredThe two roots of most triggers, an old wound or an unmet need, and how to tell which one is showing upHow pulling the charge out of a past experience lets a familiar situation lose its gripWhat "cleaning up your side of the street" looks like before you decide whether a conversation is even neededWhy working through a trigger once makes it quieter every single time it comes backHow sourcing your safety from within frees you from living at the mercy of other people's choices Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
257. "I'm the type of person who..." Shifting Your Self-Concept By Changing the Way You Talk to Yourself
2026/08/18
In this week's episode, Alissa shares a quick hack that quietly rewrites how you see yourself: "I'm the type of person who..." So often you pin your happiness on the outcome, the finished book, the dream partner, the number of followers. Alissa offers an alternative, letting the process itself become the proof and validation of who you're becoming. Every time you act like the person you want to be, you teach yourself to expect that version of you to show up (even when you don't feel like it). In this episode, you'll learn: How the phrase "I'm the type of person who" shifts your self-concept in real timeWhy tying your happiness to the outcome makes the whole journey feel worseHow to turn everyday hard moments into evidence of who you're becomingWhat showing up to an almost empty room taught Alissa about building real confidenceHow to use this practice with people pleasing, exercise, dating, and creative workWhy falling off track is its own chance to prove the kind of person you are Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
256. You're Not a Burden: Advocating for Yourself with Chronic Illness or High Sensitivity w/ Celiac Coach, Jen Fitzpatrick
2026/08/11
For most highly sensitive people, advocating for a physical need feels like being a burden. Jen Fitzpatrick, a celiac advocate and founder of the Confident Celiac Community, joins Alissa to talk about the years she spent staying quiet about her own needs and the shift that finally changed it. The tension is one a lot of HSPs with a chronic condition know well. Speaking up is what keeps you safe, but every people pleasing instinct says stay quiet instead. Alissa and Jen unpack why that instinct runs so deep and how to move through it anyway. Pulling from Jen's diagnosis story, a study abroad trip where she watched everyone else eat what she couldn't, and Alissa's own experience navigating her daughter's recent diagnosis, the conversation moves through shame, community and self worth. In this episode, you'll learn: Why highly sensitive people are especially likely to stay quiet about a chronic health needJen's own story of cross contamination scares and learning to advocate for herself after years of people pleasingThe simple swap that changed everything for Jen, saying thank you instead of sorryWhy choosing ten seconds of social discomfort is almost always worth it over days of physical painHow finding community turned a hard diagnosis into something less isolating for both Jen and Alissa Follow Jen: Website: https://www.thenomadicfitzpatricks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenomadicfitz Self-Love Toolkit: https://the-nomadic-fitzpatricks-gluten-free.teachable.com/p/celiac-self-love-toolkit-1059254 Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
255. Character Development and What Your North Node Reveals About the Person You're Becoming
2026/08/04
In this episode, Alissa breaks down why every hard season is building something in you that easy seasons never could, tracing the idea back to astrology, her own birth chart, and a realization that caught her off guard through her daughter Blaine's health diagnoses. She walks you through how to see every uncomfortable, triggering situation as character development and opportunities for growth. In this episode, you'll learn: What your North Node and South Node reveal about your natural strengths versus the traits you're still growing intoHow raising her daughter through celiac disease and Type 1 diabetes diagnoses is developing the structured, disciplined side of Alissa that used to feel completely foreignWhy a demanding boss, an unexplained health symptom, or another uncomfortable dynamic might be pointing to a part of your character that's ready to developThe difference between staying in a toxic environment and choosing a challenge that's actually building youWhat the growth gap is and why the space between your old identity and your new one feels so uncomfortableWhy letting fear of judgment, like worrying what old classmates will think, keep you from starting something is really just self-sabotage in disguise Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
254. Stop Reading Silence as Rejection: The HSP Fawn Response Explained
2026/07/28
When someone's energy feels a little different than usual, quieter, colder, more reserved, your mind starts filling in the silence with a story about what you did wrong. This week Alissa breaks down where that hypervigilance actually comes from and why your mind rushing to assume the worst rarely has anything to do with what's actually happening. Pulling from her own patterns and stories from women in the Not Too Sensitive Club, Alissa walks through how to catch the spiral before it takes over. In this episode, you'll learn: Why your mind rushes to fill in the silence when someone seems distant or short with youThe childhood origin of hypervigilance and why it gets mistaken for high sensitivityHow to create space between a triggering moment and the story you decide to believe about itThe exercise for completing the anxiety loop and realizing you could survive the worst case scenarioWhy overcompensating to win over a cold or quiet person is really about your own comfort, not the connectionHow choosing a new response in triggering moments builds a steadier, more confident identity over time Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
253. How To Energetically Protect Yourself + Not Take It Personally When Others Project Onto You
2026/07/21
This week's episode comes from a riff request in the Not Too Sensitive Club group chat, a question about how to stop taking it personally when someone seems committed to disliking you, especially when you're wired to feel that discomfort in your body. It's uncomfortable to sense someone judging you, and every instinct says to win them over. Alissa offers a different move: recognizing whose story this actually is. She walks through what projection usually means psychologically, the energetic practices she uses before and after being around someone who triggers this, and why she'd rather be disliked for being herself than loved for shrinking. In this episode, you'll learn: Why someone projecting negativity onto you is usually about an unexamined part of them, not evidence of something wrong with youThe difference between setting a boundary with someone and pretending their treatment of you doesn't hurtHow to use an energetic bubble and cord cutting before and after spending time with someone who triggers this patternWhy staying small and people pleasing can protect you from the discomfort, but why that's not the goalHow to let someone's dislike of you be their thing to carry instead of yours Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
252. No One Else Gets to Decide That You're "Too Much" or "Not Enough"
2026/07/14
In this solo episode, Alissa names the exhaustion of shape shifting to fit an imagined mold of what's acceptable, and offers the alternative: deciding, every day, who you are and how you want to show up. Sparked by comments on a viral Instagram post about owning being "too much," Alissa calls out the excuse that other's won't let you be your true self. She's not buying the narrative that other people's discomfort is proof something is wrong with you. Pulling from her own story and pattern she keeps hearing from women in the Not Too Sensitive Club, she shares ways you can take back your power and decide who you are going to be. In this episode, you'll learn: Why trying to fit into everyone's idea of acceptable costs you pieces of yourself The real difference between wanting connection and needing everyone's approval What moving to California from Minnesota taught Alissa about owning her differences instead of hiding them Why overthinking after a social interaction is your nervous system reading it as a threat to belonging, not a character flaw How self-worth changes the entire experience of imperfect social moments Why healing your triggers matters as much as understanding where they came from Uncover your sneaky internal belief that’s stopping you from being your most confident self TAKE The FREE Shadow Archetype Quiz NOW Learn my 6-step process for managing & neutralizing your triggers as an HSP in our FREE UN-Botherable Workshop! Join the Not Too Sensitive Club 🦋 My group coaching container for highly sensitive women where self-doubt becomes certainty, second-guessing turns into self-trust, and overthinking transforms into rock-solid intuition. CLICK HERE to learn more! Follow Alissa on Substack: https://substack.com/@lifebyalissa As a special bonus, I want to give you FREE access to my workshop for HSPs called Not "Too Sensitive" (usually $35)! All you have to do is: Leave a written review of this podcast on Apple PodcastsEmail a screenshot of your review to [email protected] That's it! 😊 🦋🦋🦋 Follow along on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@lifebyalissa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast reviews

Read Not Too Sensitive - Empowering Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) To Own Their Sensitivity podcast reviews


4.9 out of 5
149 reviews
★★★★★
jeniriis 2026/09/04
This podcast is a breath of fresh air
The world is a LOT as a highly sensitive person! as I scrolled through all the podcast episodes on my phone from shows I’ve followed over the years ; ...
★★★★★
Ashley Riedel 2025/11/13
Favorite podcast
A breath of fresh air. Truly authentic. Genuine. Real. And really SUCH a special podcast. So grateful for all of the knowledge and wisdom I’ve learned...
★★★★★
Hyhuber 2025/08/07
High Value
Only listened to a few episodes, but already delighted by Alissa’s insight & resources.
★★★★★
SSS23! 2025/07/26
Thank you!
Love learning how to leverage sensitivity as a superpower instead of a limitation!!
★★★★★
thriving babe 2025/04/18
Triggers and boundaries
Thank you so much for sharing your journey. It really helped me see myself and the situation differently. It does require practice and learning how to...
★★★★★
SerenityBJen 2025/01/30
Flip the Script
I cannot tell you how AMAZING it’s been to listen to these episodes as I go back and heal my inner child. At 41, I always known I’ve been ‘sensitive’ ...
★★★★★
princess collier 2024/12/31
NYE Pod
Today’s pod was so great - just what I needed to bring on the new year. I’m so thankful for Alyssa and the wisdom she shares. I find so much value in ...
★★★★★
Vincentboy27 2024/07/24
My daily peace space
I have been a listener of The Sensitive & Soulful Show since Alyssa started her podcast. Never in my life have I felt so understood AND accepted! I am...
★★★★★
ChristineSponsel 2024/07/22
Binge Worthy & Crazy Supportive
Love how Alissa makes you feel seen, empowered, challenged, & comforted all in one episode! Never miss an episode! 🎧 I’d never knew I was highly sen...
★★★★★
TIm Pedry 2024/05/22
Refreshing
Alissa's self reflection and articulation is beautiful and strong. Her strong personality is oblivious in the way she speaks and I so relate with that...
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