News - 2011

If you have news you would like to share with members please email Taya Wood (Website Administrator) via the contact form.

Update from Trudy Brunton, Coordinator, Aust/NZ HSP Network

Hi everyone

The HSP group that has been meeting in Melbourne every few months met last night and the organiser of the night, Amanda, has kindly offered to start running it as an open house each month for people who need to connect with HSPs on a regular basis. So from Monday 6 February 2012 at 7.30, the HSP Open House will be held at Amandas place at 6 Nova Court , Wheelers Hill. The group will then meet on the first Monday of the month. Inquiries to Amanda via email rsilvano@bigpond.net.au

Thankyou Amanda and others for helping to make this group so successful.

Trudy

Update from Janine Ramsey, Coordinator, Gold Coast HSP Group

Update from Janine Ramsey – facilitator of the Gold Coast HSP Network Group

NB: Cancellation – No Gold Coast HSP Network meetings in Sept & Oct 2011

NB: November 2011 meeting topic – Highlights from HSP Retreat in Santa

Barbara with Elaine Aron and Jacquelyn Strickland

What a journey it has been over the last 6 months with all things HSP. I have met so many wonderful people through our HSP monthly meetings and learned so much more about the trials and tribulations of being an HSP, and of being a non-HSP living with an HSP!

What is amazing is how similar many of our experiences are…unique of course to each individual but yet with so many common themes coming through. In particular those themes of feeling inadequate and being ostracised by many around us for being – as the ‘others’ put it – “too sensitive”, too picky”, “high maintenance” and “too intense”.

Through our network group meetings we have found comfort and reassurance in realising that we are not alone, not weird and not defective. We have a trait, which like all traits has its advantages and disadvantages. As we become more confident in ourselves and in our value to society as highly sensitive people, then and only then we will be truly free to share our unique gift with the world.

Until recently I have always felt the need to keep ‘it’, my sensitivity, a secret from others. I am sure I am not alone in this. Why would anyone want to admit to the world something about themselves that they know from experience is likely to attract more criticisms and advice from others with regard to becoming less sensitive, less broken and therefore more normal?

Now through my work as an advocate and educator about highly sensitive people I don’t need to keep it a secret. In fact it gives me great credibility to be able to do this work because I am one!

As part of my own journey to being ok, actually not just ok, but GREAT, as an HSP, I am about to embark on a 7-week journey to the United States where I will be meeting as many HSPs as possible. I start with attendance at the HSP Retreat gathering in Santa Barbara and will get to meet and hear the legendary Elaine Aron speak to the group. Can you just imagine that!

Also I will also meet her long time friend and colleague, HSP counsellor - Jacquelyn Strickland. Together Elaine and Jacquelyn have been running HSP retreat gatherings in the northern hemisphere for some 10 years now.

I am honoured to be contributing to the group myself through my presentation called ‘Different But Not Less - at Work’ (about HSPs & work). Following the event, I will get to spend time with Jim Hallowes in California and attend the LA HSP meet up group.

Another highlight during my time away will be my presentation at the US Swim Schools Conference in Florida. Here I will be presenting on ‘The Highly Sensitive Child in Swim Lessons’, as well as facilitating a group about HSPs as customers and staff and why they make some of the best swim teachers you will ever have.

So as I said above, what a journey the last 6 months has been in all things HSP. I look forward to sharing more with you from my exciting travels.

Please note that as a result of my trip, I am sorry to say that there will be no Gold Coast HSP Network meetings for the months of September & October 2011.

However in the November 2011 meeting I will share highlights from HSP Retreat in Santa Barbara with Elaine Aron and Jacquelyn Strickland. Look forward to seeing you there :)

The inaugural Gold Coast HSP Network Group meeting
- Janine Ramsey

The inaugural meeting on March 3rd at Robina on the Gold Coast went really well. We had 6 attendees in total, some who had travelled over an hour to attend. We even had one dedicated non-HSP husband who attended to learn more about his HSP wife...isn't that just wonderful!

We shared our experiences in relation to being HSP's, (and being a non-HSP living with an HSP!)  and in particular, how we first came across the term HSP and the information written by Elaine Aron. Some fascinating stories emerged. One thing that seemed common to all of the HSPs was that feeling of being 'Not OK' in some way. Certainly from what I've seen and experienced to date, that seems to be the biggest challenge HSPs face.

At our next meeting on April 7th, one of our group members who is a provisionally registered psychologist is going to run a session for us called 'Avoiding Burnout'. Since so many HSPs struggle to find the right balance between taking care of others as they are compelled to do and taking care of themselves, this session will provide tools and knowledge to assist in preventing burnout. Should be a great session for all, even the non-HSPs.

Meeting details; April 7th 5.30pm - 6.45pm:  Robina Library Meeting Room, Gold Coast. Contact Janine for more info at email: sensitivepersonality@gmail.com

'Comfort Zone' Newsletter by Elain Aron

February issue:

Our Spiritual Life: The Priestly Part of our Being "Priestly Advisors" Part I. Going out on a limb here, but I think it will bear the weight.

• Learning about HSPs' Complexes from Joseph the Dreamer. This is from a May 1997 issue, when Comfort Zone was still on paper and cost money (you can still buy these in the Store). It is related to the blog post I just posted at Psychology Today, but just for us.
• What I'm Reading. At the risk of sounding relentlessly narcissistic, I thought I'd try this. It's not a review or a recommendation of a book, but it's interesting nonetheless--at least to me.

Click this link to read more:

http://www.hsperson.com/pages/2Feb11.htm

The inaugural Gold Coast HSP network group will meet as follows:

Thursday March 3rd 2011

5.30pm - 6.45pm

Robina Library Meeting Room

196 Robina Town Centre Drive

Robina, Gold Coast, QLD 4230

This meeting will run monthly on the first Thursday of every month. Please email Janine Ramsey at sensitivepersonality@gmail.com for more information.

Janine will also be holding a free talk on the HSP trait on Thursday January 13th.