Psychoanalytische Praxis

DI Titusz Tarnai, MSc BA pth

Hypersensitivity / highly sensitive person
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Is being a HSP a mental illness?
Is HSP neurodivergent?
What are the symptoms of a highly sensitive person?
How do I stop being emotionally sensitive?

A highly sensitive person (HSP) is someone who experiences the world with heightened sensitivity to various stimuli, including emotions, environmental factors, and sensory input. HSPs often process information more deeply and intensely than others, leading to greater emotional responsiveness and sensitivity to both positive and negative experiences.

Treatment of HSP in psychoanalytic psychotherapy
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In psychoanalytic psychotherapy, treatment for highly sensitive individuals typically involves exploring the underlying dynamics and unconscious processes that contribute to their heightened sensitivity. Here are some key aspects of how psychoanalytic psychotherapy approaches the treatment of highly sensitive persons:

Exploration of Early Experiences: Psychoanalytic therapy delves into the individual's early life experiences, including childhood relationships with caregivers and significant life events. These experiences can shape the individual's sensitivity and emotional responses later in life.

Unconscious Processes: Psychoanalytic therapy aims to uncover unconscious thoughts, feelings, and conflicts that may contribute to heightened sensitivity. By bringing these unconscious processes into awareness, the individual can gain insight into the origins of their sensitivity and how it manifests in their current experiences.

Defense Mechanisms: Highly sensitive individuals may develop defense mechanisms to cope with overwhelming emotions or stimuli. Psychoanalytic therapy helps identify these defense mechanisms, such as repression or projection, and explores healthier ways of managing emotions and interactions with the environment.

Transference and Countertransference: The therapeutic relationship plays a crucial role in psychoanalytic therapy. Transference, where the individual projects feelings and attitudes onto the therapist, and countertransference, where the therapist experiences emotional reactions to the client, are explored to understand underlying patterns of relating and reacting.

Symbolic Meaning: Psychoanalytic therapy often explores the symbolic meaning of the individual's sensitivity and how it relates to deeper psychological processes and conflicts. By understanding the symbolic significance of their sensitivity, the individual can gain insight into its underlying meaning and significance in their life.

Emotional Regulation: Psychoanalytic therapy helps the individual develop skills for regulating and managing intense emotions associated with heightened sensitivity. This may involve exploring coping strategies, developing self-awareness, and building resilience to better navigate emotional experiences.

Overall, psychoanalytic psychotherapy provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and treating heightened sensitivity in individuals. Through exploration of unconscious processes, early experiences, and the therapeutic relationship, highly sensitive persons can gain insight into their sensitivity and develop healthier ways of coping and relating to the world.

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