All content Copyright ©2003-08 Peter Messerschmidt & HSP Connections. All Rights Reserved.
20041020 20080812
HSP Connections
The Information Directory for the Highly Sensitive Person
Connecting: meeting other HSPs through local support and social groups, workshops and HSP Gatherings
Many HSPs report a certain feeling of isolation, because they do not have other HSPs in their lives. Dr. Elaine Aron speaks of the importance of forming "HSP peer connections," and there are few things more validating than having fellow HSPs as friends.

Making friends and having a social life often feels like a push-pull endeavor, for many HSPs. We want to reach out and find fellowship and community with our peers, yet the process also can feel quite overwhelming. Besides, where do we start?

HSP Gatherings:

One way to meet fellow HSPs is by attending an "HSP Gathering." HSP Gatherings are 3-5 day retreats for HSPs, periodically held in various locations around the US, as well as in Canada and the UK. Typically, there are 2-3 Gatherings per calendar year. Although they are "group events" (sometimes a source of anxiety for HSPs), the Gatherings are not overwhelming in size, usually drawing 20-35 attendees.

The 2008 East Coast HSP Gathering will take place in Phoenicia, NY, from October 2-6, 2008. For more information please visit the New York HSP Group's web site. To register for the event, please visit organizer Jacquelyn Strickland's web site.

HSP Workshops:

Another way to make contact with fellow HSPs is to attend a workshop about being Highly Sensitive. Dr. Elaine Aron teaches periodic weekend workshops at Esalen in California, at Omega in Rhinebeck, NY and at Kripalu in western MA. Teaching schedules are posted on Elaine Aron's web site, when available.

As awareness of the HSP trait spreads, an increasing number of mental health professionals, coaches and counselors offer workshops in their local communities. These can be somewhat tricky to find, as they are often only announced locally.

Local & Regional HSP Groups:

There are two ways for an HSP to approach the issue of "finding other HSPs locally."

One is to seek out local/regional groups on the Internet. These mostly take the form of "email lists" and "discussion boards," except the members are based in a specific city or region. Although most of these groups tend to be "online only," I know of several where members have become good friends, and have moved the online discussion to meetings "in real life."

The other option is to look for-- or create-- an HSP social/support group in your local community. A number of groups do exist in various locales, and they can often be found through an Internet search, as group hosts often create a web page as part of publicizing their group.

Another option is to check out (and register) the HSP pages on the "MeetUp" web site. As of this writing, there are about 5-6 active local groups, with 100s of HSPs in many different locations registered as "interested," once enough people register in that location.

Hybrids:

Elsewhere on this site, I made mention of the Pacific Northwest HSP Network. With the proliferation of the "social network" format on the Internet, an increasing number of "specialty networks" are showing up.

Although this particular network only reaches HSPs in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon and Seattle, its format combines the best of multiple worlds: It is regional and local, and it includes the strengths of a web site (for information and announcements), a "group formation" site (like meetup.com), and a social network and email discussion list-- while also being private and "HSP safe."