Are You a Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur? Here Is What HSPs Should Know with Lisa Tuthill, Mental Health Therapist and Spiritual Coach

Are you a Highly Sensitive Entrepreneur? If you catch yourself feeling easily overwhelmed and are sensitive to other people's moods, this article is for you. Lisa Tuthill, Mental Health Therapist, Spiritual Coach and Intuitive Healer joins us on the blog to share what the characteristics of an HSP are and how you can better navigate the entrepreneurial path if you are one.

Tell us more about yourself and your business. What inspired you to build a bridge between spirituality and therapy in your practice?

Since childhood, I've always known I wanted to work with people. Initially, I pursued a Bachelor's in childhood psychology, but after a break, I decided to pursue a Master's in counselling. In a somewhat unconventional twist, I randomly chose New Mexico for my studies, leading me to a program in Santa Fe that incorporated spiritual elements alongside traditional coursework. While I didn't fully appreciate it at the time, this education taught me to be a holistic, spiritual therapist. After graduating, I practised traditional therapy for seven years before relocating to California, where my license didn't transfer. This setback prompted me to attain a spiritual coaching certification. This journey made me realize the importance of balancing spirituality with mental health, which seemed lacking in the structured mental health field. I also observed that clients who identified as empaths or highly sensitive people were seeking an alternative to traditional therapy and needed support to navigate the world.

What do you enjoy the most about your work? 

It means everything to me to be a part of someone's journey; to be able to hold space for them and help them find their voice, their authenticity and their purpose; to know they aren’t alone in this and watch the ripple effect of kindness spread within each client. It’s an honour to walk beside them as they embark on a journey of self-discovery.

What is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) and what characteristics can help us identify as HSPs?

An HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) is a person with a superpower of sensitivity - someone who is able to walk into a crowded room and know the vibe of the room; the people who walk away from situations being drained. Many think they are introverts, but you actually just need downtime after you’re with people. People who take on emotions,  take on energy; people who are very community-based. They are helpers who desire connection with other people. They are very intuitive, whether they recognize it or not. Here are a few characteristics of HSPs:

- Sensory overload issues/ sensory sensitivities 

- Someone who is really impacted by the external world

- Overwhelmed easily 

- Empathic 

- Attention to detail 

- Needs time away 

- Strong emotional reactions 

- Creativity

What are some of the biggest challenges that HSPs face?

They struggle with managing emotions and tend to avoid conflict. They are not able to easily shift out of patterns and often experience an overload of stimuli (the energy can feel overwhelming). They also struggle with processing things, conflict management and people-pleasing. Saying No and setting boundaries can be a big challenge too.

How does an HSP’s heightened sensitivity show up in business?

Here are a few signs:

- they may bring people into their business that are out of alignment 

- they may get frequently overwhelmed by work

- they may shut down and feel disconnected

- they may catch themselves people pleasing, not being able to say No and giving their power away

What are some of the tools that Highly Sensitive People can utilise to better navigate the entrepreneurial journey?

First and foremost - they need to understand who they are and learn to "know" what their intuition is telling them. They also need to learn to understand what their body is saying to them which is the connection with their intuition. Paying attention to and connecting to your senses can help with that; for instance - when you are listening to music, how does the music make you feel?

Your intuitive connection is a powerful guide to help you change the trajectory of your life. This is what I help my clients with on a weekly basis; I help them make sense of their day-to-day experiences and their intuition so that they can develop their intuitive connection. We work on learning how to pay attention to the signs so that they know that certain things are coming from their intuition. 

Where can our readers learn more about your services?

They can check my website https://www.lisatuthillcoaching.com/. I also host group meetups at https://www.meetup.com/san-jose-mindfulness-meetup-group/.  Members of the Co-created Hub can connect with me directly in the hub.

Lisa Tuthill is a licensed Mental Health Therapist, Spiritual Coach, Mentor and Intuitive Healer to Highly Sensitive People and Empaths. Her blended approach to coaching and healing involves helping her clients find their inner strengths, build resilience and navigate life and business challenges as HSPs. Lisa is also one of our Holistic Wellness Speakers in the Co-created Hub and is hosting a talk on how we can better manage and protect our energy as Highly Sensitive Entrepreneurs on 12th October. You can join us in the hub and watch all our holistic wellness talks by signing up below.