Story of Elaine Aron

To open the month's theme "Highly Sensitive Women", we need to start with her.

Elaine Aron is the psychologist who coined the term "Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)" and has dedicated her career to studying this personality trait.

Her discoveries offer a haven of understanding for those who live intensely in every aspect of the world.

The English anagram "DOES" summarizes the characteristics of HSP:

D Depth of processing

O Overstimulation​

E Emotional intensity

S Sensory sensitivity

Childhood and Career

As a child, at home, she distanced himself from the chaos of her family. At school, she avoided sports, games and kids in general.

Her academic journey began with an interest in psychology, culminating in a doctorate that paved the way for her discoveries about high sensitivity.

She also revealed that at a certain point in her life, married, dedicated to writing and raising children, she felt delighted to be at home and at the same time embarrassed for not being “out there”. As she gained understanding about her personality trait, she was able to “return” to the world full of stimuli.

First Research 

After a few psychotherapy sessions, Elaine says her therapist told her she was highly sensitive. When asking what that was, the psychologist told her that from her experience she realized that people had different levels of tolerance to environmental stimuli.

She tried to find more about this subject and couldn't find it. From then on, she began, on her own, initial research interviewing people and never stopped researching the topic.

The Discovery of PAS

The publication of "Highly Sensitive People" in 1996 marked a turning point in Aron's career and, indeed, in the lives of many people.

Today, the sensitivity trait is known as SPS (sensory processing sensitivity) which includes greater depth of processing of environmental information as well as greater emotional and empathic reactivity. It is estimated that 15 to 20% of people have this genetic trait.

Her book not only introduced the concept of HSP to the world, but also helped millions recognize themselves and understand their experiences in a new light, promoting acceptance and self-knowledge.

Search Expansion 

Following the success of her first book, Elaine continued to explore high sensitivity in different contexts, including romantic relationships, parenting, and work environments.

Her comprehensive research and subsequent publications solidified the recognition of HSP as a legitimate and important personality trait. And today there is a solid scientific basis on the subject.

It is worth mentioning that being a HSP is not synonymous with being shy or introverted. 30% of HSP are considered extroverts.

Global Recognition

The consolidation of the term HSP and the expansion of its research culminated in the global recognition of Elaine Aron as a pioneering authority on the topic.

Conferences, workshops, and a growing community of highly sensitive people and mental health professionals dedicated to this field are testaments to the impact of her work.

The Legacy of HSP

I bring this theme to #herstorieseveryfriday, as I believe that Elaine Aron's journey highlights the importance of recognizing and valuing self-knowledge and diversity in human experiences.

Highly Sensitive People are seen as “too sensitive”, “whiners”, that is, as if they had a defect, when in fact this is a neutral personality trait that brings advantages and disadvantages.

Elaine's dedication to understanding high sensitivity has not only provided self-validation for many people, but has also paved the way for more inclusive and empathetic practices in psychology, education, relationships, and beyond.