APISA Sensitive Feelers and Empath Group
Register Now!Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American Sensitive Feelers and Empath Group
A compassionate space for Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American (APISA) adults to share their Sensitive Feeler and Empath experiences, receive support, and learn skills.
WHO
Open to all APISA adults (21+) anywhere in the US
COST
$300 for all 8 sessions; sliding scale & payment plans available
WHAT
A support group to learn tools for self-exploration, develop skills, and gather/share resources
TIME
75-minute evening sessions on Tuesdays 5PM - 6:15PM PT | 7PM - 8:15PM CT | 8PM - 9:15PM ET
WHERE
Zoom link to be sent upon signup
WHEN
February 27th, 2024 to April 16th, 2024
GROUP GOALS
Group members will have a deeper understanding of their sensitivity, uncover their unique strengths, gain new tools to care for themselves, and start developing a community with other Sensitive Feelers and Empaths
WEEK 1
Being an Sensitive Feeler or Empath within the APISA community
- What does it mean to be sensitive?
- How do others view sensitivity?
- What were some cultural messages around being sensitive?
WEEK 2
Getting to know your sensitivity
- Self-Assessment
- Tuning in to the body: Physical sensations and emotions
- Introduction to Window of Tolerance
WEEK 3
Care of your sensitive self in a cultural context
- Follow up on reactions/reflections
- Sharing ways to cope with overarousal
- Learn Shielding Against Energies/Umbrella Walk
WEEK 4
Discover your strengths & weaknesses/struggles
- Different Flavors of Sensitive Feeler and Empath
- How has culture shaped how we see these/our flavor of Sensitive Feelers and Empaths
- Inventory of Sensitive Feeler and Empath assets & weaknesses
WEEK 5
Reframe your past experiences & Self-compassion
- Explore past experiences
- Self-confidence and how we understand this event in light of our sensitivity
- 'Perfect Ally'
WEEK 6
Sensitive Feeler and Empath and their Relationships
- What are the impacts of being a Sensitive Feeler and/or Empath on your close relationships?
- Communication of needs and getting people to understand within the APISA cultural lens
- Mindful Communication Exercise
WEEK 7
Sensitive Feelers and Empaths in the Social World
- Exploring shyness & the cultural notions around it
- Analyzing our flops
- Philosophy to share
WEEK 8
Celebrating your sensitivity
- Celebrating our sensitive perception
- Personal Reactions/Experiences of the Group
- Resources and closure
This group is right for you if:
- You are a person age 21+
- You are Asian identifying
- You have heightened sensitivity to and are often overwhelmed by physical, emotional, or social stimuli.
- You notice a deep sense of empathy for others that can feel overwhelming.
- You tend to process things at a greater depth than others around you.
- You want to connect with others who experience the world similarly.
- You want to learn the strengths of sensitivity, as well as how to manage the challenges that come from sensitivity.
This group is not right for you if:
- You are actively self-harming in ways that require medical attention.
- You are experiencing suicidal ideation and require a higher level of care than a support group.
- You’re looking to process a diagnosis. While sensitivity can be understood as an aspect of neurodivergence, we will not be focusing on any specific diagnoses related to neurodivergence.
A compassionate space for Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American (APISA) adults to share their Sensitive Feeler and Empath experiences, receive support, and learn skills.
This support group was formerly called “APISA Highly Sensitive Person Support Group”. It has been a popular and successful group, offering group members a space to share their experiences and learn to navigate their sensitivity, including how their sensitivity intersects with their Asian/Asian American identities. However, it has come to our attention that the term “Highly Sensitive Person” (or HSP) that was first coined by Psychologist Elaine Aron has been used by some professionals to foster stigma against the autistic community, associating the term with an ableist sentiment. Here at YCC, inclusivity and diversity are our core values, and we have relied on individual participants’ self-identification of HSP regardless of having other identities/diagnoses or no diagnosis. After much consideration, we have decided to step away from using the term HSP while still upholding a space where empathic and sensitive experiences can still be discussed. We will continue to provide a welcoming space for all those who identify as an empath or sensitive feeler or simply want to process their experiences of sensitivity.