I enjoyed spending time with Tricia Burke, LCSW and having a lively conversation with her while recording Episode 2 of Mind Tricks. Tricia is a psychotherapist in private practice in states of Washington and Hawaii.

I was impressed by Tricia’s openness about her life and experiences being an Empath – someone who is on the most extreme end of the spectrum of Highly Sensitive People (HSP). Tricia explained how Empaths deeply feel the emotions of others and have a highly tuned intuition about thoughts, feelings, and experiences of others.

I appreciated how Tricia labels her sensitivity as a “gift,” as it allows her to feel deeply and connect with people on a very profound level. She believes the purpose of Empaths is to “heal the world.” I would have to agree with Tricia, when you consider the opposite of an Empath is a Narcissist, a Sociopath, or a person who is solely motivated by self-interests at the expense of others. An HSP/Empath who is aware of the potential pitfalls and perils of his or her sensitives learns how to set appropriate boundaries and maintain the necessary self-care and allow his or her “gifts” to shine.

Tricia mentioned a few resources I wanted to share. First, she mentions the wonderful resources of Dr. Judith Orloff, a psychiatrist living in California who’s written several excellent books about Empaths. Her website is loaded with helpful information, including a 20 question self-assessment test that determines where you might fall on the Empath spectrum. Check it out: www.drjudithorloff.comTricia also mentioned Dr. Elaine Aron, a Clinical Psychologist who has researched Highly Sensitive People extensively and has a range of useful resources on her website: www.hsperson.com

I hope you enjoy listening to Episode 2 with Tricia Burke as much as I enjoyed recording it with her!