The Sensitive Professionals Podcast

When life feels loud or overwhelming, many of us instinctively step outside. But what actually happens when we slow down enough to truly be with nature? In this episode, I’m joined by wellbeing guide Jeannie Nairn, founder of Woodlands Breathing. Jeannie shares how time with the land, the trees and the seasons can gently bring us back to ourselves. What we talk about in this episode: How forest bathing invites us to slow down and awaken the sensesWhy sensitive people often feel naturally drawn to natureSmall ways to connect with nature even in the middle of a cityHow simple practices like sitting quietly with a cup of tea can shift your stateWhat spending time with the natural world can teach us about accepting who we are More about Jeannie Website: https://www.woodlandsbreathing.co.ukLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-nairn-31b87334Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodlandsbreathingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoodlandsBreathing

What if the reason work feels so draining isn’t because you’re doing it wrong but because the model itself was never built with sensitivity in mind?In this episode, I’m joined by Kimberly Marshall, career coach for highly sensitive people and host of the Happy HSP Podcast. After two decades in the publishing industry, Kimberly now helps HSPs move through burnout, rebuild confidence, and create careers that feel far more nurturing and aligned with who they are. What we talk about in this episode: Seeing your career as a discovery process rather than a fixed pathWhy highly sensitive professionals often struggle with traditional workplace modelsThe difference between strengths that energise you and skills you have simply learned to performHow masking sensitivity at work leads to exhaustion and burnoutA simple starting point for exploring what you actually want from your career More about Kimberly: Website: https://www.happyhspcoaching.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlymarshall321Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happyhspcoaching

What if writing isn’t about being a writer at all? What if it’s simply a place to put the things you’ve been carrying.In this episode, I’m joined by Nicola MacDonald, author, speaker, creative writing coach and founder of the Introverts Paper Playground. Nicola has been writing since she was nine years old, first as a way to process what she couldn’t say out loud. Today, she helps others do the same. What we talk about in this episode: Writing as emotional release, not performanceFree writing as a way to quiet a noisy mindHigh sensitivity and high sensation seekingLetting go of perfectionism and the fear of getting it wrongWhy the page can be one of the safest places to land More about Nicola: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nicolamcdonaldwriteyourwayLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamcdonaldcreativewritingcoach

What if burnout isn’t a failure, but a message? Not a sign that you’re weak, but a moment that asks you to come home to yourself.In this episode, I’m joined by Rebecca Jenkin, somatic guide, holistic therapist and founder of This Wild Mama. Together we explore burnout not as a badge of honour or a buzzword, but as a full body reckoning that asks for honesty, compassion and change.What we talk about in this episode:The difference between stress and true burnout, and why it can feel like collapseBurnout as self-betrayal, and the grief that can surface when we finally stopFawning, masking and the subtle ways we override ourselvesWhy sensitivity can make burnout more likely, and also more revealingStarting with the basics and rebuilding safety in the body More about Rebecca: Website: https://thiswildmama.com

What if creativity isn’t about talent and more about permission? Permission to notice, to imagine, to follow a thread without knowing where it leads. In this episode, I’m joined by Andy Mort, songwriter, creativity coach and founder of The Haven, an online community for highly sensitive people. Together we explore the relationship between sensitivity, creativity and confidence, and what becomes possible when ideas are allowed to unfold in community rather than in isolation.Andy shares the story behind his collaborative ‘zine’ process inside The Haven, and how playful prompts can open up surprising depth, connection and self-trust. What we talk about in this episode: Andy’s journey with high sensitivity and what helped him move from resistance to integrationThe link between sensitivity and creativity, including the role of imagination and nuanceHow the zine process inside The Haven builds confidence through invitation rather than pressureWhy low stakes creative experimentation can soften self-doubtSensitivity as a collective voice, not just an individual trait More about Andy: Website: https://www.andymort.comCommunity: https://the-haven.coLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apmort

What if the part of you that craves depth and quiet is also the part that longs for novelty, movement, and new experiences? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Tracy Cooper, a leading researcher in high sensitivity and high sensation seeking, to explore what happens when these two traits live in the same nervous system. Tracy brings both academic rigour and lived experience to this conversation. As a highly sensitive, high sensation seeking person himself, he shares what the research tells us, alongside what it actually feels like to live with this inner push and pull in real life and work. What we talk about in this episode: What high sensation seeking actually is, and how it differs from impulsivity or risk takingWhy many highly sensitive people feel a constant tension between needing stimulation and needing restHow research shows these traits are independent, yet powerful when understood togetherThe strengths of being both highly sensitive and high sensation seeking, especially in creative and professional rolesPractical ways to work with this combination without burning out or dulling yourself down More about Tracy: Website: https://drtracycooper.orgLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-cooper-ph-d-85b9a72Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tracycooperPhDInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracycooperphdSensitive Men Rising: https://sensitivemenrising.org

What if the way you’ve learned to lead is actually pulling you further from who you really are?In this episode, I’m joined by Lise Lønsmann – a trauma-informed somatic practitioner and embodied leadership mentor – for a conversation about what it means to lead without abandoning yourself. We explore how conventional leadership often rewards speed, control and performance, and why slowing down can feel countercultural but deeply necessary. Lise shares how embodiment helps us reconnect with our inner resource, why resourcing is about meaning not productivity, and how we can begin to meet discomfort without getting lost in it. Whether you see yourself as a leader or not, this one is for anyone curious about a more human way to work and live. What we talk about in this episode: What it really means to lead from the body (and why it matters)The power of slowing down, especially in fast-paced environmentsHow nervous system awareness changes the way we lead and relateWhy "bringing your whole self to work" is both radical and deeply humanThe importance of tending to your needs (not just overriding them) More about Lise: Find Lise’s work here:  Website: https://www.liseloensmann.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liseloensmannInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/liseloensmannhealing

Can you be someone who craves calm and stillness – and also yearns for adventure, newness, and the occasional leap into the unknown?In this episode, I’m joined by Ana Pashyanti – international speaker, mystic, and self-confessed explorer of the inner and outer realms – to unpack what it means to be both a highly sensitive person and a high sensation seeker. We explore how these two traits can coexist, why they sometimes pull us in different directions, and how Ana has learned to work with both in a way that feels expansive rather than exhausting. What we talk about in this episode: The unlikely pairing of sensitivity and sensation seekingLearning to trust your body’s yes – and noHow exploration (inner and outer) became Ana’s compassPractical ways to recharge, clear your energy and staygroundedBuilding a life that honours both your craving for stillnessand your hunger for more More about Ana:You can find Ana’s work and free resources at: Website: https://www.anapashyanti.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-pashyantiSubstack: https://anapashyanti.substack.comInsight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/anapashyantiYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnaPashyanti/videos

What happens when who you are gets eclipsed by who you’reexpected to be? In this episode, I speak with Jade Koroma – founder of Essential Woman – about the emotional shifts that come with motherhood, and the often-unseen work of remembering yourself beyond the role. Jade shares her journey from shy overthinker to communitybuilder, and how she came to see confidence not as something you have, but something you practise.  We talk about why identity loss can feel so disorienting, what it means to create space for yourself again, and how small acts of self-prioritisation can start to restore your sense of self – especially when you’re someone who feels deeply.What we talk about in this episode: Identity loss and rediscovery in early motherhoodWhy you don’t have to disappear to be a good mumGuilt, overwhelm and the emotional weight of trying to do it allWhat it means to create space for yourself on the list againBuilding connection and community when you feel most alone More about Jade:Website: https://www.mumessentials.co.ukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theessentialwomanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-koromaJade hosts beautifully curated in-person events for mumsacross the East Midlands – you can find all the latest info and upcoming dateson her website.

What if the very thing that makes life feel overwhelming...is also the thing that makes you a natural guide, leader or healer?In this episode, I chat with Willow McIntosh – founder ofIlluminance and creator of the High Sensory Method – to explore the shift frommanaging sensitivity to truly owning it.We talk about what it means to see your sensitivity as aform of intelligence and the confidence that can emerge when you stop hidingwho you are, and start aligning with what really matters to you. What we talk about in this episode:Why ‘sensitive’ might be the wrong word and what Willowsuggests insteadHow to start recognising your unique high sensory intelligenceThe shift from self-rejection to quiet confidencePractical ways to take ownership of your gifts – even whenit feels scaryWhy sensitive people are needed more than ever in leadership, business andbeyond More about Willow: Website: https://inluminance.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willowmcintoshFor HSPs thinking about becoming a coach, facilitator orhealer – check-out Willow’s free masterclass – this session helps you uncover the unique way you’re wired to support transformation and shape the work you’re here to do.