Wander and Delve: A Journal for Bright, Creative, Highly Sensitive People Forging Their Way

By Lori L. Cangilla, Ph.D.

Are you sensitive, bright, creative—but struggling? Does it seem like you're either too much (too sensitive, too thoughtful, too "out there") or not enough (not conventional enough, not able to go along to get along)? Is it hard to accept who you are because you just don't seem to fit?

 

Wander and Delve: A Journal for Bright, Creative, Highly Sensitive People Forging Their Way is your guide to charting a course through the wilderness of your mind and heart, so that you can face the world and reach your goals.

 

As a specialist in working with gifted, creative, and highly sensitive people (HSPs), Dr. Lori L. Cangilla has developed the Singularly Sensitive approach to help people:

• Understand what it means to carry these labels and decide for oneself how to make choices that reflect those personality traits;
• Experiment with making small, manageable changes that reflect one's true self;
• Build a Singularly Sensitive lifestyle that helps people thrive.

Wander and Delve incorporates dozens of SensiStories, which are metaphors, analogies, therapeutic tales, and other linguistic outpourings that help you take a fresh look at yourself.

 

The SensiStories invite you to choose CHAOS, making commitments to:

• Change,
• Hope,
• Authenticity,
• Overcoming obstacles, and
• Self-Compassion.

Journaling about the elements of CHAOS will help you find the confidence and competence to shine in your own Singularly Sensitive way.

 

 

Praise for Wander and Delve:

 

 

"As you meander through the metaphors and stories in Wander and Delve, you'll feel deeply seen and inspired to embrace your highly sensitive self in all its complexity.  Breathe a sigh of relief as you realize you're actually not too much and bring incredible value to the world.  More than a journal, Lori has created a thought provoking guide and framework to find your way back to hope and wholeness as an HSP.  Truly one-of-a-kind!"  

 

-April Snow, LMFT, licensed psychotherapist and author of Find Your Strength: A Workbook for the Highly Sensitive Person

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Singularly Sensitive Press
• Release date: Apr 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988025306

Lori L. Cangilla, Ph.D.

Lori L. Cangilla, Ph.D., is a Pennsylvania licensed psychologist, consultant, and author who specializes in working with highly sensitive women and highly sensitive therapists. She is passionate about empowering HSPs and the clinicians who work with them to embrace the beauty of sensitivity while maintaining a realistic look at the implications that sensory processing sensitivity has for individuals. Within her private practice, Lori created the Singularly Sensitive approach to provide customized therapy and self-help to bright, creative, sensitive souls who struggle to have all parts of their personality validated and honored in therapy and self-improvement contexts. She incorporates creative, holistic, mindful approaches into her work, with a particular focus on journaling and narrative therapy. Clients develop individualized, nuanced paths to address worry and fears, creative blocks, performance anxiety, imposter syndrome, and the issues that stop them from leading rich, meaningful lives. As an advocate for HSPs and a proponent of journaling for wellness, Lori has been widely interviewed and featured in Highly Sensitive Refuge, HSP Journey, Empath Mama, VeryWell Mind, Popsugar, Bustle, Healthline, Shape, and more. Lori earned her M.S. in Community Counseling and her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Gannon University, Erie, PA. She is recognized as a highly sensitive person-knowledgeable therapist on Dr. Elaine Aron’s website, HSPerson.com. Lori also has extensive training in clinical hypnosis and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis and the Greater Philadelphia Society of Clinical Hypnosis. She is also a member of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association, Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), and the International Association for Journal Writing. To learn more about how to create your own Singularly Sensitive life as a bright, creative, highly sensitive person, visit www.SingularlySensitive.com.

Book preview

The content of this publication is not to be considered medical advice for any reason, and nothing herein is intended to provide or act as a substitute for mental health treatment. You as the reader understand and agree that while Lori L. Cangilla, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and has been trained and educated to provide therapy, evaluation, assessment, and consultation, this publication is for educational purposes only, and the content herein is for general information purposes. Use of this publication does not make you the patient or client of Lori L. Cangilla, and no therapist-patient/client relationship is being formed. The information contained in this publication is not intended to be a substitute for personalized medical advice, therapy, and/or counseling, nor is anything contained herein designed to provide you with a medical diagnosis, treatment, or other medical or psychological services.

By using this publication you understand and agree that this publication is not providing any medical advice, is not providing any counseling or therapy services, is not a substitute to you seeking personalized therapy for yourself or someone else, nor is it attempting to diagnose or treat any mental or physical medical conditions. We encourage you to consult your physician and/or a licensed therapist if you suspect you may benefit from such services. We will assume that all individuals choosing to consume or implement any information found in this publication will have previously obtained clearance and permission from their applicable personal medical physician or therapist, and have concluded that this information may be useful or right for them. Nothing contained in this publication is intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any medical or psychological condition or disease, nor is it to be considered medical or psychological advice in any capacity.

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Mental Health Resources

If you are in crisis, dealing with trauma, or in imminent danger, or if someone you know is, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, 24/7 assistance; call 911 or your local emergency services number; or go to the nearest emergency room.

For referrals to professionals who specialize in supporting highly sensitive people, please visit: https://hsperson.com/therapists/. For referrals to professionals who specialize in supporting gifted, creative, neurodivergent, and highly sensitive people, please visit: https://www.superwellcollective.com/provider-directory.

Dedicated to sensitive souls everywhere:

May you know your worth.

May you boldly chart your course.

May you change the world.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My utmost gratitude goes to my husband, Dan, who has been supporting and believing in my writing since before my dissertation, and whose love and dedication have made this book possible. To Dan and our son, thank you for giving me the space and the time I needed to create, for brainstorming and sharing your opinions, and for always making me laugh. This book would not have been possible without your love and support.

To my friends and family, I’m honored to have your support and love in all I do. My profound appreciation to my friend and colleague, Dr. Rebecca Taylor, for the ways you have tirelessly nurtured the earliest seeds of my specialty in working with highly sensitive people and endless iterations of this book. You are a gift to me and a shining example of the best of the psychological community.

I am deeply grateful to