This is an excellent book about all aspects of being an empath.

The author, a psychiatrist and herself an empath, compares empaths to Highly Sensitive People (HSPs). Some of their traits are “a low threshold for stimulation, the need for alone time, sensitivity to light, sound and smell, and an aversion to large groups”. She fails to mention, however, that these traits are also found on those on the autism spectrum.

She explains that empaths, as opposed to HSPs, absorb other people’s energies and have profound spiritual and intuitive experiences.

There are various types of empaths, physical empaths, emotional empaths, intuitive empaths, telepathic empaths and so on, and the author provides full descriptions of all these types.

Since I too am an empath, the book elucidates many things for me, including why I never have been able to stand, or participate in, small talk.

The book made me feel understood.

One patient told the author; “Only one-to-one contact with people is bearable.”

Judith gives us a shielding visualization for empaths, which only takes five minutes or so and helps us to block out toxic energy. By this means we can put ourselves in a safe bubble where we won’t be drained.
We need to ground and earth – again, a visualization is provided.

It is a blessing to be an empath. Our presence, our sweetness, our tender appreciation for people and all of life are gifts. We should appreciate ourselves, our openness and our ability to feel.

We are special and perfect.

Here is one of the author’s empath affirmations:

“I vow to honor my sensitivities and treat myself lovingly as I explore what it means to be an empath and embrace my gifts. I will appreciate myself every day.”

We are provided with valuable chapters about relationships, addictions, protection from narcissists and other energy vampires, parenting, work, etc etc.

I highly recommend that you read/purchase this book if you suspect you might be an empath, or know that you are. Five stars.

After reading this I am even further convienced that I am not sensitive. However, I had a better understanding of what an empath actually is. It is not NECESSARILY a bunch of tree-hugging-hippie crap, but some of it is, the idea that a black crystal held close to you will help you makes it so far out there that I really wanted to through out the baby with the bath water.

I hae had a number of relationships that have claimed to be empaths, including my wife. Based on Dr. Orioff's description I may well be an "energy vampire" making it even more struggling that I would be attracted to ladies like this. I know it is part of the whole opposites attract. I suspect that if Judith were our consular she would recommend we divorce. Luck for me my wife is even more committed to the sacrament of matrimony than I am.

This book is certainly aimed at the sensitive. But there is some value in the loved one of HSPs reading this as well. It isn't easy reading, it is hard not to just dismiss Orioff as a whack-job, but ya do what ya can. ( )

"Sensitive" here in the same sense as in Highly Sensitive People (HSPs), that is folks who are more sensitive than some to stimuli. HSPs (I am one) get overloaded easily in environments with harsh or excessive stimuli--so, crowds might bother them, or intense smells and sounds, or irritating fabrics and so on. According to Orloff, empaths are similar to HSPs (a person can be one but not the other, or both) but the sensitivity in the case of empaths is to do with picking up on other people's emotions and reacting to them, sometimes as if they were your own. If you find embarrassing scenes on TV excruciating or get anxious if you walk into a room where someone is angry or get choked up when an entire basketball stadium leaps to its feet in joy at a buzzer beater, you might be an empath.

Orloff explains what empaths are, offers some techniques for embracing and managing this sensitivity, and gives advice geared for general situations (how to thrive as an empathic parent, how to raise an empathic child, how to thrive at work as an empath, and so on). The worth of this book for me was two-fold: 1) the "it's you; it's real; it's okay" bit--it's always nice to get confirmation that you aren't imagining things and that you aren't alone and that there's nothing wrong with you--and 2) the exercises and meditations for embracing and managing empathic tendencies. She provides some meditations that I think will be really helpful. Some of Orloff's suggestions are a bit "new age" (do we still say that? crystals and premonitions and the like), and I don't personally find that sort of thing helpful. If you do, that aspect is here for you along with the rest. If you don't, but you want some help putting a barrier between other people's emotions and your own, there is definitely a core of non-crystalline advice here. ( )