Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children TPP 468: Helping Empaths and Highly Sensitive Kids Thrive with Dr. Judith Orloff
Today we’re diving into the world of empaths and highly sensitive people—what it means to be one, what makes it complicated, and why it’s also such a gift. My guest, psychiatrist, author, and empath Dr. Judith Orloff, shares her own journey as a highly sensitive child and how it shaped her work as a psychiatrist. We talk about the science behind sensitivity, how to recognize a highly sensitive child, and why self-care and co-regulation are so critical for both parents and kids. Judith also touches on bullying, sensory overload, and the strategies empaths can use to thrive—and she introduces her beautiful new children’s book, The Highly Sensitive Rabbit, created to help kids understand and embrace their sensitivity.
About Judith Orloff, MD
Judith Orloff, MD, is a psychiatrist who serves on the UCLA Psychiatric Clinical Faculty and an empath. She is a New York Times bestselling author whose most recent books are The Genius of Empathy (2024) and The Empath’s Survival Guide (2017). Specializing in treating highly sensitive people in her private practice, she also offers Empathy Training Programs to organizations. She has spoken at the American Psychiatric Association, Google, Fortune’s Powerful Women’s Summit, and TEDx. She has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, PBS, and NPR. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, USA Today, Teen Vogue, and Scientific American.
Things you'll learn from this episode
- How Dr. Orloff blends traditional psychiatric expertise with her lived experience as an empath
- Why empaths and highly sensitive individuals often struggle with sensory overload and emotional stress from others
- How co-regulation between parents and children supports emotional health and resilience
- Why parents need to advocate for highly sensitive kids in schools, especially in the face of bullying
- How recognizing the gifts of empathy—like deep connection to nature and beauty—helps children embrace who they are
- Why self-empathy and intentional self-care practices are essential for empaths to thrive
Resources mentioned
- The Highly Sensitive Rabbit by Dr. Judith Orloff
- The Empath's Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People by Dr. Judith Orloff
- Thriving as an Empath by Dr. Judith Orloff
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