Strength in Sensitivity
EVIDENCE-BASED TOOLS AND TRAININGS FOR HIGHLY SENSITIVE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PARENTS, EDUCATORS AND CLINICIANS WHO SUPPORT THEM.
High sensitivity is a normal, heritable temperament trait, not a problem that needs to be fixed. When sensitivity is understood and supported, sensitive nervous systems can thrive. We translate research into practical, everyday strategies you can use at home, in classrooms, and in clinical settings - reducing stress, building confidence, and improving outcomes for sensitive kids and adults.
Why the Institute?
The Institute of High Sensitivity is more than an information hub - it’s a bridge between research and real life.
Founded by psychologists and researchers at the forefront of sensitivity science, we connect parents, professionals, and highly sensitive people with the most up-to-date knowledge, training, and community support.
While others focus on “fixing” sensitivity, we focus on understanding it as a natural, heritable, and evolutionarily conserved temperament trait found in humans and over 100 animal species.
We translate decades of research on differential susceptibility, sensory processing sensitivity, and temperament into practical tools for wellbeing, education, and relationships.
Our mission is to create a world where sensitivity is recognised as an essential part of human diversity and where sensitive people are empowered to flourish.
DID YOU KNOW? AROUND 30% OF CHILDREN & ADULTS ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE /
DID YOU KNOW? AROUND 30% OF CHILDREN & ADULTS ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE /
The Founders
AOIFE DURCAN
Dr. Aoife Durcan is a Chartered Senior Counselling Psychologist, supervisor-trainer, and specialist on high sensitivity in children, teenagers, and adults. She has dedicated her career to supporting individuals and families to navigate the deep feelings, empathy, and emotional intensity that come with sensitivity, helping them harness its unique strengths.
Aoife works with children, adolescents, and adults in both clinical and educational settings. She is Clinical Lead for a psychology group within a mental health hospital, where she works as part of a wider multidisciplinary team supporting people through complex emotional and psychological challenges. She also provides training to medical and psychology practitioners internationally.
Author of Your Highly Sensitive Child (Gill Books), Aoife combines her clinical expertise with lived insight as a highly sensitive person herself. She is known for her warm, family-centred approach and is a sought-after international speaker on sensitivity, parenting, and mental health, frequently appearing in the media.
RACHEL SAMSON
Rachel Samson, M.Psych (Clin), is an Australian clinical psychologist, author, lecturer, and speaker known for relationships and parenting expertise. With 15 years’ clinical experience, she supports highly sensitive children, adults, and families, and shares evidence-based guidance as @australianpsychologist.
Her practice is neurodiversity-affirming, developmental, and relationship-focused, applying attachment and temperament science. She trained in attachment assessment with Alan Sroufe and Elizabeth Carlson (Minnesota), in maternal sensitivity with Marian Bakermans-Kranenburg (Cambridge), and in the NDC “Possums” approach to infant sleep and cry-fuss.
Rachel holds advanced international certification in Schema Therapy (trainer-supervisor; ISST) and co-developed an expanded Schema Therapy model for highly sensitive people with Dr Jeffrey Young and Dr George Lockwood. She is co-author of Beyond Difficult with Dr Jessie Stern (Affirm Press/Simon & Schuster).
Beyond Difficult
Beyond Difficult is the ultimate guide to understanding the 'difficult' people in your life, from expert local psychologist Dr Rachel Samson (140k+ Insta) and US-based attachment expert and co-author, Dr Jessica Stern.
Do you sometimes dread work because you don't want to face more drama with your co-worker? Have you spent significant time and money on therapy trying to work on painful romantic….cont here
Your Highly
Sensitive Child
Highly sensitive, spirited, empathic, shy, strong willed… these are often descriptions of children who simply feel the world on a deeper level.
As a parent of one of these wonderful children it can be difficult to know how to respond to their emotions. You know that traditional parenting doesn’t work for your child, but you’re worried that if you use a different approach your child won’t learn how to survive in the ‘real world’……….cont here
“The future of mental health and education includes sensitivity-affirming practice.”
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WITH THE RIGHT SUPPORT SENSITIVITY IS A STRENGTH
If you are a health professional or educator, you probably want to know how to best support the sensitive individuals you support to unlock their potential and thrive. Learn more about our working with a highly sensitive client below:
UNDERSTANDING SENSITIVITY CHANGES LIVES - IN CLINCS, CLASSROOMS AND COMMUNITIES / UNDERSTANDING SENSITIVITY CHANGES LIVES - IN CLINCS, CLASSROOMS AND COMMUNITIES /
UNDERSTANDING SENSITIVITY CHANGES LIVES - IN CLINCS, CLASSROOMS AND COMMUNITIES / UNDERSTANDING SENSITIVITY CHANGES LIVES - IN CLINCS, CLASSROOMS AND COMMUNITIES /
Services
We offer evidence-based workshops and training for parents, educators, and clinicians - turning attachment and temperament science into everyday practice.
WORKING WITH THE HIGHlY SENSITIVE CLIENT
An evidence-based introduction to working with highly sensitive clients (SPS) for psychologists and therapists. Learn to identify sensitivity, tailor pacing / language / environment, and use co-regulation to reduce overwhelm, build trust, and improve outcomes.
HIGHLY SENSITIVE CHILD PROGRAM
Raising a highly sensitive child can feel like a gift and a challenge. We built this program to turn science into everyday tools: how to handle worries and meltdowns, keep your relationship strong while holding boundaries, and help your child feel safe, capable, and kinder to themselves after setbacks. Watch at your pace and join live sessions with us when you need extra support.
NAVIGATING DIVERSITY AND DIFFERENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
In high-pressure environments, relational strain doesn’t just impact morale -it impacts performance, collaboration, and wellbeing.
This workshop helps teams recognise when conflict stems from personality patterns, communication mismatches, or neurotype differences- and provides tools to bridge those gaps with skillfulness, clarity, and respect.
BEYOND THE FOURTH TRIMESTER: THE SCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY OF EARLY PARENTHOOD
A groundbreaking course for parents and professionals who want to nurture both the baby’s biology and the parent’s mental health in the first months after birth.
Beyond the Fourth Trimester brings together science and compassion to support both baby and parent through the early months of growth and adaptation.
Beyond the Fourth Trimester: The Science and Psychology of Early Parenthood
A GROUNDBREAKING COURSE FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS WHO WANT TO NURTURE BOTH THE BABY’S BIOLOGY AND THE PARENT’S MENTAL HEALTH IN THE FIRST MONTHS AFTER BIRTH.
The months following birth are a time of profound neurological, emotional, and relational transformation — not just for your baby, but for you. Yet, our culture rarely names or supports this extended period of adjustment, leaving parents anxious, depleted, and unsure what’s “normal.”
Beyond the Fourth Trimester brings together science and compassion to support both baby and parent through the early months of growth and adaptation.
