In the realm of mental and spiritual wellness, the journey can be uniquely profound for highly sensitive individuals. Janis E. McKinstry, a seasoned Psychospiritual Counselor specializing in the empowerment of highly sensitive people, has carved a niche for herself in guiding individuals through the intricate landscapes of their psyches. Armed with a wealth of experience and a compassionate understanding of the intricacies that come with heightened sensitivity, Janis has embraced the digital age, offering her transformative services through a HIPAA-compliant online platform. As the world recognizes the power of telehealth, Janis shares insights into her approach, providing a haven for sensitive souls seeking authentic empowerment in the virtual realm. Join Mystic Mag and learn more about Janis and her work!
Your approach involves both psychospiritual and authentic empowerment counseling. Can you elaborate on how these two elements intertwine in your practice, and what benefits clients experience from this integrated approach?
I have had mystical experiences, including a NDE, throughout my lifetime that have taught me to see that I am so much more than my physical self, thoughts, and environment. These experiences led me to many years of spiritual study, and a master of arts in transpersonal psychology blended with somatic psychology, which have taught me the value of awe and curiosity; who are my guides. I am very curious about what makes people believe what they believe and do what they do, often unconsciously. These unconscious beliefs are often programs taught early in life, or over long periods of time of conditioning, through our ancestors, or other lifetimes, so I gently help uncover them and learn from them.
Because I want my HSP clients to go deep into their own psyche I teach mindfulness and somatic awareness. I feel that the body is the vehicle of the soul and has limitless and sublime information for us when we pay attention. Slow and steady breathing calms the nervous system so they gently and spaciously feel their senses, thus able to really listen to what their own inner wisdom wants them to hear, and then to bring out of habitual unconsciousness into intentional consciousness. Our work together is sometimes like finding a treasure chest full of the unknown, and sorting it out while being with a guide to help hold the light and ask the right questions. I also bring in energetic somatic techniques to release traumas and calm their frazzled nervous systems so they are calm enough to become self aware and listen to their own inner wisdom, thus discovering they are more than what and who they’ve been told they are. In these ah ha moments they begin to reclaim their sense of self worth and value, and they begin to show up more and more authentically. Blending the psychospiritual discoveries to become self aware, self realized, and self actualized, while knowing you’re divine, feels empowering!
Conducting telehealth on a HIPAA-compliant online platform is a unique aspect of your practice. How do you ensure a safe and confidential space for your clients in the digital realm, and what opportunities or challenges have you encountered in providing psycho spiritual counseling through this medium?
I use two HIPAA compliant platforms. It is important for me that my clients feel secure during our sessions and that what they share with me will be held in confidentiality. I have heard of popular online meeting programs being hacked into so I’m doing my best to provide a safe online space for my clients through this extra step. Going online was a shift for my practice because I thought it would be very difficult to access the field of consciousness created in person, and it’s been great, as well as convenient and comfortable for both my clients and me. I work remotely and there may be the occasional technical issue, but we are able to adjust with ease. Being online also allows me to see clients who may not live near an office and can work with me in the comfort of their own home, a safe place, or even their car.
Working specifically with Highly Sensitive People is a distinctive focus of your practice. How do you tailor your counseling approach to empower and support individuals with heightened sensitivity? Are there specific challenges that Highly Sensitive People commonly face, and how do you address them?
Highly sensitive people tend to be empathic, highly intuitive, compassionate, highly observant, deep processors, kind, honest, gentle and act from integrity; all things that our world needs more of and that western society seemingly devalues. And, because we live in western society that puts weight and value on titles, material wealth, and status, seemingly at all costs, it’s hard to show up authentically when we’re surrounded by spiritual bypass, comparisons, shoulds, and false personas, and overwhelm is common. We’re called ‘too sensitive’, ‘wu wu’ and other derogatory names in attempts to shut us up and down, and over time this bears a weighty cost. HSPs are gaslighted and traumatized by society that tells them they shouldn’t be who they are. I believe we HSPs are born needing to be authentic, so being programmed to fit into an idea of what we’re supposed to be is unbearable.
I am a Highly Sensitive Person who has known many of the struggles that my clients experience. I’ve felt misunderstood most of my life, and I am on a mission to help other HSPs feel valued and empowered just as they are. Being highly sensitive is not a disorder, rather it is an innate trait that many of us have. According to Elaine Aron, HSPs are about 15 – 20% of the population, but I would bet we’re more like 20 – 30%. We’ve been told we’re too sensitive far too many times and it is time to empower ourselves with our own sensitivity. Our physical senses are heightened and we are the first ones to notice when things are off. We’re tuned into our environments and notice every little nuance. We’re also the ones who immediately feel the energy of the room, are very aware of subtleties, and have keen intuition. Our feelings are deeply affected by words, deeds, and experiences. HSPs are often taught to be ‘good’, ‘keep the peace’, ‘be nice’… and learn to override their own feelings, desires, and needs, so sadly, HSPs often override those highly tuned senses because of that earlier programming, and so may have experienced complex trauma in their childhood or relationships. HSPs may have a greater chance of being caught in a harmful relationship because we have a tendency to see the beautiful souls of people, their potential, and ignore their personalities. We give everyone the benefit of the doubt as we see their struggles, and our compassion and empathy may go into overdrive resulting in giving too much to the other and ignoring our own needs. We are also more prone to autoimmune diseases and cancer than the average person because of our heightened sensitivities, so knowing healthy boundaries and feeling empowered to love ourselves are very important. (I myself have been diagnosed with 7 autoimmune diseases and have reversed and healed them through my work.) Helping my clients feel confident in their own desires & needs is a major component of my work that may start out as simply as choosing what they want without influence from anyone else. I’ll also teach healthy boundaries that are clear, kind, and loving with appropriate consequences. Skills like knowing how to calm anxiety, ground oneself, create healthy boundaries, have healthy relationships, and know the divinity of yourself are priceless.
What type of services do you offer?
I am a natural born counselor trained in transpersonal & somatic counseling psychology, so I listen and observe carefully to what is underneath & behind what my client shares with me. I help my clients learn self affirming skills as I mentioned above, and I help them gain confidence to show up in full authenticity as the bright light that they are, with no apologies. I offer compassionate presence, breath work, mindfulness, somatic awareness, somatic release of trauma, grief counseling, empowerment counseling, guided meditations, therapeutic modalities, deep listening & counseling, life coaching, and whatever my intuition informs me to offer.
How do you guide clients in embracing and expressing their sensitivity in a way that feels empowering and true to their authentic selves?
Being witnessed with true unconditional regard is very healing, and something highly sensitive folks didn’t get enough of throughout their lives. I offer them my loving kindness and compassion as I witness and hold their sharing in high regard. I don’t try to change their feelings, and I encourage them to feel them deeply, being with them as if they were the child within so they can become the comfort they needed then and now. I view each of my clients as experts in their lives and feel honored to be trusted with their vulnerable feelings and experiences. I am sometimes drawn to reflect how I see them as divine beings, God’s favorite child, or other true and real sacred reflection. It is truly my honor to guide and work with each of my clients, and they feel this. When we are honestly seen, we feel seen and valued.
With telehealth becoming more prevalent, how do you measure success in your counseling practice? Are there specific markers or milestones that indicate progress and empowerment for your clients in the digital counseling space?
I measure success by the growth I see in my client’s lives. First is showing up with a willingness to explore their inner worlds, which takes courage and dedication. Next is regularly attending sessions even when they don’t want to, which shows that they’ve made their personal growth and well-being a priority in their life. And, being able to own their feelings, desires, and needs, feeling worthy and valid, and being able to express them with clarity knowing they’ll accept no less in every relationship they engage in indicates empowerment. When they are able to tune into themselves and reflect on how they feel in the moment, interpret and relate what these feelings mean to themselves, speak their truth without apology, and integrate these life lessons in their personal, relational, familial, and professional lives then I know we’ve been successful. When they share how they are living in their own authenticity, and are truly grateful for it, I know that I’ve been helpful, and that is success to me. When my clients embrace their own super powers as a highly sensitive person I know I’ve helped them embrace their gifts, accept all of their feelings, and fully love themselves, and that’s success!
Read more at https://www.janismckinstry.com/
