Are you a smart high achiever who struggles with anxiety or depression? Do people say you're too sensitive? Do noisy crowds, conflicts and brash people irritate you? Discover profound insights from this #1 bestselling author to help you heal and flourish. Does your heart ache when loved ones won't emotionally connect with you? Do you struggle with self-judgment when you're less than perfect? Do you need to recuperate from stress in the privacy of your inner sanctuary? Is personal spiritual development important to you? If you struggle with a highly sensitive personality, this memoir and collection of stories will help you stop suffering. Benita A. Esposito is a Licensed Professional Counselor with four decades of professional experience, and she is a highly sensitive introvert. Even smart high-achieving people have certain themes on their Hero's Journey to the Authentic Self, and these were hers. Why did relationships deteriorate into emotional distance? What unconsciously caused her to end up living in an emotionally abusive relationship? What was her need for self actualization about? Anguish motivated Esposito to find the most effective emotional healing techniques so she could lead a high-quality life. Attachment theory suggested that she dive deeper into healing childhood wounds. When Esposito squelched the search for romance, core transformation began. She summoned the courage to ferret out her deepest fears, cultivate self-compassion and develop deeper intimacy with God. The result? An agonizing Dark Night of the Soul. Some would have diagnosed her with depression, but it wasn't that. God was stripping away narrow-minded notions of love and wooing her into the most exquisite sacred love affair. As she spiritually matured, she emerged wet-winged from the cocoon, ready to fly. The empty feelings inside vanished. As she learned how to manage the challenges of being a highly sensitive person, calmness replaced the old familiar anxiety. She discovered that she was a gifted intuitive empath. The Gifted Highly Sensitive Introvert: Wisdom for Emotional Healing and Expressing Your Radiant Authentic Self will help you feel loved and empowered regardless of your external circumstances. This memoir and collection of stories will appeal to Christians and all others who share a grace-filled theology. Be sure to read the foreword by Father Nigel Mumford. He's one of the most delightful Episcopalian priests you'll ever meet. Parents who want to avoid hurting th