06/09/2026
For a long time, I interpreted these as overreactions, anxiety, trauma, stress responses, personality traits, etc.
One day, my couple's therapist asked where I tend to have the most conflict with my husband. Immediately, I said, "my kitchen."
She asked me to describe my kitchen and I said, "it's cold, bright, and there's nothing soft."
It was here I realized that my internal nervous system (interoception) was not the only thing feeling overwhelmed. My sensory system (exteroception) perceives the world at a heightened intensity and those external, sensory factors play a huge role on my nervous system.
Sensory processing disorder is like a thin filter. You absorb the world around you at a heightened or lessened intensity than others. This can impact emotional regulation, cognitive functioning, physical and psychological comfort, tolerance, and processing.
Many people spend years adapting to these experiences before they have language or understanding for them (take it from me, a therapist, with a mother who is a therapist, and a human who has been in therapy since I was 14 years old, we don't always think about this playing a role).
As therapists and supervisees, the better we understand our own nervous systems, the more awareness, attunement, and compassion we can bring into the therapy room.
The better we are able to show up in the way that people need us to, for our clients, self, and the world.
If these are the kinds of conversations that interest you, follow along.
