What if the reason empathy hurts so much isn't because you feel too deeply—but because you haven't learned to work with what you're feeling?

In this deeply personal episode, Barbara shares her journey from experiencing empathy as a "double pain" to transforming it into her greatest professional asset. Growing up, understanding why someone hurt her only made the hurt worse—she'd feel her own pain and absorb theirs too, twisting herself into different shapes trying to be worthy of love on their terms.

But when she started her work as a social worker and therapist, something shifted. That same sensitivity that had wounded her in personal relationships became a profound tool for connection and healing.

The difference? Learning to treat emotional responses as data rather than damage to her self-worth.

You'll discover:

• Why understanding someone's "why" used to break her twice—and how that changed
• The critical distinction between being triggered and being attacked
• How to maintain deep empathy while setting protective boundaries
• When understanding someone's pain obligates you to nothing
• Practical tools for reading emotional data without absorbing it as your own

This is for empaths, highly sensitive people, therapists, and anyone who's ever made someone else's reaction mean something about their worth. Because your sensitivity isn't a flaw—it's a sophisticated data collection system that just needs to be calibrated differently.

Perfect for people-pleasers learning to set boundaries, helping professionals navigating their own healing, and anyone tired of feeling everything twice.

Brief mentions of past relationship pain and emotional processing

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New episodes drop every Wednesday morning—perfect for your commute, morning walk, or cozy evening wind-down.

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• Email: hello@mentalnesting.com
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Want to work together? I offer gentle, between-session support for therapy graduates and sensitive adults. Learn more about 1:1 coaching and community offerings at mentalnesting.com

Remember: Messy healing is still healing. You don't have to be done to be enough.

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