The Sensitive Professionals Podcast

What if the very thing that makes life feel overwhelming...is also the thing that makes you a natural guide, leader or healer?

In this episode, I chat with Willow McIntosh – founder ofIlluminance and creator of the High Sensory Method – to explore the shift frommanaging sensitivity to truly owning it.

We talk about what it means to see your sensitivity as aform of intelligence and the confidence that can emerge when you stop hidingwho you are, and start aligning with what really matters to you.

What we talk about in this episode:

• Why ‘sensitive’ might be the wrong word and what Willowsuggests instead

• How to start recognising your unique high sensory intelligence

• The shift from self-rejection to quiet confidence

• Practical ways to take ownership of your gifts – even whenit feels scary

• Why sensitive people are needed more than ever in leadership, business andbeyond

More about Willow:

• Website: https://inluminance.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willowmcintosh

For HSPs thinking about becoming a coach, facilitator orhealer – check-out Willow’s free masterclass – this session helps you uncover the unique way you’re wired to support transformation and shape the work you’re here to do.

What happens when a deeply sensitive child grows up in aworld that doesn't know how to meet their emotional depth?

In this episode, I’m joined by therapist Kerstin Seehawer to explore how our early relationships – especially with parents or caregivers – can shape the way we relate to our emotions, our needs, and ourselves.

We talk about the quiet strategies sensitive children oftendevelop to feel safe, and how those patterns can linger long into adulthood.

It’s a personal conversation, and one that might help youunderstand parts of yourself you’ve carried for a long time.

What we talk about in this episode:

• How childhood coping strategies show up in adult life
• The impact of emotional mismatch between parents andsensitive children
• Why some people feel ‘too much’ and others, nothing at all
• What healing can look like when we start tuning back in
• How nervous system work helps build safety and connectionfrom the inside out

More about Kerstin:

You can learn more about Kerstin’s work on her website:

Website: https://www.kseehawer.com

What if energy wasn’t just about how much sleep you got or whether you’ve eaten enough? What if the real drain on your energy was coming from somewhere else entirely – like the emotional weight you carry, the pressure to perform, or the quiet noise of overthinking that never switches off?

In this episode, I chat with Sadia Ghazanfar – coach, speaker, and founder of Slay Your Dragons – to explore what energy really means for sensitive people. We talk about how it drains, how to restore it, and why trying to ‘get it right’ often misses the point.

Sadia works with mid-career women to help them quiet their inner critic and lead with courage, especially in spaces that weren’t built for them. Her approach blends lived experience with grounded tools, helping people lead without burning out or leaving parts of themselves at the door.

What we talk about in this episode:

• How deep processing impacts energy for sensitive people
• Practical ways to spot energy leaks and recalibrate
• Why self-care isn’t about doing more (and how it links to perfectionism)
• The pressure to optimise and how to opt out
• Reclaiming joy, rest, and your own pace of life

More about Sadia:

You can learn more about Sadia’s work on her website and LinkedIn:

·     Website: https://www.slay-your-dragons.com

·     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadia-ghazanfar

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you feel drawn to make a difference – whether in grand, world-changing ways, or in everyday choices and work that matters to you? And how do you hold that desire without it consuming you?

In this episode, I sit down with Laura Hartley – leadership coach, climate activist, and founder of the Scintilla Centre – to talk about change-making, sensitivity, and the space between how the world is and how it could be. We explore what it means to act from a place of emotional honesty, why joy and pleasure are essential parts of sustainable activism, and how sensitive people can find their unique edge in the work of remaking the world.

Laura’s work brings together systems thinking and inner work to help change-makers find their voice, connect with their values, and navigate complexity with courage.

What we talk about in this episode:

• Why sensitivity and the desire to make a difference are so often linked
• The cultural conditioning around "toughness" and why it needs rethinking
• Finding a sustainable approach to activism that doesn’t lead to burnout
• The power of resourcing, community, and joy in long-term change-making
• How sensitive people can work with vulnerability instead of against it

More about Laura:

You can learn more about Laura’s work at the Scintilla Centre and follow her updates on LinkedIn:

·     Website: https://scintillacentre.com

·     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-hartley-

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when your empathy goes beyond compassion and you start absorbing everything around you?

In this episode, I’m joined by transformational coach Emma Whittard for a conversation about what it’s like to be a deep empath. We talk about the energetic load that comes from sensing more than most, and the very real need for emotional boundaries and energetic care when you’re built this way.

Emma shares her own path from corporate leader to coach, how she discovered her empathic nature, and the tools that help her stay grounded, energised, and open in her work with clients.

What we talk about in this episode:

• What it actually means to be an empath and how it differs from high empathy
• The energetic toll of emotional absorption
• How to protect and cleanse your emotional energy
• Why discomfort isn’t a problem and what our “negative” emotions are really here for
• How sensitivity becomes a superpower (with the right support)

More about Emma:

You can explore more of Emma’s work here:

•           Website: https://www.emmawhittard.com

•           LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmawhittard

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if creative practice could support the kind of care that doesn’t just sustain us but connects us?

This week I’m joined by Erin Fairchild – founder of Collective Action Consulting and Journal as an Altar – for a chat about what it means to make space for feeling, connection and care through creative practice.

We explore how journaling and art-making can support our nervous systems, untangle us from perfectionism, and open up pathways to community and collective action – especially for sensitive people who feel things deeply.

Erin brings more than 25 years of experience working in trauma-informed care, violence prevention and systems change. Her work blends practical expertise with deep creativity, helping people meet the world (and themselves) with care.

What we talk about in this episode:

• Why journaling doesn’t need to be productive to be powerful
• The common blocks (perfectionism, pressure, performance) and how to soften them
• Junk journaling as an accessible, collective creative practice
• Creative practice as nervous system regulation
• How care – for self, others and the world – can all show up on the page

More about Erin:

You can explore more of Erin’s work and writing here:

• Website: https://www.journalasaltar.com
• Instagram: @journal.as.altar
• Substack: This Page is a Portal

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when your gift for noticing and helping quietly turns into a job no one asked you to do – and you can’t seem to stop?

In this episode, I’m joined by Andrea Reeves – founder of Type C Creative and writer behind the Substack Rebellious Systems – for a candid conversation about what it means to be the emotional caretaker at work.

We explore the cost of over-functioning, the tangled relationship between sensitivity and boundaries, and the quiet rebellion of saying “this isn’t sustainable – for me”.

Andrea brings her background in journalism, operations, and systems design together with her lived experience as a neurodivergent, sensitive professional. She helps creative entrepreneurs find more human, compassionate ways of working – starting with how they relate to themselves.

What we talk about in this episode:

• The emotional cost of being the “go-to” person at work
• How caretaking shows up for sensitive professionals and why it’s hard to step out of
• The body’s quiet cues: resentment, tension, and the jaw that won’t unclench
• Why setting boundaries often starts with nervous system regulation
• Tools and rituals that help – from emotional regulation menus to the legendary “Don’t Cry at Work” playlist

More about Andrea:

You can explore more of Andrea’s work and writing here:

• Website: https://www.typec-creative.com
• Substack: https://typeccreative.substack.com
• Andrea’s Emotional Regulation Toolkit

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Visibility can feel like a double-edged sword when you're sensitive. You want to be seen, not spotlighted. You want connection, not exposure.

But what if visibility wasn’t about putting on a show… and more about showing up with your whole self, gently and intentionally?

In this episode, I sit down with LinkedIn consultant Jen Corcoran to talk about the emotional reality of being seen, especially for those of us who feel deeply, think carefully, and tend to hang back. This isn’t a strategy chat about algorithms. It’s an honest look at how we find our own way into visibility – one that honours our nature rather than overriding it.

Jen is a multi-award-winning LinkedIn Consultant and Trainer, known for helping empathic women find their voice and show up online in a way that feels aligned, not icky.

What we talk about in this episode:

• What visibility really means (and why it doesn’t have to feel loud or performative)
• Practical ways to show up online that feel good for your nervous system
• Why values are a powerful anchor for connection and clarity
• The emotional energy of LinkedIn (and how to work with it gently)
• How sensitive people can use their depth as a networking superpower

More about Jen:

Explore Jen’s work and generous free resources:

• Website: https://mysuperconnector.co.uk
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-corcoran-mysuperconnector
• Free 63-point LinkedIn Profile Checklist – especially for female coaches, consultants and creatives (use code: LINKEDINPROFILE)

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your most accurate compass isn’t logic but a quiet inner knowing you keep dismissing?

In this episode, I sit down with spiritual mentor Jennifer Main to explore the subtle, often-overlooked ways sensitive people receive information. We talk about energy, intuition, boundaries (not protection), and how creating space in your life makes room for deeper truth to land.

Jennifer works with intuitive change-makers navigating life’s turning points. Her work blends ancient wisdom with modern healing – helping people remember who they are, and why they’re here.

What we talk about in this episode:

• The difference between protection and healthy boundaries
• Why sensitive people often block their own intuition
• Recognising your natural intuitive style (and trusting it)
• How to work with fear instead of avoiding it
• Creating space in your life to hear what’s true

More about Jennifer:

You can learn more about Jennifer’s work via her website and socials:

·     Website: https://www.withjennifer.com

·     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withjennifer44

·     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withjennifer44

·     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/withjennifer44

·     Book: The Space Between – a guide to setting boundaries rooted in love and clarity

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if the quiet, persistent sense of knowing you’ve been second-guessing... was right all along?

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Pritzl – certified Wayfinder coach and founder of Anomaly Coaching – for a warm and reflective conversation about tuning back into your intuition. We explore what it means to trust the gentle nudges, build a relationship with your inner knowing, and stop outsourcing your truth to everyone else.

Sarah works with high achievers who are ready to let go of the ‘shoulds’ and step into an expanded version of who they are – not by burning it all down, but by reconnecting with what they already know to be true.

What we talk about in this episode:

• What it really means to trust your intuition (and why it’s hard)
• The tension between what we should want and what we do want
• Why uncomfortable feelings are often valuable data, not danger
• Noticing the small nudges – how to follow your own energy breadcrumbs
• Building simple, sustainable practices to reconnect with yourself in daily life

More about Sarah:

You can learn more about Sarah’s work via her website and socials:

·     Website: https://www.anomalycoach.com

·     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anomaly_coaching

·     LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-pritzl

P.S. If you’re connecting on LinkedIn, she’d love a quick note mentioning the podcast!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Emotional Agility by Susan David
• The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck
• Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
• The Feelings Wheel (also known as the Emotion Wheel – various versions available online)
• Emotions Coaching Practitioner Training by In Good Company

© Teresa Beehan. Everything shared here is for information and reflection – not professional advice. Please use your judgement before taking action based on anything you hear. We accept no responsibility for any decisions made in connection with the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.