Page created 18 AUG 2008; last updated 11 MAY 2010
The Denver and Colorado Highly Sensitive Person Group
A social, support and peer group for HSPs living in the state of Colorado
Welcome to the Denver and Colorado HSP Group web site!

If you are reading these words, chances are that you're a fellow Highly Sensitive Person, or "HSP." Perhaps you're also trying to find out where the other HSPs in Colorado are hiding. If so, you've come to the right place!

For many HSPs, part of the journey to understanding and incorporating their sensitivity into daily life includes reaching out to other HSPs, to learn and to share experiences with other people who "get it." The Colorado HSP group was started in September 2003, with the purpose of helping highly sensitive people in our state find each other for mutual support and friendship.

Perhaps the term "Highly Sensitive Person" is quite new to you. Some people come to our web site because they were told (often for the 917th time) by a friend or family member: "Oh, you're just too sensitive!" and went in search of information on the Internet.

If you're not completely sure what is entailed in the term "Highly Sensitive Person," we invite you to have a look at our "What IS an HSP?" page, where you'll also find a link to a handy sensitivity self-test on Dr. Elaine Aron's web site. Aron wrote the book "The Highly Sensitive Person" in 1996, and has since written several other books about sensitivity.

A bit about our group, and what you'll find on this web site

This web site primarily serves as the "public" introduction to the Denver & Colorado online discussion group for HSPs. The group is part of the YahooGroups network, has moderated membership, and discussions are private to members only. That is, what we discuss in the group is hidden from the view of the "general public," so members can feel safe to discuss their sensitivity and how it affects their lives in a supportive environment of their peers. Our aim is to provide an "HSP comfort zone."

If you're an HSP and live in the state of Colorado, we'd like to invite you to join our group! To apply for membership, simply click on the purple button to the left. If you already have a Yahoo ID, you'll be able to apply immediately-- if not, you'll be asked to create a Yahoo ID before you can join the group-- it's quite easy and only takes a few minutes.

The remainder of the web site offers a little information about the HSP trait, some thoughts about the value of HSPs connecting with other HSPs and forming groups, a page about the periodic "HSP Gatherings," as well as a page with links to various information helpful for HSPs. The group also has a separate blog, which serves primarily as a "news service" where we post information about HSP-related events, group meetings and support groups in Colorado.
Fall aspens near Rocky Mountain National Park
Why on earth would an HSP want to be in a group?

That's a question we often get asked.  And with good reason-- a "group" probably seems like a counterintuitive idea if you're highly sensitive-- after all, many of us have negative experiences with groups, feeling like we just didn't belong, or perhaps we were made fun of for "being different."

However, an online discussion/support group offers an "HSP safe" starting point from which to explore and learn about the trait. Our "Why groups for HSPs?" page goes into more detail about the value of groups for HSPs.

Dr. Elaine Aron, author of "The Highly Sensitive Person" and several other books about high sensitivity, is a proponent of HSPs knowing each other and sharing experiences, as part of the process of becoming "whole" in the world.

After all, many highly sensitive people have life histories of feeling undervalued and marginalized by society and the people who surround them-- and nobody "gets" the HSP experience like a fellow HSP. I have personally attended several large scale "HSP Gatherings" and have experienced first-hand the value and validation that comes from connecting with others "like me."



View towards Pike's Peak