What is an Empath?

There is a rising recognition of those with empathic abilities. So much so, that it is becoming a popular term and form of identification. I feel it is time to add my voice to those of others and give you my perspective about empaths and how they interact with life and the world. 

An empath is someone who has the ability to identify the emotional state of others, without being told by that person what it is.

But, you might be thinking, “that means anyone can be an Empath!” 

Yes, exactly.

Every human brain has the capacity to measure and respond to the unseen energy and frequencies around them. Every emotion we experience can be measured as a frequency or wave-length, and it emanates from us and into our own personal energetic field.

Our brain then decides what to do with the information it has received from the world around it. We already know that, of the millions and billions of data our brain receives, only a tiny portion of it ever enters our conscious awareness. Our brain chooses what to do with the information and energy it experiences based on programs it already has in place. So, every person’s brain picks up on the energetic and emotional state of others – giving every human being on earth the CAPACITY to be an Empath.

Now, just because everyone has that capacity, doesn’t mean that the dial in their brain that accesses that information is in the “on” position. There are those who seem completely oblivious to the emotions of others, or seem to only access it on occasion. For the most part, those people who claim the term Empath are those whose awareness – or dial – of the emotions of others isn’t just on, but turned up to a higher level than the people around them.

For an Empath who has a higher sensitivity to the emotions of others, life can be very difficult. They can sense everything, and often the emotions of others can be so intense that an Empath doesn’t know how to separate their feelings from those outside of themselves. Their energy systems can become so overwhelmed that just being near other people can wipe them out.

Empathy is meant to be a gift, an ability to gain understanding about another person so that we can have meaningful connections. A skilled Empath can deduce the emotional state of the person they are trying to help, and then use that information to serve them. Many of the best councilors, coaches, teachers, healers, nurses, doctors, and those in any kind of service industry, have developed their Empathic skills.

This also means that those same people are looking for ways to protect themselves from the very real risk of “losing themselves” in the service of others. Skilled Empaths deeply love other people, and often sacrifices their sense of self and well-being. 

In an unconscious effort to relieve the suffering another person feel, an Empath can overshadow or even lose their personal, core identity by taking on the “name” of that person in need. Their Empathic ability makes them vulnerable to identity confusion, distortion, and even emptiness, at the very basic level of self.

This higher awareness will manifest itself through each person’s own Personal Connection Style, which is HOW their unconscious mind communicates with their conscious one.

There are three basic Connection Styles:

Vision-Oriented

- Connects Primarily through Seeing things... pictures, videos, etc.

Mind-Focused 

- Connects Primarily through Words... thoughts, sounds, reading, etc.

Heart-Centered

- Connects Primarily through Feelings... touch, emotions, etc.

This means that there are going to be 3 basic kinds of Empaths!

• The Vision-Oriented Empath
• The Mind-Focused Empath 
• The Heart-Centered Empath

Each person possesses the ability to access each of the three Personal Connection Styles, and usually operates from one as their primary, and then touches the other two afterwards. 

Please be aware that your Primary Connection Style isn’t the only one you use and you might jump between a few of these. Identifying where the brain communicates with you consistently will help you develop confidence when working with the emotions you sense from others. 

Many people who have a high level of compassion and many symptoms of being an Empath, may never actually FEEL the emotions of others. 

They will simply experience them on a completely different connection level than kinesthetic (feeling.)

Many Empaths consider their experiences both a blessing and a curse. 

I am here to help you learn how to embrace the gift while removing the curse. 

Empathy is a gift to all mankind, and learning to manage the gift will empower you as you learn how to turn the dial up and down and give your brain instructions on what to do with the emotions of others. 

You really CAN experience the emotions of others in a positive way that moves you to serve and be helpful, without the pain of carrying the burdens or losing a sense of who you are.