Dr. Judith Orloff’s The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People

If you are an empath, as twenty percent of the population is, you are not alone by any stretch of the imagination—even if you have felt that way for a long time. I am definitely an empath; my idea of hell is a super Walmart. In fact, I can’t even go into that store without needing a nap when I get home.

Judith Orloff’s newest book is a life-saving guide for those of us who live in this overly stimulating world as empaths. Not only that but she reaches out to the people in our world—friends, relatives,  partners—to help them help us function with power despite (or maybe even because of) our sensitivity.

What is the difference between having empathy and being an empath? “Having empathy means our heart goes out to another person in joy or pain,” says Dr. Judith Orloff. “But for empaths it goes much further. We actually feel others’ emotions, energy, and physical symptoms in our own bodies, without the usual defenses that most people have.” 

I loved Dr. Orloff’s idea that if we empaths don’t fit into this world, it’s because we’re here to create a better one. I wholeheartedly agree. The work that she has done to separate out types of empaths is hugely valuable. I took her assessment and am, for sure, a full-blown empath. By way of personal example, I’m an intuitive, telepathic empath. This is why going to a big store is so hard for me; I can sense in everyone I meet (unless I shut it down) what’s going on with them. It’s a total wipe-out.

The book is full of exercises, mantras, affirmations, and all sorts of helps for those of us who need to learn how to appreciate being empaths. There is also a companion audio program. This book is way more than a how-to-cope with living as an empath—it’s a primer and a bible for thriving as an empath.

Brava, Dr. Orloff. We’ve needed a book like this for a long, long time.