Heal with Grace

105. BEST OF 2025: Episode 84. Navigating a Higher Needs Nervous System with Christie Uipi

• Grace Secker • Season 1 • Episode 105

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It's no surprise this is the most played and most downloaded episode of 2025. In this Best of 2025 replay, Grace sits down with Christie Uipi, LCSW—psychotherapist and co-creator of Pain Reprocessing Therapy—to explore what it really means to have a sensitive or "higher needs" nervous system.

Both Grace and Christie share personal and professional experiences navigating this terrain: the dozens of symptoms, the endless specialists, and the eventual relief of realizing it all stems from one place. They dig into the nuance of what to embrace about your sensitivity versus what might be worth gently challenging—and how to tell the difference between honoring a boundary and letting fear run the show.

This conversation covers the snowball effect of avoidance, why comparing yourself to people who "just hop out of bed" isn't helpful, and why the goal isn't to eliminate sensitivity—it's to access more joy. If you've ever felt like your nervous system asks for more than everyone else's, this one's for you.

In this episode:

  • What it means to have a higher needs nervous system
  • Container vs. limitation: knowing what to accept and what to challenge
  • How avoidance becomes contagious—and how to interrupt it
  • Letting go of exceptionalism and embracing balance
  • Why healing isn't about going back to who you were

Connect with Christie: Website: bettermindcenter.com Instagram: @better.with.christy

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