What is an Empath?

An empath is a highly sensitive individual, and as the name suggests, empaths have a huge amount of empathy for others. But it’s not just empathy that sets us apart from the rest!

We pick up on energies from people all around us, even strangers, and we take on all of these emotions, on top of our own which can be very draining. In particular there are energy vampires which we must try to avoid where possible.

We can even feel emotion from actors in TV programs and movies! Perhaps it's their great acting skills, but I can only assume we pick up on their body language and facial expressions, allowing us to really be 'in the moment'.... not forgetting those adverts that tug on our heart strings! (we're an advertisers dream!)

Trust me, when one of those animal rescue adverts comes on the TV, I'm balling like a baby!


Empaths United


One thing in particular that you have probably heard time and time again, is how ‘over sensitive’ you are, and hearing this repeatedly leads you to believe that this is a negative trait, and because we care so much about how we make others feel, it can become overwhelming.

We also find it very uncomfortable in social situations, (see my page on Social Anxiety), which can result in us backing out of plans, and appearing to be antisocial, which in turn can lead to us becoming very lonely and depressed.

Empaths face many challenges in their lives, and until now, I thought there was something wrong with me.

It wasn't until I fell upon the term empath that things began to change for me, and I am so glad that you found my website, because I really want you to know that being an empath doesn't have to feel like a burden anymore.

An empath has the ability to read a person’s true feelings, without them even having to speak........

Empath Quote 1


Sure, you may say that a lot of people have that ability, but the difference is, we actually feel what that person is feeling, and it’s our ‘knowing’ that makes us who we are.


Please click here to see the most common signs of an empath


The journey ahead.....

The day that changed everything for me, was the day that I decided to find others like me online in a desperate attempt not to feel so ‘different’ and alone.

For years I was trying to work out why I felt so different from everyone else. One of my biggest struggles was always feeling anxious in social situations..., and my anxiety was steadily becoming worse over time, and I wondered if there was a medical reason for the way I was feeling.

Not just that, but I seemed to be a magnet to people that just wanted to use me, and I always wondered 'why me?'

I was secretly hoping to find a medical diagnosis so that I could put a label on this, and then if ever I felt the need to explain to people why I couldn’t attend a social function, or a public gathering, I could say “hey, my Social Anxiety Disorder is really bad today” and that would get me a free pass!

The question you have to ask yourself is, Do I suffer with Social Anxiety Disorder, or could I be an empath? 

Please click here to see more on Social Anxiety Disorder


Social Anxiety


So, thinking that I did actually have some sort of social disorder, I began to search online about it and do a bit more research, and THIS is when I happened to come across the word ‘Empath’.

It had come up a few times in the search engines, so I began to delve a little deeper, and I quickly came across the most common signs of an empath. 

On scanning through these common signs, I couldn’t believe it. As I found myself saying out loud ‘yes!’ to the first couple of traits, I eagerly read on, and as I read the final trait, my heart was pounding as I realised I actually could relate to every single trait. I thought, could this be real?

Was I truly an empath?


Empath Sue


I can’t even begin to describe what I felt when now I knew that there were other people out there like me. For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel alone. 

Just a simple thing like discovering a word, a ‘diagnosis’ if you like, to explain what I am, was an amazing feeling. I wanted to shout it out to everyone I knew, that I finally know why I am the way I am!


empath Shout Out

Did you know?.....

Being an empath is very rare!

It is commonly reported that empaths account for about one to two percent of the world's population!

Though we don’t know this for sure, since there’s almost no research done on empaths specifically. This estimate comes from a study that looked at people with something called Mirror-Touch Synesthesia, where someone is able to physically feel the feelings of others.... the closest thing we have to a measurable empath quality.


That means, that as of 2025 there are around 80 -120 million empaths out there in the world!


empath population


The strange this is.... I have never met another empath! And how many of those people are actually aware that they are an empath?


Empaths are rare!




Actually, although I say I haven't met another empath, I am wondering if my youngest daughter is showing signs of being an empath.

Emma is 12 years old, and she is so sensitive (there's that word again!) and she is extremely thoughtful and considerate of other people's feelings.

If she hears me sigh in the next room (as I often do when I see the pile of washing up that has just materialised), she will shout "mum, are you ok?" bless her! Even if I cough she'll ask me if I'm alright.

She is also so good with all animals, and absolutely adores them! The way she is with our dogs is wonderful to watch.

She also struggles to maintain friendships.

I know she is only young, but you'll find that a lot of kids her age have already formed little cliques, and she often comes to me upset about friend's suddenly rejecting her or abandoning her, and it breaks my heart.

This is another reason that I wanted to create this website, knowing that when she's a bit older, she can come here and read about it, and know that she isn't alone.

Hopefully having her mum as an empath will help her navigate through life, and see things more positively as she faces challenges.


This also leads me to wonder if genetics have anything to do with being an empath 🤔


Empaths are amazing!


We are born with this amazing ability to have the upmost empathy for others, but then I realised that most people, having never heard of the word, would find it strange, maybe even attention seeking, that I have to place a label on what I am, especially when they probably don’t, and can’t understand what it is to be an empath. 

Surely I am just an overly sensitive person, who happens to be empathetic? Well actually, yes I am those things, but with a difference. I don’t just ‘have’ empathy, I feel everything!!  


I'm not blind.... I notice everything!


I notice.....

  • When people treat me differently.
  • When others tell lies, thinking I’d be too dumb to realise.
  • When I’m not part of the plan.
  • When people act weird towards me.
  • When I’m just an option.
  • When I’m being used for someone else’s gain.
  • When kindness has another meaning.
  • When people connive.

So don’t mistake my silence for naivety.

I’m too keen for that.

I’m not blind, I notice everything!


Empath Aware


Empaths face many difficult challenges in their lives, as most people do at some point, but click here to see my page on why being an empath can be particularly hard.


I would be really grateful if you could fill out this very short survey so that I can see where the majority of us empaths are from, the age range, and gender, and I will post the results shortly.

Can't wait to see the results!

Thank you




This is the most inspirational piece of writing I have come across!....


Recently I came across a paragraph by the novelist and poet, George Orwell, and I couldn't believe how much this resonated with me. It's as if he is writing about the empath! 

I really wanted to share this with you too in the hope that you know you are not alone out there!


Empath hug


" The most terrible loneliness is not the kind that comes from being alone, but the kind that comes from being misunderstood; the loneliness of standing in a crowded room, surrounded by people who do not see you, who do not hear you, who do not know the true essence of who you are.

And in that loneliness, you feel as though you are fading, disappearing into the background, until you are nothing more than a ghost, a shadow of your former self.

It’s that soul-deep ache of being surrounded by people, friends, family, colleagues, yet feeling completely invisible. You may smile, nod, and go through the motions, but inside, you feel a sense of isolation that words can’t fully capture.

You feel as though no one truly gets you, as if the truest parts of you are hidden, left unrecognised, while the world only acknowledges the version of you that fits in.

This kind of loneliness hits hard because it isn’t about the absence of people, it’s about the absence of connection. You crave to be seen for who you really are, to have someone understand your soul’s language, your quirks, your dreams, and the complexities of your heart. But when you’re misunderstood, it feels as if there’s an unbridgeable gap between your inner world and the outside one.

It’s like standing behind a glass wall, desperately hoping someone will look through and truly see you, only to realise they’re gazing right past you.

In that space of feeling unknown, you start to question yourself.

You wonder if you should change, if you should become what the world expects or desires, just to feel a hint of acceptance.

But even then, the loneliness doesn’t vanish, it only grows. Because the deeper tragedy is the slow fading of your own essence, the parts of you that you start to hide or let go of, simply to belong.

You become a shadow, a ghost of the vibrant self you once were, drifting silently, holding onto the hope that one day, someone might understand.

What makes this kind of loneliness so painful is that it’s not just the longing to be loved, it’s the longing to be known, and loved for being known. For someone to look at the parts of you that are messy, complicated, and even broken, and to say, “I see you. I understand. And I’m here.” It’s the yearning for someone to hear your heart’s quietest whispers and to feel the depths of your soul without judgment or expectation.

Yet, even in that terrible loneliness, there’s a quiet strength. There’s a resilience in holding onto your essence, even when it feels invisible. There’s courage in keeping your light alive, in refusing to let the world’s misunderstanding extinguish the fire within you.

You may feel unseen, but the truth is, your uniqueness, your complexity, is what makes you extraordinary. Somewhere, someone will value that. And until then, you can value that.

Sometimes, the journey through being misunderstood leads to a deeper understanding of yourself. It teaches you to embrace who you are, even if the world isn’t ready to.

It invites you to find peace in your own company, to nurture the parts of yourself that feel lonely and unacknowledged. And, in time, you may discover that the right connections, the ones that see you, hear you, and know you, come when you least expect them.

So, hold on. Keep your essence alive. Refuse to become a shadow, even if that means standing alone for a while.

Your true self deserves to be celebrated, and though the wait may feel long, the beauty of being fully known is worth every moment.

Your people, the ones who truly understand your soul are out there, and when they find you, the terrible loneliness will start to fade.

You’ll realise that your essence was never meant to be hidden. It was always meant to shine ".

-



This hit home hard for me, as I'm sure it has with you too. I know I have said this before, but please know...


You are unique, you are special, you are a truly beautiful soul, and you are what makes this world a better place!