Authentic Relating & Empowerment for Highly Sensitive People

A comprehensive group program for learning how to thrive as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)

In this 8-week group program you will learn how to heal your relationship with yourself so you can feel empowered in your relationships with others. Through teaching you life changing skills and facilitating healing connections with like-hearted sensitive people, each workshop will bring you closer to becoming the confident person you deserve to be.

Before we get into the nitty gritty about the program, we want to talk about who this program is actually for…

You’re a sensitive person who has always felt a little different than most people. You have an urge to express yourself but are uncomfortable doing that due to previous rejection, so you sometimes feel the need to hide the true nature of who you really are.

Whether you’re…

Hiding aspects of yourself due to prior experiences of rejection, criticism, or judgement
Don’t understand how to accommodate or work with these highly sensitive aspects of yourself
Feeling socially overwhelmed and anxious
Struggling in your relationships
Can’t seem to kick that pesky habit of people pleasing
Feeling alone in the world without connection with other highly sensitive or empathic people

You’re in the right place and we want to tell you exactly how Authentic Relating & Empowerment (ARE) for HSP will give you the tools, inspiration and support to learn how to thrive as a HSP in a world that often tells you to be something that you’re not.

Maybe this is the time in your life when you unconditionally fall in love with yourself…

View the Program

By the end of this 8-week program you will:

Have a better understanding of your sensitive nature

Learn how to embrace and accommodate your sensitivity

Have a greater sense of safety and confidence to show up just as you are without hiding behind the masks you have created

Develop strategies to manage the anxiety that being highly sensitive can cause

Experience more vitality and aliveness as you establish meaningful connections with like-minded people

Develop interpersonal skills and new ways of relating to others in an authentic way

Learn how to become more self-expressive so you can get your needs met and live a more fulfilling and satisfying life

When you enroll for this 8 week program you’ll learn how to:

Embrace and value your sensitivity
Be vulnerable in a safe space with like minded people
Accommodate the impact of your sensitivity in everyday life
Address the challenges of being a HSP
Draw on the strengths of being a HSP
Get your needs met as a HSP
Honour your own boundaries
Let go of people pleasing habits
Let go of unhelpful coping habits
Develop emotion regulation skills that are essential for a HSP
Show up authentically so you can stop hiding
Let go of shame related to being sensitive and recognize and develop tolerance to your shame triggers
Show up more presently in your own life
Express yourself in a way that gives you more satisfaction in your roles and relationships
Handle rejection and let go of your fear of judgement
Self-affirm instead of seeking outside validation
Replace unhelpful coping habits with facing up to challenges with courage
Form healthy relationships that will meet your needs

Do you believe that life has singled you out, and in some ways has placed an unfair burden on your shoulders?

Instead of dealing with your feelings, you may have suppressed them in order to function and survive. You may feel that your sensitivity inhibits you from accessing life like you want to, or that you’re not able to live life on your own terms.

We are also highly sensitive people so we understand what you’re going through. We know what it’s like to disown aspects of ourselves. We know what it’s like to abandon ourselves for the approval of others. We know what it’s like to feel like we need to hide away from the world because our anxiety is out of control.

We want to offer you a way out. The same way out that we took to learn how to thrive as a HSP. We know you are capable of transforming the way you relate to yourself and the world around you. We know you can stop disowning aspects of yourself and embrace who you really are. We know how powerful it can be to connect with other people on this journey and we want to share this opportunity with you.

The ARE group program offers you a healing community where we all walk each other home to the truth of who we are. For many of us it will be the first time we feel as if we finally belong to a tribe of like-minded people.

This is the power of the ARE group program and we would love for you to join us on this powerful and transformative journey.

Watch Shameka’s HSP Testimonial

Sneak peek at what’s inside the program

8 weeks of interactive group training and coaching:

Week 1: Introduction to ARE

Creating a safe space and getting to know each other
Course overview and setting your goals
How to get the most out of the course
Understanding the nature of highly sensitive people

Week 2: Setting Context

Exploring the benefits and challenges of being a HSP
Unpacking the social conditioning we may have inherited
How to start to empower ourselves as HSP
Understanding the unique needs of the HSP

Week 3: Emotion Processing

Explore the difference between healthy and unhealthy emotion processing
Learn how to accommodate your sensitive nature through emotion processing
Understanding your emotions as messengers
Addressing unresolved emotional responses from the past by exploring the journey of emotional development

Week 4: Emotion Processing and Healing Trauma

How to care for this highly sensitive part of ourselves (self-care)
Addressing unhelpful coping behaviours (substance use, comfort eating, procrastination, codependency, dissociation and social withdrawal)
Moving towards an internal sense of safety and security
Understanding trauma and how to begin the healing process

Week 5: Integration Period

Integration is taking what we learned so far, making meaning of it, and applying it to our lives
We use this week to integrate all the information and experiences from the first 4 workshops
It is a time to slow down and rest

Week 6: Being Present

How to authentically connect to self and other through presence
How to become emotionally intelligent and resilient
Developing the observer self: the part of you that witnesses your experiences
Developing your intuition and curiosity in relation to other people’s feelings and behaviours
Learn how to hold space for other people to be authentic

Week 7: Listening Skills

How to give and receive emotional validation
Understanding differences in relating to highly sensitive and less sensitive people
How to actively listen and make people feel heard
How to slow down your pace of relating so it can meet your needs and the needs of others
The art of conflict transformation

Week 8: Self-Expression

Exploring barriers to self expression
Breaking the habits of people pleasing
How to communicate your needs and make decisions more effectively
Using vulnerability to enrich your relationships
Cultivating your sense of worthiness
How to set and maintain healthy boundaries

THE “ARE for HSP” Facilitators

You may be asking yourself “who are these people that will show me how to change my relationship with my highly sensitive nature?

We help HSP who feel they need to hide who they are and are struggling with low self-worth, learn how to overcome insecurity, loneliness and shame. We offer you a step-by-step process and a supportive community to go on a journey towards living a more authentic and empowered YOU!

Matt Landsiedel

Matt is a Counsellor & Facilitator from Calgary, Canada.

Matt specializes in working with highly sensitive people (HSP), empaths and gay men to develop a stronger sense of self-worth. His areas of expertise are teaching people how to heal toxic shame and attachment trauma and embody their authentic self so they can enjoy meaningful connections in their lives.

Matt is a Registered Professional Counsellor through the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association. He has spent the last 15 years working in the fields of Mental Health & Addiction Counselling and Intuitive Life and Spiritual Coaching where he guides people on their psychological and spiritual journey through life.

Matt has also studied Peruvian Shamanism through the Santa Tierras Earth Medicine Traditions and incorporates this healing modality into his own life and coaching/counselling practice.

Inspired to Be Authentic is a mission Matt has purposefully created. Through his creative content and coaching/counselling, he offers you inspiration to share more of your truth with the world. He does this by teaching you life changing skills and sharing energetic transmissions that inspire you to show up courageously in your own life by practicing vulnerability.

Matt’s vision for this world is for us all to live with more courage so we can share our authenticity and enjoy more meaningful connections in our lives.

In his spare time, you can find Matt traveling the world, writing, reading, hiking mountains, meditating and contemplating life, spending quality time with family and friends, learning the guitar, singing, photography, and spending time building conscious community and his private coaching/counselling practice.

Dr. Chris Horan

Chris is a warm and friendly clinical psychologist who sees adults who are experiencing a range of mental health, lifestyle and relationship difficulties, or difficulties adjusting to change. He specializes in addressing emotional difficulties such as depression, anxiety, shame, stress or burnout related to being a highly sensitive person.

Registered as a clinical psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia and Medicare, Chris holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Australian National University, in addition to Bachelors of Chemical Engineering and Commerce from Monash.

For his doctoral research, Chris designed, developed and evaluated resilience-training programs for the NSW Police Force. Through this research he developed a deep understanding of resilience. He especially enjoys using this expertise to support his clients to establish the foundations for a more fulfilling, productive, resilient and healthy life.

He grew up in a community in which his sensitivity was seen as a problem to get rid of instead of something to be understood and embraced. After a long term relationship breakup he awoke to the need to value this part of himself and he went on a journey of self-discovery drawing on his understanding of what makes people resilient.

In his spare time Chris can be found meditating, working out, in nature with friends hiking or at the beach, or walking the streets of Melbourne with his adorable puppy Yuko.

TESTIMONIALS

Taking the ARE course was a significant journey into my personal exploration of being an HSP.

In this course you will learn how to accept, comprehend, and thrive with this meaningful part of who you are.

In my opinion, the participants in the course will be a significant part of this experience. Why? You will know that you’re not alone. There are others like you who understand your journey and you will have the opportunity to interact with them. The course may seem daunting but be good to yourself.

Transformation is within your reach.

Miguel

I recommend the course to every highly sensitive person that I know.

One of my favorite things that we learned was emotion regulation. I think this is essential for all highly sensitive people to know how to regulate their emotions.

I can’t say enough good things about this course, I believe it is essential for every highly sensitive person to take this course. In order to not only learn more about yourself but also learn how to interact better with the people in your life and how to just live a more fulfilling life as a sensitive person.

Alissa

This course has not only been helpful for me but also for my nine-year-old son. He has had sensory issues since he was a baby. This course was a huge benefit to us both. Being able to understand myself has helped me understand him and his needs.

Doing this course was definitely out of my comfort zone. I was extremely nervous at first. It was really powerful to meet with a group of people that have the same thoughts and feelings as I do. As the weeks went on I got more comfortable. About midway through the course I was able to share with the group. That is something I was terrified of before. I felt so empowered after my first share. That was the highlight of the course for me.

Vanessa

I did the ARE course and I’m still getting great benefit from it.

This course has given me more insight into who I am, who I want to be and who I will be in the future.

Learning to have more awareness of myself and the people around me has helped me to connect deeper than before. I’ve become more aware of possible triggers and how to deal with and or avoid those situations.

I’ve become more authentic and grounded following this course.

Blair

By Interacting and sharing with other HSP’s I was able to unearth years of pent-up emotions that I never allowed myself to feel or acknowledge. By sharing stories and experiences with other HSPs, I discovered that being vulnerable is a strength and not a weakness.

In 8 short weeks I formed deep relationships with other HSPs who have experienced the same struggles as I have.

If you are just starting your journey into HSP self realization or if you’ve been on this path for a long time, The ARE course is an experience that will provide you with tools that you can take with you and use throughout your life.

Kelly

The ARE experience has been truly enlightening.

I feel like I have learnt more about the depths of myself in these past 8 weeks than I have throughout my life.

Not only have I gained a newfound acceptance of myself, I have also felt empowered to express & relate authentically with others which is something I’ve struggled with my entire life!

I can’t speak highly enough of Matt! Not only does he walk the talk, he’s also a beautiful soul!

Rachel

This course is one that will change how you relate to yourself and others. If you are seeking connection and a higher level of acceptance of yourself- these 8 weeks will be a turning point. Personally, I learned that I am not alone in my struggles. This has allowed me to be more authentic in asking for my needs to be met, and what I am able to give others. This course provides an opportunity to practice the skills learned and create lasting friendships. I can’t speak highly enough of the transformation that occurs with this program. You ARE worth it!

Amanda

When you are ready to start to learn how to authentically relate and navigate the world as an HSP, you will be in trusted hands participating in the ARE course. Matt has lived, survived and thrived by navigating this realm; lending his immense empathy and sensitivity of perception and observation though sharing his actual life experiences in the context of the course material. His created space guides one to discover greater potentials and possibilities from within, while presenting the knowledge that begins to unlock why we as HSP’s perceive all with greater sensitivity and perception. When a facilitator can provide specific personal examples through shared vulnerability you know it will ultimately be ok and you will get through. Matt is that person who lives by example. Thank you Matt.

James

With my time with Matt doing the ARE program, I was able to understand myself better and how to navigate all the layers of being HSP. I learned how to not take on the energy of others and how to honour myself so I could be who I am authentically. I now understand why my life was so heavy before and I now have the skills to deal with that heaviness.

Warren

Course Offerings

ARE with Matt Landsiedel Spring (online)

Date: May 15th – July 3rd, 2024 (every Wednesday)

Time: 4:30-7:30pm MT (Calgary time)

Price: $425 USD (low income discount of 33% available upon your request – limit 5 per course)

Please email Matt with your interest to take the course: inspired@mattlandsiedel.com

ARE with Matt Landsiedel Fall (online)

Date: September 18th – November 6th, 2024 (every Wednesday)

Time: 10:00am-1:00pm MT (Calgary time)