The Pacific Northwest HSP Network

A social network and support group system for Highly Sensitive People in the Pacific Northwest

Created: 2008.07.11

Last updated: 2008.07.13

How does it work? >>

How does the Pacific Northwest HSP Network work?

The Network is made up of this "public" web site which you are now reading, and a "private" network site for members only.

The public areas are visible to all, and require no further explanation. The private network is a bit like a cross between an online message board and a social network like Facebook or MySpace-- except for the fact that it's private and members (HSPs!) only.

On the members-only network site, members can create fairly elaborate profiles, share photos, keep a blog, participate in forum discussions, make friends and communicate with them through an internal mail system, and much more. What makes the network unique and different is that members who want to be group hosts or want to form interest groups can create their own groups (a bit like a mini-network) inside the overall Network infrastructure.

So if, for example, you were hosting a monthly HSP support group in Tacoma, you would be able to create your own private "Tacoma HSPs" group, inside the network. Alternately, if you made friends with several members who wrote poetry, you could also create an "HSP Poets" group-- the possibilities are endless!

"But couldn't I just set up my own HSP group on the Internet?"

Absolutely! And many people choose this approach. However, our experience has been that many aspiring HSP group hosts become overwhelmed, once they become aware of the amount of work (and expense) invoved in building a web site and publicizing their group. Besides, as a network member, you can still set up your own group... except, it will take minutes, instead days, or even weeks.

Aspiring group hosts also benefit from being able to interact with, and learn from, other group hosts who have already been through the process. The network forum contains a growing knowledge base of HSP-related topics, including articles on starting and running your own local group.

Whereas we certainly hope you'll invite your HSP friends from your town to join, another benefit of a network is that it can help bring you the group members you are looking for, to start your group. We have a large database of contacts and referrals in the global HSP Community who help us publicize the network, and links to the network can be found on dozens of web sites popular with HSPs.

One final benefit to group hosts concerns our network membership application process.

When you start a group for HSPs, you want to be reasonably certain that the people you're inviting to meet really are HSPs. Whereas we can't guarantee that our screening process will result in network members being 100% HSPs, we certainly improve the odds. And by providing a safe arena in which people can interact online before meeting in person, you have an additional way to ensure that you "feel comfortable" with the people who want to be part of your "offline" group.

Why all the security? Why not just be visible to everyone? Aren't we supposed to be spreading awarenes of High Sensitivity, rather than hiding it?

These are valid concerns, and questions. After talking to quite a few people who run groups, and some careful consideration, we concluded that "starting a group" represents a "first step" for a lot of people, in terms of being "public" with our sensitivity. Many have lived lives of perhaps feeling invalidated, or like their sensitivity is a "problem" or "weakness."

To encourage people to feel "safe" about revealing themselves, we decided a certain degree of privacy is important. We recognize that this may not be to everyone's liking, but we believe it best serves the majority of HSPs.

On the members-only network site, members can create fairly elaborate profiles, share photos, keep a blog, participate in forum discussions, make friends and communicate with them through an internal mail system, and much more...