Testimonials ~ HSP Gatherings

Here are some of my favorite comments  I have received over the years about the HSP Gathering Retreats.  Some are recent; some from years ago.  Here are a few cherised responses from 2018:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I feel ever so energised with impulsive energy  and this sense of inner peace rolled into one!”

“My experience was powerful for me with connecting deeper to my creative spiritual inner self and the processing is still happening in waves…”

“I’m still in awe of the experience , something about being seen, heard and accepted, really touched me profoundly , as well as discovering so much about us as a tribe.”

“Heaven help my children’s teachers, they are going to be gently informed of the HSP cause and I’m meeting with the Headteacher to lobby for more quiet, contemplative areas in school and a more open art rooms. Schools are not great for HSPs.”

“I was truly touched, Jaquelyn, by how much of yourself you gave to us. Your personal experiences, educational knowledge, therapeutic knowledge, advice, history, your heart ~ that you truly cared for each one of us and our experience was profound. It was jam packed both with education and therapeutic modalities to learn and know how to take care of ourselves.”
Rebecca, 35th HSP Gathering, Phoenicia, New York

“Thanking you profoundly for all of your gifts to me, a rich and deep experience which far exceeded any expectations I had. I now carry you all with me going forward in my life , which I am sure will, thanks to you all, take the direction I did not know I was looking for. Please know you are all very special to me and will always be so. ” R.Y. 34th HSP Gathering, England

“I have such admiration for you all for your courage in and honesty in opening your hearts, and to Jaqueline, Annet and Barbara for your very special courage and skill.”   34th HSP Gathering, England

“My first HSP Gathering Retreat  was a tremendously important experience for me – the teaching, the meeting of like minds and hearts, the group process, the creativity night and my efforts to ‘follow the spirit’ with the timing of my story, and then everyone’s enthusiastic enjoyment of the whole night – it was very liberating. I realize that I have come away with a very subtle but very big increase in my self-esteem. Extraordinary! I have waited so long.
Marilyn R, Seattle & Brisbane Australia”
July 2016

“I highly recommend going to a gathering if you are a highly sensitive person, it was well worth the time spent…I had an amazing time this year and met so many wonderful, beautiful, strong, incredible women…and man, lol.So grateful for the opportunity to find a safe place to open my heart and talk about what it is like to be highly sensitive. My greatest thanks to our valiant facilitator Jacquelyn Strickland. She was amazing.”   B.H. – Montana  July 2016

“What a wonderful experience my first HSP Gathering Retreat was !! !   I must admit, after returning home I feel a little confused and adrift, because for  68 years I have built up solid defenses and stories to myself to defend myself from my sensitivity (not really making myself happy, but surviving). Now, because of the HSP Gathering, I have accepted my sensitivity and I feel like a toddler just learning about the world. I am excited to see where this leads me.  Thank you Jacquelyn for all your hard work and such a meaningful time – it was perfect.  I loved everyone there and will never forget anyone or my time spent there ..
~Linda, California – July 2016

I learned I actually do employ a lot of the techniques suggested in my own life already, so it was a relief to find out I am on the right path, but I also learned where I can improve on things in my life, so that clarification was very helpful. I also learned that even with other Hsp’s you can still run into problems with sensitivity, but that other Hsp’s can be understanding about it and that if I want to be happy with being me, then I have to embrace this more aware part of myself with more self care and self love.    Anonymous – Survey Monkey, July 2016

I felt that for the first time I was given ‘permission’ to truly be me and to be at peace with who that is. This gathering also validated the healing work I’ve been doing for many years and provided me with new ways to continue this process.
Anonymous – Survey Monkey, July 2016

May 2015 ~ Lovely HSPs from 8 different countries ~ 29th HSP Gathering Retreat in Germany.

“...It was such a gift to be present at an HSP gathering with all of you! I am glad to have been able to overcome
the beast dragon (the fear) and find such a treasure behind it- the experience that I will carry through all of 
my life.  The change that I have experienced has been great.  There  is an abyss between my life before the  HSP Gathering Retreat and my current self- this is a quantum leap I would say..  It is not only the life that became different (as you warned us), but it is me myself who became different…  Thank you Jacquelyn, Barbara, Annet and every and each one of you...” 

~~Lyuba Ledomskaia    May 2015

Red Corral Ranch, Wimberley, Texas MApril 27- May 1, 2014

“It was indeed a fabulous experience; I’m so glad I was a part of it, and I suspect I will never forget the time we spent at the ranch . It is difficult for me to think about the fact that the retreat was just a one time thing and that we won’t all be together again. There are too many things to list …so, just thanks for everything … really, everything.”    –Darrell J ~  Kingsland, TX   May 2014

“That last morning of the HSP Gathering, I listened to my heart, left before our final goodbyes,.  I was led to a special, healing Labyrinth that I first walked after my husband’s death. I needed to express my open-hearted thanks to you Jacquelyn, for everything that you are, and for everything this Gathering meant to me.

For even in the word-drenched pages of my Gratitude Journal it was not enough to contain my now open heart. You are truly an exceptional human being Jacquelyn, and I thank you for sincerely seeing me and understanding.   Perhaps in the future we shall meet again, perhaps at another HSP Gathering ~~ and in each other’s’ faces recognize that silent, sweet safety of abiding trust and deep admiration.  With hands outstretched (no, not clapping … reaching out … touching)”
-Michelle d’Arcy Lennox, MA  May 2014

“Since the 28th HSP Gathering Retreat in Wimberley, Texas, I have been filled with so much love, joy and gratitude. I have been able to notice when I get caught in an old patterns. For example, today I was striving to “fix” someone else’s suffering instead of just allowing myself to be with them, empathetic, and holding the space for them… it did not work. The more I was trying, they resisted, and that felt so awful. Then I noticed what was happening and remembered one of the mottos at the HSP Gathering: I remembered to ask myself “What is there for me to learn in this moment?” And, “What am I needing in this moment?” This helped move out of the situation more easily than before. I think the gathering left a lasting transformative impression, and I am so grateful for this…”  – Christine ~  Vancouver, BC   May 2014

“The HSP Gathering Retreat was very intense, in a good way …. I see into everyone’s karma when I’m in a small group or 1:1 setting, and it was very beautiful to see all the different levels of consciousness and HSP unfoldment among the group. The Nature as Healer & Teacher on the last morning was one of the most intense meditations I’ve ever had. It was like a geyser of love flowing up out of the earth and through me. My experience was beyond my expectation.    Thank you, Jacquelyn .”
– Chris Hinners Cedar Park, TX   May 2014

 “What a blessing to take a deep breath and remember the wonderful 28th HSP Gathering Retreat! I remember after 9-1-1- thinking that I would never be the same.   I feel the same way now, after my first HSP Gathering. .  It truly was an a-ha moment in my life and I am looking at my world in a different way after the gathering! I know I will never be the same.  ~Lauri R. ~ Arlington, TX    May 2014

 

26th HSP Gathering, Enkoping, Sweden May 2013

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to you for the work you do showing us how to empower ourselves as HSPs. All the love you put into doing this, it’s amazing.  I brought lots of new useful knowledge about the HSP trait back from the gathering. I find it challenging, scary and at the same time exciting to take steps towards finding the authentic me and being more congruent. I guess it’s a lifelong process for most HSPs and every little baby-step in this direction is a huge step for me. I am so glad that I have met you and my other dear fellow sensitive relatives at the gathering in Enkoping. I experienced so much love and understanding in the group. Now I have a HSP family where I am accepted for being me – without being laughed at or making fun of. A big relief”
K. Åhrman, Lund, Sweden  May 2013

“It seems a bit unreal – the magical time we all had together. And being out there in sometimes unfriendly environments now feels less threatening – because I know there are many of us. The energy at the Sweden Gathering was wonderful and very healing. We must try to keep it in our hearts when being out in the world. I can still feel the magic. The energy at the Gathering was wonderful and very healing. Wish we could have canned it so that we could keep it with us every day of our lives.”
Chrissie Evling, Gothenburg, Sweden ~ May 2013

“I do know that this HSP gathering has really made a deep impact and lasting change in my life. I have gained such strength which I will call upon when I’m having a hard time… Just feeling the connection and your warm energy will help me. That’s anther gift from the HSP Gathering – the feeling of connection to other HSPs around Europe and around the world. Feeling Safe. So Thank You Jacquelyn for making such effort and providing this life altering opportunity for so many HSPs around the world. You are a gift .”
Eva Mahrén, Stockholm, Sweden ~ May 2013

“The ripples of and from the gathering keep spreading further and deeper. My world has changed since the gathering and I will never be the same. Life is getting very interesting!”
N.B. Seaside, Calif.   Walker Creek Ranch, June 2006

“I keep remembering the magical gathering. I loved the moonlight walk; Nick’s concert, conversations at meal time.  I feel love here which makes feel love for myself and who I am. I gathered enthusiasm, support and heart-felt connections. This gathering was wonderful.” Marge T., Oakland, CA ~ Walker Creek Ranch, June 2007

“All that really comes to me at this moment is a simple, but profound, thank you. Thank you for giving us these life-affirming gatherings, and a venue to both reinforce our existing paths and to change our perspectives. What more could I receive? Reciprocity, kinship, fellowship, acceptance, safety, openness, authenticity – it was all there.”
Peter Messerschmidt,  http://www.hspnotes.com/
Walker Creek Ranch, June, 2007
And most recently from Peter, who by the way, has been a past co-host and presenter at the HSP Gatherings:
“I have been to at least 7 of these Gatherings and they have all been wonderful.  I’ve always saved for them and seen them as my “vacations” – filled with people who “get you.”  It doesn’t get any better than this.”    January 2014

And one more …

18th HSP Gathering, Black Mountain, NC April 2010

“I have been thinking quite a bit about how to describe my feelings at the gathering. First of all, I was very lucky because Pat rode with me most of the way to Asheville. She was immediately warm and wonderful and helped me feel at ease. Pat had been to a previous gathering and was able to fill me in on what to expect. When we arrived and discovered we would be in the same cabin I was thrilled. Even with this comfortable base I still felt nervous and unsure the night we all joined together for the first time. The energy in the room felt heavy. So many seekers coming together, looking for answers, full of expectations and complicated pasts. How can Jacquelyn handle this? I wondered. I’m sure my own predicament colored my perceptions. The previous week I had been “stabbed in the back” by a person very close to me. I was filled with astonished pain and grief. I had to keep searching for the ability to set this anguish aside and enter into the weekend.

Then, as we all know, everything gradually opened, like a clenched flower bud relaxing and unfolding into the light. Jacquelyn led the way. She presented really useful information in a warm and personal manner. She was rock solid in her knowledge and insights but so wonderfully human when asking for help with logistics.

The heart of the gathering for me though, came from everyone of you. At first I couldn’t .”   B. Williams, N. Carolina   Black Mountain, NC April 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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