Carolina Mariposa is a seasoned practitioner with extensive training in various healing modalities, encompassing energy healing, psychology, early childhood mental health, nutrition, herbalism, bodywork, and movement. Her unique role as an intuitive guide blends these diverse disciplines into a comprehensive approach aimed at nurturing sensitive youth to flourish.
Her educational background primarily traverses mystical and alternative realms, yet it is seamlessly balanced by her deep appreciation for science and a strong focus on the pragmatic, relational, and logistical aspects of everyday life and professional work. Carolina is equally adept at discussing strategies for managing tantrums as she is at delving into the realm of spirit guides. If you are seeking someone capable of viewing you and your family through a holistic lens, guided by compassion and empathy, Carolina is here to accompany you on your transformative journey.
On a personal level, Carolina upholds a daily routine that includes yoga, qigong, and meditation. As a mother to a toddler, she frequently composes impromptu songs about their daily activities, infusing joy into their shared experiences. Beyond her healing practice, Carolina finds fulfillment in writing, singing, tending to her organic garden, embracing a health-conscious lifestyle, embarking on hikes, and connecting with the natural world. She resides in the picturesque setting of Napa, California, alongside her husband and beloved daughter.
Learn more about her in this MysticMag interview.
Can you explain what it means to be a highly sensitive child or teenager, and why it’s important for parents and caregivers to understand this trait?
High sensitivity is a genetic trait that was originally researched and defined by Elaine Aron, Ph.D. Dr. Aron discusses high sensitivity in four domains, and she educates people about using the acronym DOES –
Depth of Processing: Highly Sensitive People (HSP) are deep thinkers. We notice minute details that others do not, and we may take longer to think through problems or situations than someone who is not highly sensitive. If HSPs are not given extra time to process information, we may get upset or frustrated. It is therefore important for parents to understand this about their children and give them adequate time to process whatever information is coming at them. This may look like planning extra time during transitions from one activity to another so that your HSC has time to adjust. For another example, a sensitive young person may need more time to feel comfortable in social situations, because they are taking in so many details about what is going on when they first arrive. Because all of this thinking can be tiring, it’s also important for parents to support children in having enough rest and downtime. This both helps the child continue any processing they may still need to do and also gives them recovery time.
Overstimulation: When all of that processing is happening in the HSP brain all the time, it is easy for an HSP to feel like it’s all too much. Many HSPs are also sensitive on a sensory level, which means we may have trouble in environments that are too bright, loud, or chaotic, or we may have a big reaction to certain smells, tastes, or textures. When all the input from our environment overwhelms us, we may react on a continuum from shutting down (internalizing, spacing out) to exaggerated displays of emotion (externalizing, becoming aggressive, shouting, crying, etc.). When children or teens are showing these behaviors frequently, and it is more than would be expected at their age, it may be because they are overstimulated. Not everyone automatically links a child’s challenging behavior to the possibility that they are overstimulated, so there is a risk of labeling a child as “bad” or a “problem”, when in fact they are just overwhelmed and need to move to a low-stimulation environment. If behaviors are a problem in busy places such as a classroom or a grocery store, it is likely that overstimulation is the cause rather than something like hyperactivity or intentional defiance.
Emotional Reactivity: HSPs tend to have greater highs and lows, emotionally speaking, than non-HSPs. We react with absolute joy and enthusiasm or tearful outbursts and may swing from one to the other often throughout the day. We also have a very high degree of empathy for others, to the point that many HSPs feel the emotions of others in their own bodies. A highly sensitive child’s intense emotions may be judged as “too much”, “dramatic”, an “over-reaction” or “manipulation”. If they are told this by their caregivers from a young age, this can lead highly sensitive children to feel their emotions are something to be ashamed of and they may disconnect from their feelings as a way to please their caregivers. It may sound counter-intuitive, but indulging and validating a sensitive child’s big emotions helps them learn to regulate and develop healthy coping skills.
Sensing the Subtle: This is linked to the depth of processing, in that HSPs are noticing subtle details that others miss. There have been studies that link this to certain areas of the brain; brain imaging shows these areas to be more active in HSPs. In my personal and work experience, this category also extends to many HSPs sensing energy in their environment. There are a number of energy anatomy systems in the body which are constantly sending and receiving information. Many highly sensitive children are reacting to this energetic input. If they lack energetic grounding and protection, they may experience frequent distress or overwhelm due to too much energy coming into their personal space.
How does intuitive guidance play a role in helping highly sensitive children and teens navigate their emotions and challenges effectively?
My work with highly sensitive children and teens combines my training as a medical intuitive with my “mainstream” training in psychotherapy. I use my intuition to assess a child’s energy anatomy, mental health, and the health of their relationships, and I offer feedback based on direct communication with the child’s higher self or spirit. One child may be too open to psychic input and feel out of control as a result. In that case, I would work primarily with their energy anatomy to foster greater protection and grounding, and I would teach the child how to modulate their openness to psychic information so that they are not overwhelmed. Another child may be struggling in their family or school setting because of their emotional reactivity, and then the work may focus more on providing information about ways to calm their nervous system and alter their daily routines to allow for more processing time. Each sensitive child is different in how they show their sensitivity, and I love the creative process of supporting each child in the way that works best for them. The younger the child, the more I incorporate the parents into each session in order to support their understanding of the way their child is sensitive and how to work with their child to help them thrive.
What are some practical techniques or strategies parents and caregivers can use to tap into their intuition when supporting highly sensitive children and teenagers?
Highly sensitive people are very intuitive! Some people think of intuition as a “gut feeling”, others hear information, or just know things without knowing why or how they know them. In my studies at the Academy of Intuition Medicine®, I learned that there are 21 types of intuition! Parents often use a variety of these intuitive skills throughout the day in trying to figure out and communicate with their children. If parents are looking to strengthen their intuition to support their children, the first thing I focus on teaching them is how to ground their own energy. When parents are grounded, we are calmer and it is easier for us to pay attention to the intuitive information coming through. It also helps our children to be more grounded, which leads them to be less emotionally reactive and to feel greater empowerment. Grounding can be as simple as holding an intention to be connected to the earth. Some like to visualize a grounding anchor from the tailbone that goes all the way to the center of the earth, or a waterfall over their head washing other energies away and down into the earth. Others like to have the physical experience of grounding by walking barefoot outside on the earth.
The other main practice that I teach parents wanting to increase their intuition is the discernment of energies. We each have a “signature” energy that is unique to us, and in the Intuition Medicine® model, we are healthiest and in the right relationship with others when we are each full of our own signature energy. When we merge our personal energy with others, including our children, it has the potential to generate conflicts or invalidate the other person. While it is natural to have some energetic merging with those we love, I teach parents and kids ways to develop clear energy boundaries with each other. This helps each family member to know what their truth is, to tune into their own needs, and to be able to communicate these needs to others. Learning what your signature energy feels like is best done in meditation, and I generally guide clients through meditation so that they begin to learn what they feel like vs. what other people’s energy feels like in their personal space. A few of these grounding and boundary exercises are found on my website resources page.
Could you share an example of a situation where intuitive guidance made a significant difference in the life of a highly sensitive child or teen, and how it impacted their family dynamics?
I worked with a 5-year-old girl and her mother regarding the daughter’s frequent emotional outbursts, which included aggression towards her mom and sibling. Both the mom and daughter were highly sensitive and had high levels of anxiety and worry on a regular basis. In the first session, my intuitive reading revealed both genetic and energy components to the daughter’s outbursts. For the genetic tendency to be anxious, I referred them to a naturopathic physician who could recommend certain supplements for what I observed to be overactive neurotransmitters in certain areas of the child’s brain. Energetically, the child was too open and unprotected in certain chakras (energy centers in the body), which led to her absorbing the emotions of those around her. I taught her to ground and protect these aspects of her energy anatomy and the emotional outbursts dramatically reduced in frequency and intensity. I also worked with a teen who regularly received psychic information. She was clairvoyant and could see people’s auras. This did not trouble her, but she would become very distressed when “dead people talked to (her).” She could see and hear these “ghosts” and they would often “hang around” her until she gave them some sort of healing or information that they requested. She felt powerless around these beings and as though she had no choice but to keep communicating with them and doing what they asked. This was so distracting to her that she had trouble focusing in school and she had even begun failing some subjects because she couldn’t get her work done. I did an intuitive assessment to determine whether this was actually psychic information coming through or whether it may be related to a mental health issue. I observed that she was indeed connecting to these spirits via certain energy anatomy and that she did not know how to direct or control the information that was coming through. I taught her how to safely open or close down the energy centers where she received this psychic information depending on what she was doing, so that she could, for example, “turn off” her psychic receptors when she was trying to focus on her school work. Then she could turn them back on if she wanted to access her psychic abilities, and I taught her how to do so in a protected manner. This led her to feel more in control of her personal space and to filter out information that was not necessary for her to have.
Are there specific practices or exercises that families can incorporate into their daily routines to foster a more intuitive and empathetic connection with their highly sensitive children or teens?
I previously mentioned grounding and becoming familiar with each family member’s signature energy—when these are practiced daily there is a marked difference in how each family member feels and interacts with others. To support these, I often recommend that families spend time together out in nature, as this fosters grounding as well as connection with each other. There are many fun activities that I coach kids and parents through to access their intuition in sessions, which they may practice outside of sessions as well. These may include various intuitive games where they sense or work with each other’s energy. I often find that younger children don’t want to sit quietly in meditative exercises, so I encourage more active ways for them to access their intuition and work with their energy and emotions.
How can parents and caregivers strike a balance between providing intuitive guidance and allowing their highly sensitive children and teens to develop their own emotional resilience and decision-making skills?
In my work, the whole purpose of using intuitive guidance is to help children and parents develop emotional resilience, coping skills, social skills, and problem-solving/decision-making skills. It is a holistic process in which we rely on the client’s spirit for guidance and healing. Intuitive guidance supports parents and children by providing them with tools to access and validate what some part of them already knows to be true. When I am doing an intuitive reading, it is a “see-and-say” process; I am communicating with the client’s spirit and telling them what I see; it is not “my” information that I am sharing, but rather, the client’s information that is unique to them. Throughout the session, I am checking in to see how the information is landing, whether it feels helpful, or whether we need to approach their questions from a different angle. Tapping into one’s inner wisdom is a very individual practice for each person, and I teach different intuitive skills depending on what their questions and concerns are. In my experience, when we are connected to our inner wisdom, we are calm, joyful, and empowered and we know what to do. The same is true no matter whether we are the parent or the child. When the intention is to serve everyone’s highest healing path and highest good, everyone in the family benefits and evolves.
