Are You An Intuitive Empath? 7 Signs + How To Nurture Your Abilities

This can certainly be a strength—but other times, intuitive empaths may find their abilities to be a weakness. Here's why, plus signs of an intuitive empath and how to thrive as one.

It's also worth noting that there are technically four "clairs" of intuition, according to Richardson, with intuitive empaths typically experiencing one or more of the following: clairsentience (intuition through feeling), clairaudience (intuition through messages that come through as words), clairvoyance (intuition through mental images), or claircognizance (intuition through instantaneous insight or "downloads").

Nuñez notes that many intuitive empaths have likely had these traits since they were children, and if anything, they were even stronger then. As children, she explains, we not only have difficulty understanding intuition and gut feelings, but the world has a way of making us doubt ourselves.

If you're an intuitive empath who is just beginning to understand your own abilities, Nuñez explains that it's not uncommon to experience feelings or emotions that arise seemingly out of nowhere. Whether you suddenly feel nervous or sad, it could actually be that you're picking up on someone else's energetic field, she notes.

We all experience intuition in different ways, and intuitive empaths can experience any of the following, according to Richardson: clairaudience (hearing voices), clairvoyance (seeing images), clairsentience (recognizing feelings), and claircognizance (knowing). Their intuition may strike in a moment when they're picking up on a person or the environment they're in, whether the empath realizes it's their intuition or not.

According to Nuñez, intuition is not logical. While you may not have a "rational" explanation for how or why you know something, you just do—and you're often right. Similarly, she notes, when you try to logically think about or rationalize what your intuition is telling you, the communication may stop or feel stomped out.

According to Nuñez, most people who have a highly developed sense of intuition have been this way since they were a child. The caveat, however, is that intuition isn't exactly encouraged, making it that much easier for children to grow into adults who are out of touch with their own inner knowing.

There's even some research that backs this up, with one 2006 study noting that "high sensory-processing sensitivity [...] is associated with greater perceived stress and more frequent symptoms of ill health."

According to Richardson, empaths are able to pick up the energy of not just people but physical spaces as well. Richardson notes an empath will be very affected by particular spaces and how they're maintained—which can, of course, be a good or bad thing, depending on the energy of the space.

Last but not least, intuitive empaths need to be sure to protect themselves energetically, whether it's by setting up boundaries in the moment or taking time to recharge. If you're an intuitive empath, you may find you need to shield yourself or recharge following a negative interaction, experience, or setting.

To that end, Nuñez warns against trying to rationalize away the things that come up for you and rather to explore your mind-body-soul connection and all the things that connection can tell you about your environment and the people in it.

Self-care is essential for everyone, and that includes intuitive empaths. As Richardson notes, it can "really help you manage the amount of daily stimulation you pick up on as a sensitive person," adding that self-care also calms your nervous system, which will help you feel more grounded in your body, and thus access your intuition more powerfully.

Another way to get grounded in your body and learn how to tune into it is through meditation. According to Nuñez, even if it's just one minute in the morning and evening, you'll start to foster that deeper connection with your own inner knowing and intuition. You can also pair your meditations with journaling to record what comes up for you when you meditate, she adds.

As you start to learn more about your unique abilities, you may find you want some outside guidance, which would best come from another reputable intuitive, or even a therapist who specializes in a holistic, mind-body-soul approach, Nuñez says. "It's really important to work with some type of intuitive guide that can help you tap into what your gifts are and hone that in," she tells mbg, adding that inner child work can be helpful here to start unpacking your experiences thus far and how you may have stifled your own abilities.

For a practice you can do in the moment when you're feeling overstimulated, Orloff details a shielding technique in her book that's helpful to keep negative energy away: Simply picture a shield of white or pink light around your body protecting you from stress and negativity but allowing positive energy in whenever you need it.

Being an emotional empath is not always easy and, in fact, can be quite tiresome when someone isn't aware of their own abilities or doesn't know how to use them. But with cultivated self-awareness, knowledge of one's own skills, and a healthy dose of energetic shielding, these folks can not only survive but thrive and start using their gifts for what they are.