John Nathan Riley

John’s clients tend to find themselves with a great depth of feeling that is not always understood by the people around them. They usually feel their own feelings and those of others with great clarity. They are often confidants and even healers but do not always know how to receive help. They tend to be highly motivated and even successful but often find themselves stuck in the wrong pursuits. Their sensitivity makes them perceptive but the high level of sensory inputs can leave them feeling drained and more often in need of a recharge than less sensitive people.

High sensitivity is a great gift when channeled appropriately. However, many of John’s clients have found that their sensitivity has been misused; either by themselves or others. Sometimes this is intentional but often it comes from a misunderstanding of high sensitivity and its limits. This can lead to confusion at the least, depression and anxiety at the worst.

John’s hope for his highly sensitive clients is that they come to understand and channel their sensitivity to become who they truly want to be. John uses a relational psychodynamic perspective with insights from the mindfulness traditions to help his clients find a genuine, engaged, and alive acceptance of who they are. John graduated from the Naropa University Master of Arts in Contemplative Counseling program. John’s studies focused on the best of both a Buddhist and a Western view of the mind coupled with intensive retreat meditation practice.

John’s office is located in charming downtown Mebane, NC; conveniently accessible from Durham, Chapel Hill and Burlington. John also offers video sessions.