You know that you are an empath, but do you know which type(s) of empath you are? In this article, we explain the six different types of empaths.
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Most likely, you already are aware of the fact that you are an empath. However, did you know that there are many different types of empaths?
Being an empath is not just about feeling everything around us on a deeper level; it is a gift that knows many varieties. Each empath has unique skills, which you will discover in this article.
Knowing your empath type can be a true revelation in order to get to know yourself better and thrive in life. Not only does it provide you with insights into your talents and capabilities, but it also gives you more knowledge about how to manage your energy.
Therefore, have a look at these 6 most common types of empaths and see which types resonate the most with you.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- What Is An Empath?
- What Are The 6 Types Of Empaths?
- 1. The Emotional Empath
- 2. The Physical Empath
- 3. Geomantic Empaths
- 4. Earth Empaths
- 5. Intuitive Empaths
- 6. Animal Empaths
- Can You Be More Than One Type Of Empath?
- So, Which Type Are You?
- Do You Want To Learn More About Being An Empath? Discover These Popular Books For Empaths:
What Is An Empath?
An empath is someone who ‘absorbs and feels other people’s emotions and/or physical symptoms due to their high sensitivities’.
Consequently, this enables them to be excellent caregivers, friends, and spouses. Moreover, their extraordinary ability to empathize with all types of situations provides them with real superpowers.
However, being an empath also brings along certain challenges. For instance, an empath can feel recharged and happy in the morning and then end up feeling exhausted and empty by the evening.
Knowing more about the different types of empaths and identifying your own empath type can help you to become more aware of your energy leaks and take better care of yourself as an empath.
If you want to learn everything you need to know about thriving as an empath, you may want to discover ‘The Empath’s Workbook: Practical Strategies for Nurturing Your Unique Gifts and Living an Empowered Life‘.
What Are The 6 Types Of Empaths?
If you have recognized signs that you are an empath within yourself, you might wonder which type of empath you are.
After all, empathy carries a broad spectrum of gifts and no two empaths are the same.
The following 6 empath types are the most common: emotional empaths, physical empaths, geomantic empaths, earth empaths, animal empaths, and intuitive empaths.
Let’s have a look at each empath type along with the unique gifts & challenges of each type.
1. The Emotional Empath
Emotional empaths have the ability to physically feel the emotions of other people. In fact, it may seem as if the emotions of others are contagious for emotional empaths.
This can be related to the mirror neuron system: researchers found that a specific group of brain cells are responsible for the ability to show and feel compassion. Moreover, empaths appear to have hyper-responsive mirror neurons.
This allows them to deeply understand and resonate with other people’s feelings and emotions.
As a result, an emotional empath may cry along with a complete stranger, simply because their highly responsive mirror neurons respond to the emotions they are witnessing.
What Gifts Does The Emotional Empath Have?
Because of their highly responsive mirror neurons, emotional empaths oftentimes are excellent conversation partners. Their ability to ‘live’ the emotions of others makes others feel understood and heard.
As a result, friends, co-workers, family members, and sometimes even complete strangers tend to share their inner thoughts rather easily with the emotional empath.
Due to their exceptional talent to empathize with others, emotional empaths make great therapists and counselors.
The Challenges Of Being An Emotional Empath
One of the downsides of emotional empathy is that many emotional empaths lack the skill to protect their energy field from the emotions of others. Hence, they let in everything that their brain registers, causing them to feel easily burned out.
In addition, emotional empathy can make it difficult to differentiate other people’s emotions from your own. As a result, emotional empaths may feel confused about why they feel the way they feel and struggle to function properly.
How To Deal With Being An Emotional Empath
As an emotional empath, it is important to become aware of your gifts and use them in the best way possible. Also, it is crucial to be conscious about the energy you let in, since becoming emotionally overloaded is a common challenge for emotional empaths.
By learning how to protect your energy field and releasing stress that arises throughout the day, you can be a happy empath.
If you’d like to discover ways to regulate your emotions, you may want to have a look at the book ‘Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings’.
2. The Physical Empath
Physical empaths are empaths who feel and absorb the pain and symptoms of others.
If you find yourself suddenly feeling ill while being around somebody struggling with a specific disease, you may in fact be a physical empath.
According to Dr. Judith Orloff, many physical empaths do not have the capability like others to screen things out. As a result, they often feel ill and get labeled with panic disorders, pain, chronic depression, fatigue, and more.
What Gifts Does A Physical Empath Have?
While being a physical empath may seem like a burden, it is in fact a great gift to possess.
Because of their abilities to empathize with the pains of others, physical empaths have the potential to become great doctors, nurses, and health practitioners.
Their empathy enables them to locate the source of pain more easily and help others in their healing.
When the physical empath stands in their power, they can touch the lives of many with their abilities.
The Challenges Of Being A Physical Empath
While it can be a wonderful gift when you are working in the medical or therapeutical field, being a physical empath can be truly exhausting and painful when you aren’t protected properly. Some physical empaths are housebound or have been ill for years.
Moreover, they dread going outside because other people’s stress, anger, and pain drain them and cause them to be unable to function properly. Consequently, this emphasizes the importance of self-care and grounding for physical empaths.
How To Deal With Being A Physical Empath
Creating a healthy daily self-care routine is the key to thriving as a physical empath. Make sure to protect your energy field in the morning and cleanse your energy field before going to bed at night.
If you work as a health practitioner, you may even want to cleanse your energy field in between clients.
When you learn how to ground yourself, protect your energy field, set healthy boundaries, and let go of pain from the past and from others, you may get rid of many of these symptoms.
These free apps might help you with some of these methods.
3. Geomantic Empaths
Have you ever found yourself happy at a specific place without knowing why? You might be a geomantic empath! Geomantic empaths are empaths who have fine attunement to the physical landscape. Physical landscape such as a place or specific environment.
Moreover, these empaths find themselves happy, recharged, or incredibly uncomfortable in certain places with no apparent reason. In addition, geomantic empaths are deeply connected to specific places and feel drawn to sacred places, churches, or other spiritual environments.
What Gifts Does A Geomantic Empath Have?
Geomantic Empaths are very skilled at identifying the history of a place. They may pick up on energies from events that happened at specific places.
Consequently, they can experience fear, joy, pain, or other emotions that a specific place carries.
This ability often awakens a deep need to discover more about specific places and their history. Hence, geomantic empaths thrive in professions like historians and archeologists.
The Challenges Of Being A Geomantic Empath
The downsides to these types of empaths are that they may struggle to see that nature or a specific place is being destroyed.
Moreover, it might even cause them to break out in tears. Their fine attunement with places is so strong that they experience pain when seeing a place they emphasize being destroyed.
In addition, understanding why a certain place causes such strong emotions can be challenging for these types of empaths. Moreover, the continuous shift of places and emotions can cause geomantic empaths to feel confused about their own emotions.
This may result in feelings of anxiety and in worst cases depression. In order to tackle these feelings, it is important for geomantic empaths to remain grounded and connected to the earth. For that, they may consider purchasing a grounding mat, which can be used all year round.
Finally, another challenge for this type of empath may be that they become overwhelmed by certain places. Hence, many geomantic prefer to isolate them from specific places.
How To Deal With Being A Geomantic Empath
As mentioned, the geomantic empath needs to focus greatly on grounding their energy. Therefore, try implementing a grounding ritual into your daily routine.
For instance, visualize in the morning how you are ‘anchoring’ your energy deep into the core of the earth. Then, imagine how all energies that don’t serve you or aren’t yours are transferred through this cord into the earth to be recycled.
Doing so can help you to feel everything that needs to be felt, but not carry it with you for too long.
4. Earth Empaths
Earth empaths are empaths who are deeply connected with Earth and all its natural powers.
Powerful waterfalls, sunbeams, and moonlight can energize these types of empaths. Moreover, earth empaths are able to sense Earth’s changes, such as changes in weather, astrological changes, or changes in the ocean’s tides.
Oftentimes, earth empaths are the ones telling everyone to go inside because it is going to rain soon. Relatable?
What Gifts Does An Earth Empath Have?
Because of their fine attunement with the earth, earth empaths have a unique connection to nature.
They are the warriors of mother earth, making sure that the planet is treated right and consciously.
Earth empaths’ deep connection to the earth enables them to be excellent activists. They don’t want to see anybody harm our nature and do everything in their power to stop that.
The Challenges Of Being An Earth Empath
While being an earth empath is a wonderful gift, it can be challenging to experience all the energies from the earth.
Especially when something negative is going on, this can be deeply upsetting. For example, when an earthquake or tsunami hits, earth empaths sense it prior to the event and feel deeply upset.
Moreover, some earth empaths may experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), because they are sensitive to weather changes and adjustments in the amount of daylight.
How To Deal With Being An Earth Empath?
Due to their deep attunement to mother earth, earth empaths need to connect to its energy frequently.
Through grounding exercises, the earth empath can realize this connection easily. A grounding mat can help you in this process – especially during the cold winter months.
Also, earth empaths should focus on actions that are good for the planet. While walking outside, bring along a bag to collect trash items near the way. Or perhaps, you could support a few initiatives that are good for the health of our planet.
Taking care of the earth’s needs will help the earth empath to feel more at peace.
5. Intuitive Empaths
Intuitive empaths are types of empaths who have a lot in common with emotional empaths. However, they are able to distinguish between their own feelings and those of others.
Due to the fact that they are so in tune with their inner state, they are able to understand which emotions, feelings, or pains come from their surroundings.
As a result, they manage to create a protective shield that enables them to separate themselves from other people energetically by choice.
What Gifts Does An Intuitive Empath Have?
Because these types of empaths are so in tune with their own inner state, they are able to view things from a broad perspective and identify links between cause and effect.
Consequently, this helps them to comprehend the emotions and feelings of other people and helps them to understand their feelings.
Finally, this skill also allows intuitive empaths to take on caregiving roles such as being a therapist, coach, or teacher.
The Challenges Of Being An Intuitive Empath
While the intuition that intuitive empaths have is a great skill, it can be experienced as confusing when they are unable to differentiate between their intuition and a feeling. If they would treat every feeling as an intuitive hint, they would be all over the place.
Therefore, it can be tough to distinguish between what is truly a gut feeling and what isn’t. Moreover, intuitive empaths know when somebody lies to them, which at times can be confusing, as they don’t have proof for it.
How To Deal With Being An Intuitive Empath?
The intuitive empath needs to ensure that their energy is grounded at all times. Otherwise, they may find themselves becoming too attached to the emotions and feelings of others, not knowing which are their own.
Moreover, it is harder to connect to your intuition when there is much noise like anxiety, anger, or resentment. Therefore, silencing this noise by meditating regularly helps the intuitive empath to feel the inner peace that is needed to connect to intuition.
If you are an intuitive empath, you may want to discover the book ‘The Intuitive Empath: A Unique Guide On How Highly Sensitive People Can Heal Psychologically And Spiritually. Learn Ways To Use Your Gift Of Intuition And Go From Surviving To Thriving.’
6. Animal Empaths
Animal empaths are able to recognize what mental state an animal is in. As a result, they are able to positively influence the animal’s behavior. Due to the fact that they understand the signals of the animals, they are able to be true animal-whisperers.
These types of empaths feel deeply connected to animals, are often vegans or vegetarians, are more drawn towards animals than people, and experience rather often that animals come to them.
What Gifts Does An Animal Empath Have?
Their exceptional ability to connect to animals makes animal empaths great animal caregivers.
They seem to understand the animals’ needs effortlessly. As a result, animals that are struggling oftentimes find their ways into the caring embrace of the animal empath.
Many animal empaths work at animal shelters or as veterinarians, dog groomers, or dog walkers. They love animals and animals love them!
The Challenges Of Being An Animal Empath
Animal empaths have a wonderful gift, but it can be tough in this meat-eating, animal-cruel society. Consequently, animal empaths struggle with the way society handles animals.
Hence, they experience great pain when they see an animal getting mistreated. Consequently, animal empaths often try to change the world for the better by becoming activists and increasing awareness around this industry.
How To Deal With Being An Animal Empath?
If you are an animal empath, the best thing you can do is to surround yourself with animals. Whether it be as pets or by volunteering at a local animal shelter – make sure to connect with animals as often as you can.
Also, you may want to consider becoming a vegetarian – or even go vegan – to fully lean into your energetic state as an animal empath.
Finally, supporting organizations that help animals can feel very satisfactory for you as an animal empath.
Can You Be More Than One Type Of Empath?
If you read through this article, relating to more than one of the types of empaths, that is fully possible.
Empathy comes in many forms, which all can express themselves within you. However, you may notice that one or two of the abovementioned types are more evolved within you.
We recommend you experiment with the self-care methods suggested in this article to truly thrive as an empath.
So, Which Type Are You?
After having read this article, were you able to identify which of these types of empaths you are? Perhaps, you are more than one type? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Your article was enlighting I never knew there were different kinds of empaths. I find that I am strong in all six catagories.
Wow. I never realized the several types. i find myself connected to all 6 but have very strong connection with a couple. It wasn’t until recently that i learned I needed to protect myself. I’ve been told all of my life that I must be some kind of “witch”. I said not the same.
I’m going to start my journey of learning how to protect myself. In these very troubling times I’m exhausted.
I match to everyone one of the empaths in your article
I have heard of a 7th empath. It was mentioned on a YouTube video, but there is very little information about it.
It’s called a dream empath.
Personally, I am an emotional, physical, and intuitive, with a strong connection to a dream empath.
I included a video that explains types of empath, including dream and plant empaths.
Here’s my story.
I have shared dreams with someone who turned out to be part of my soul family. I’ll call him “J” for now. I introduced myself to him and he did the same. We talked about our families, for example, if we had siblings and our relationship with our parents, our likes and dislikes, our dreams and ideal jobs, we shared stories, related to one another, hung out in a forest clearing, and swam in a waterfall and a lake.
J was a photography major in college, and danced. He explained to me that being in an idol group can be considered unmanly or feminine where he’s from. I encouraged him to also try out singing, just to give it a try and see how it made him feel. ‘You have nothing to lose from it, so why not give it a try? If you don’t like it, you always have the choice to stop, but what if you really enjoy it? You could end up regretting it if you never give it a chance. Would you rather regret it or try it out?’ was my reasoning and encouragement for him to start singing.
After waking up, I remembered his name and finding it funny because part of his first name was “bum”, another word for butt. I was 13 or 14 at the time, so I was still a bit immature.
Years later, I found out that J had joined an entertainment company, and was in a band. I didn’t quite remember who he was, but he felt extremely familiar.
I continue to share dreams with J , and he reaches out to me sometimes. I don’t have a way of reaching him, like through messages and calls, but I get the sense whenever he may need some help. I try to send messages back through our soul connection, but I’m never really sure if he receives them. Even so, I do it anyways and hope for the best.
I became a fan of them in August of 2016, and I still support them today.
Rose Lindau. I reckon this is a form of ” dream walking”. An astral level incorporating
Guides ,Protectors and Watchers.
I would love to learn more about this. I don’t have much knowledge of protectors and watchers. I will definitely do more research on this, thank you Helen
Hi
I have never heard of dream connections as most of us have not spent enough time understanding the subtleties of human expression. As an example it might look like someone is drowning or in distress when in fact that they are not.
I am aware that love creates a joint bond that can assist with just knowing if a loved one is in trouble.
Dreaming is the most pleasant of experiences and help destress situations in everyday life and can help with daily issues.
I would utilize social imagination as a tool to help you refine your feelings and dream walking.
First time finding out the nature of empathy. Love and being able to consider unconditional love as a natural expression of everyday living. It became apparent just how love overwhelms us and we just can’t help but create a better space and place.
I am grateful not to be the only one to discover the same information and indentify with similar feelings and experiences since I was at least 12. We don’t understand much about ourselves at these times and much of the skill sets get eroded and tempered by society.
I am grateful to have found this platform.
I never ever really post a comment.
I am grateful for this enlightening evolution. As much as I have delved into multiple religions and faiths, and knowing when people lie but believing them, reiki attunement, dragon magic and many other disciplines including psychology degree.
Thanks very much for supporting and providing this information.
I would urge everyone to please focus on everything loving and do everything you can to nurture this. Our future depends on it.
This article was very enlighting. I never realised there were different types of empaths. I feel Im a mixture of them. I rang true with being an earth empath. I was extremely depressed and worn out, I kept saying I just need the world to stop, which I new was impossible and felt my world needed to stop but you need to make money and keep going you can’t just stop ! But then covid hit and the world did stop !😳🤷 I feel covid has hit so the earth can heel and recover from all that we do to it. It was all very strange.
I deeply relate to what you’re saying. Last year, when the first lockdown occurred and everyone slowed down, it was amazing to see how the air cleared up and nature seemed to recover from the abuse of human race.
I’ve known for a long time that I’m an emotional empath, but the term “geomantic” was new to me. However, I think I’m also that type. I pick up strong feelings in places where there are entities or spirits hanging around, and I also get hits in historical sites with violent or unhappy experiences.
I am so glad to hear that you learned more about being a geomantic empath! It is truly magnificent to be so connected to places, isn’t it?
I feel that I am both an emotional empath and a physical empath, I just tend to be more of an emotional empath than a physical empath, because I take on more emotions than pain from others.
I am a retired nurse. RN to be exact. I found the explanations for three of the above resonated with me. Intuitive, Emotion and physical. While working as a nurse, I had the “gut” feeling and found it easy to identify with my patient’s symptoms. It has only been recently that I have found that I could be an Empath. Also. The intuitive part was very handy being an emergency room/trauma nurse. (It especially was helpful as a parent on 6 children. I always knew who “did it” and who wasn’t telling the truth lol)