17 Secret Empath Types You HAVE to Know About

by Caroline van Kimmenade

You want to know who you are. Of course you do! Of course we all do! And one of the ways the internet caters to that is by giving us lists of different types. What type of muppet we are. What kind of vegetable we’d be. What type of friend we are. And more recently, lists of empath types and which one you might be…

 

drawing of different kinds and types of empaths

 

And some of these lists make it sound like, if you have a fleeting, caring thought… you must be an empath! Err, no. 101 recap: being an empath means you feel + absorb emotional burdens from others on the psychic, energy level. It’s not just being more sensitive or being a nice person.

Anyway, being the mob pleaser that I am, I am giving you a list of 17 SECRET empath types!

Because secrets are more interesting. And often, when people start talking a lot, unnecessarily, about how much of an empath they are, they are actually one of these types. (That’s the secret part, even if it’s clear as day to others around them). In other words, this is the list behind the lists that you’ll usually find online.

Let’s get to it! Here are 17 secret types of “empaths” that I have met over the years:

 

1. The Windmill Empath – The Windmill Empath is constantly moving, clearing, shifting, cleansing energy . Is really busy with self-care practices. Nevertheless, things never seem to get better because they just keep going through the same motions, over and over. At best, they stay afloat, but they don’t progress. Windmill Empaths love sharing their bag of practices with others. They will tell you that doing daily, non-stop clearing is just what you have to do when you’re an empath! Maybe they like being busy. Either way, they are very busy with their spiritual practices!

2. The Couch Empath – The Couch Empath loves the label yet never seriously investigates it . S/he uses it to point fingers at other people’s “toxicity”. The Couch Empath basically uses the empath label as a “I’m special” sticker and that’s it. This type is not actually an empath.

3. The Guru Empath – Throws around big words and ideas like “I just cannot handle a lack of integrity” and “my energy cannot tolerate inauthenticity”. Is essentially a show-off. Typically a pychic narcisssist, not an empath. Guru Empaths want their claim to fame, not true healing . These types can get very famous because they want to have a huge audience and will do all they can to make it happen.

4. The Best Empath – Is “in the know” about what the most powerful, impressive, greatest-ever kind of empath is. And of course, they are IT. (Never mind that there is no “best” when it comes to these kinds of things). If they actually have psychic abilities, they are most likely to be a psychic narcissist. If not, a regular narcissist. The “Best Empath” is interested in spiritual status, nothing more .

5. The Subcategory Empath – The Subcategory Empath spends a lot of time consulting different lists of empath types. Has a whole list of names and abbreviations in their social media profile to let other people know exactly who they are. Spends all their time consulting lists and overviews of different kinds of empaths. Meanwhile, loses sight of the bigger picture and does not do anything about the problems they are experiencing, except label them in ever increasing precision (which may or may not be correct).

6. The Wannabe Empath – thinks being an empath is the coolest thing ever and will ask around to try and find out how to become one. Probably watches too much t.v. Approximate age: 14. Wannabe Empaths live in a fantasy world. They want to become an empath bc it’s “cool”.

7. The Borderlie Empath – may or may not have psychic abilities, but either way has a serious – and correct – Borderline diagnosis and now uses empath theories to try and explain their problems – and responsibilities – away. Borderlie Empaths use “empath” explanations to paint themselves as chronic victims .

8. The Resigned Empath – Has “accepted” that they are an empath, and has resigned to a life of burdens and emotional overwhelm. Does not believe that anything can be done about their situation. Of all the types of empaths, this type is the most stuck. Sometimes, being an empath runs in the family and they have a lot of family stories about how “that’s just what it’s like being an empath”. In short, Resigned Empaths have given up on their own healing .

9. The Convinced Empath – Will actively participate in ceremonies, rituals and group processes designed to take on the burdens of others. This may be in a religious, new age or meditation context. While they are already plenty burdened, they are convinced that burdening themselves more is the right path to take. They willingly increase their emotional load. Convinced Empaths believe they have to increase their emotional burdens to be good .

10. The Bottom of the Barrel Empath – Consistently and without fail prioritises everything and everyone over their own needs. Has access to solutions for their overwhelm, but never makes time to explore and apply those solutions because there is always someone out there who needs them more and who is more important. May worry that they are a nobody if they don’t serve the world 24/7. The Bottom of the Barrel Empath puts themselves at the bottom of every list .

11. The Spiritual Junkie Empath – Has empath (or other psychic) abilities and wants to know how to become more spiritual. Instead of simplifying their life and becoming more grounded, they want to keep learning new cool new age magic tricks. May be heavily invested in their identity of being a spiritual person with special gifts. May see “opening their spiritual abilities more” as a cool adventure. May see it as fulfilling their destiny. Either way, is oblivious to the cost of this pursuit in terms of life balance. Will over time, experience more and more problems in the practical, material side of their life (because they neglect it). The Spiritual Junkie Empath sees MORE spirituality as the answer to everything.

12. The Traveling Empath –  The Traveling Empath keeps moving around constantly (or wishes they could) . Often dreams of traveling the world non-stop and believes that would be a solution to their overwhelm. Uses constant distraction to not have to feel what is happening in their body. Keeps relationships superficial to avoid the complications of deeper friendships and the ensueing energy entanglements. Their primary focus is on how to escape where they are now.

13 The World Cleaner Empath – The World Cleaner Empath is convinced that it is their life purpose to cleanse the world of toxic energies by using their body as a pool filter. They are oblivious of the cost of this to their own body and/or believe that the health costs are worth it.

14. The Professional Empath – The Professional Empath built a healing business upon absorbing and transmuting energy from other people. Their empath abilities are literally their income source. May do impressive group healings that completely (and in secret) wipe them out for days after. Will likely refuse to learn how to unburden themselves because they fear that would mean losing their clients, losing their status and losing their sense of purpose.

15. The Higher Empath – May or may not be an actual empath. Either way, their life revolves around spirituality and seeking something “higher”. Their idea of freedom is not having to look after their own body, at all. This type often struggles (hard) with money, healthy eating and basic life responsibilities. The Higher Empath literally uses spirituality to get high.

16. The Robot Empath – Of all the empath types, Robot Empaths are one of the most confusing. They are so disconnected from their body and their feelings, that noticing any feeling at all hits them like a psychic bolt of lighting. They’re convinced that that one tiny emotion they just noticed is so exceptional, so unusual that it MUST be proof of special abilities. The reality is that they are like someone cooped up indoors for ages, and then they go outside: OMG, what is it?? Is it the smell of fresh air? No, it has to be magic! In other words, Robot Empaths are so shocked by their own feelings that they think it’s a special psychic ability . A.k.a. they are not actual empaths.

17. The Heavenly Empath Heavenly Empaths had a special, out of body experience once upon a time. They received mentoring on the other side, behind the veil, up there, from a spiritual being. Which is all fine and good but now they get stuck in their life because they keep yearning for that special time. Instead of integrating their experiences and putting them to practical use, they become obsessed with “going back”. They may say a lot of other things about their goals, but the only thing they really want is to experience that otherwordly mentorship again. Heavenly Empaths are like paupers who spent a week at the golden palace and now can’t adjust to normal life anymore, because they don’t want to. If they become teachers, they may build ALL their teaching and insight upon this one heavenly experience that they had (years ago).

 

 

Pfew, that wasn’t your usual list of empath types, was it? On a more serious note, people can get carried away with endless “types” of empaths. Which – while interesting for about 5 minutes – is pretty pointless because the underlying dynamic of empath sponging is the same (whether it applies to people, or animals or the earth or just that one very specific thunderstorm).

Most empaths I know pick up on a bunch of different things (That is, different kinds of combos of emotions and thoughts, from different sources) and they all need the same core techniques to resolve their empath sponging. Of course there are differences, but the core tools they need are exactly the same! That is good news because it means that all those lists of who picks up on what kind of energy say nothing about the solution you need. There are not 30 different toolboxes depending on the kind of empath you are! There is just one – for empaths. And then there are some other tools for people who seem like empaths, but aren’t.

 

 

So the only real thing worth figuring out is whether you are an empath at all, never mind all the empath types! Being an empath means you feel + absorb emotional energy from others. There are other ways of picking up on energy from others, but being an empath means you feel + absorb. Kind of like someone hands you their bag to hold, but then they never take their bag back.

When you know you feel + absorb energy from others, the next step is to learn how to stop absorbing. Because you’re not a trashcan, and you don’t have endless storage space!

Oddly enough “empath” has more recently become something that many people want to be. I should know because there are plenty of people who when I tell them they are not an empath, are upset! (Even though being an untrained empath is one of the toughest things there is, so not being one just means having one less thing to worry about!)

Because being an empath is given special spiritual status in many groups, there are also countless lists about empath types that are really just a kind of brag: “Look at how spiritual I am” “Look at all the special things I can do” “How special are you? What are your spiritual gifts?”. The actual empaths know though that being an untrained empath is nothing to brag about. It’s exhausting and overwhelming. It only really gets good once you become a trained empath and essentially stop doing some of that “special spiritual stuff”.

 

Questions? You’re welcome to set up a Clarity Call.

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