Counselling for Self Esteem

 

What is low self-esteem?

If you have low self-esteem, then you may have a harsh internal critic; a negative view of yourself; lack confidence; have low self-worth and not feel good enough

This can lead to behaviours such as perfectionism, people pleasing, finding it hard to say ‘no’, avoiding new experiences, constantly comparing yourself to others and fearing judgement or rejection, it can lead to anxiety or depression.

Causes of low self-esteem?

This can develop in childhood with experiences such as neglect or harsh judgement/unrealistic expectations; difficult life events such as loss or trauma; or as a result of social pressure leading to unhelpful comparisons in life and online

How can counselling help?

Counselling can help you look at the root causes of low self-esteem; to challenge self-critical thoughts; to look at your strengths and develop new ways of thinking and feeling about yourself.

CBT can help with challenging self-critical thoughts; finding more balanced beliefs about the self and developing self-compassion.

Person centred therapy can help with finding self-acceptance.  In counselling you work at your pace in a safe, accepting, non-judgemental space where you can process emotions and work towards reconnecting with who you truly are and what you want. 

Counselling can also help explore early relationships which often shape how we relate to others now.  If these early relationships were insecure, then we can be left fearing rejection or that we are unloveable.  Understanding relationship patterns helps us to build stronger, healthier connections.

With time and support, therapy can help rebuild self-esteem.  Therapy offers a way to move towards feeling more confident, resilient, and accepting of who you are with all your strengths and unique qualities.