Self-Esteem

The term self-esteem refers to our overall subjective emotional evaluation of our own worth – in other words, it’s your attitude towards yourself. Self-esteem begins to take shape in childhood and can be influenced by many factors, including early experiences at home or school, familial relationships, the media, your age and role in society and how people react to you. It is totally normal for your self-esteem to fluctuate – for example feeling down about yourself once in awhile. However, most individuals develop a baseline self-esteem that remains fairly constant over the course of their lifetimes. If you are struggling with low self-esteem, you likely spend significant time criticizing yourself and you may experience frequent feelings of shame and self-doubt. The good news is that, with work, you can change your baseline self-esteem. Therapy for self-esteem issues can help you work toward feeling confident, valuable, and worthy of respect. Reach out to one of TherapyDen’s self-esteem experts today.

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Self-esteem challenges often go hand-in-hand with anxiety and are common within the LGBTQ+ community. Equally importantly, whatever good people may take from counseling must continue to be fueled by them, both between sessions and after counseling ends. People who develop a more confident or kinder self-concept are most likely to apply strategies to maintain their own wellbeing and pursue a fulfilling life. As such, I strive to support clients in developing intrinsic self-worth and empowerment.

— Amber George, Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia Beach, VA

Self-esteem and depression often go hand in hand. If you aren't feeling very good about yourself, you're probably not feeling very good about your life and your future. I'll help you work through feelings of inadequacy, shame, and guilt, and start acting in ways that respect the true value of who you are. I encourage client's to learn about and practice self-compassion (if you're assuming this just means being nicer to yourself- you're wrong- it's so much more)!

— Caitlin DeWeese, Licensed Professional Counselor in Austin, TX
 

Self-esteem is something every human being connects with. In therapy, we can discover your relationship with self love/self esteem and understand more of what is potentially blocking you from having a better relationship with yourself. Self Esteem can also be tied to how we perceive how others view us, and that is also a big topic that can be helpful to talk through in therapy. I have a history of supporting individuals who want to become a more empowered version of themselves.

— Simone Koger, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in ,

Struggling with low self-esteem can feel like carrying an invisible weight that drags you down and makes your daily tasks harder. If you struggle with not feeling "good enough" or like you don't deserve good things, we can work together to help you nurture self-compassion and cultivate a healthier relationship with yourself.

— Maggie Malone, Clinical Social Worker in Marietta, GA
 

Our beliefs in ourselves shape our lives. This is influenced by our upbringing and society. Once we internalize this, it can be hard to shake. Together, we can learn about how to separate from these thoughts and reconnect compassionately toward your strengths, growth and what matters to you.

— Jonathan Vargas, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York, NY

You feel like a mess, full of insecurities and indecision.  It’s even hard for you to take a compliment.  The voice in your head is your worst critic.  You know it’s time to do something about your low self esteem. I use a combination of exploring the root causes of your low self esteem and practical strategies to employ immediately so you can strengthen your self-confidence/  self-esteem, and begin developing the life you are capable of having and deserve.

— Jon Waller, Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Fort Lauderdale, FL
 

Self-esteem or self-worth lies at the very core of our being. We often develop our sense of self through relationships with others and early life experiences. Understanding how and why we believe things about ourselves can free us up to adopt new beliefs - such as worthiness, okay-ness, and even self-compassion.

— Katie Webb, Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in Austin, TX

Self-esteem is the belief in one’s ability to handle life productively. Life experiences and successful interactions help to build healthy self-esteem. A difficult childhood, critical caregivers or peers, or other stressful life events can damage self-esteem and lead to negative beliefs about oneself. Low self-esteem can impact a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns.

— Stephanie Puckett, Licensed Professional Counselor in Raleigh, NC
 

My expertise in this area comes from my deep interest in narrative therapy and self-directed learnings about the power of stories (external and internal) to shape our sense of self.

— Tyler Benjamin, Therapist in Durham, NC

My approach to treating self-esteem issues often begins by delving into an individual's past. Childhood experiences, especially early relationships and attachments, significantly impact your relationship with yourself. Together we explore the internal dialogues and unconscious beliefs that contribute to your negative self-perceptions. These insights help clients recognize how they may be their own harshest critics and provide an opportunity to reframe their self-talk with compassion and empathy.

— Jake Sims, Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in San Francisco, CA
 

Having confidence in one's own abilities develops over time. There is a cyclical nature to setting and enforcing boundaries (including saying "No"), advocating your needs, being kind with oneself, and pursuing and achieving goals that both helps develop self-esteem as well as maintain and increase it. As with many things in life, this takes risk, but you don't have to do it alone. I can help support you through this process.

— Carisa Marinucci, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Las Vegas, NV

Problems with self-esteem can come in so many forms. It may come in the form of relationships - wondering if you're worthy of another's love or attention. It might come at work, with feelings like you are a fraud or you will never be good enough to advance in your career. It might come in the form of day to day anxieties - those little worries that can sometimes add up to paralyzing self-doubt. I want to help you sort through these worries and insecurities and develop new ways of coping and new thought patterns that can help counteract these beliefs. I also teach my clients mindfulness and self-compassion, which are tools that can help improve self-esteem.

— Ashley Hamm, Licensed Professional Counselor in Houston, TX
 

Sometimes it can be hard to put your finger on what is causing those feelings of emptiness or a sense of not being good enough. We can work together to look into your past and see where this pattern began so that you can break out of the cycle of self-criticism. That critical voice is trying to protect you from something, but it doesn't seem to be working anymore. We can work together to find a way to love all the parts of yourself and get them on the same page working towards your goals.

— Colleen Hennessy, Licensed Professional Counselor in , CA

How we feel about ourselves strongly impacts the choices we make, our social interactions, as well as the intimate relationships we find ourselves in. Sometimes the most helpful approach in addressing life situations (bad relationships, dissatisfaction with work, and any other life challenge) is using a “back-door” approach. By addressing low self-esteem directly, some people find that these life stressors (that are often the symptom rather than the problem) tend to resolve.

— Andrew Davis, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in , CA
 

If it is difficult to feel as though your needs and wants matter, if you aren't sure that what you are experiencing is "bad enough" to receive support, if you know how it feels to have "imposter syndrome", always waiting for someone to find out that you aren't measuring up, I can help. In therapy, we learn together what it is that you need to feel comfortable and courageous enough to be in your own skin.

— Ellen Tarby, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Ithaca, NY

Addressing self-esteem issues is vital in helping people reach their goals. Low self-esteem may result in difficulty in relationships and work. You can easily become discouraged and take things personally. Talk-therapy is just one proven way to help with those who suffer from low-self esteem. I will explore with you ways to strengthen your sense of self by helping you discover your values and other changes you can make to help you feel more empowered.

— Karen Maloney, Licensed Professional Counselor in Portland, OR
 

Self esteem & self worth are recognized as the sense of one's value or worth as a person. Self worth focuses on self-love, self-understanding and self-acceptance. Our assessment of our self esteem & self worth may be directly linked to the way we act as well as what we may tolerate from others in how they treat us. This in turn relates to boundaries. Boundaries are extremely important. This cannot be overstated. It is critical to identify your boundaries in life.

— Lynette Cisneros, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Raleigh, NC

Specializing in treating Individuals of all ages struggling with low self-esteem, people pleasing behaviors, and difficulty setting personal boundaries.

— Jamee Leichtle, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Denver, CO
 

Finding the causes of your negative thoughts and beliefs and then replacing them for positive affirmations and believes we will start building your self-confidence and self-esteem.

— liliana cardona, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor