Self-Esteem

Cultivating self-compassion, assertiveness, and confidence; developing ways to reduce suffering, anxiety, social withdrawal, and self-neglect.

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.

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.

Throughout our lives, our self-esteem gets knocked around a lot. It's like a rollercoaster ride with highs and usually a lot of lows. It is important to understand that self-esteem isn't just about our relationship with our bodies, but with our non-physical attributes. Self-esteem affects not only our relationship to ourselves but also how we interact with others.

We often use self-esteem to describe a feeling of confidence and security in ourselves. A solid sense of self-esteem can be one of the most powerful things that we can build for ourselves; yet, sometimes it can feel as fleeting as our mood. Instead of this superficial sense of confidence, let's create a deeply grounded sense of "self" that is authentic, purposeful, and resilient, irregardless of your environment or others around you. This may be the biggest gift you can give to yourself.

Our self-esteem along with self-worth is how we value & perceive ourselves. Low self-esteem affects our decision-making, what we tolerate and accept from others & our willingness to pursue opportunities. Our self-esteem & self-worth are directly linked to our happiness and self-respect. What we think of ourselves, our internal thoughts, significantly influence our mental health.

When confronted with difficult relationships, be it with a friend, family member, romantic partner, coworker, or employer, we often adopt roles to fit those relationships and compromise our relationship with ourselves. I help my clients to examine their relationships with themselves and others by observing what they do, how they think, and how they feel. We then use this information to heal the client's internal relationship with themselves and forge healthier external relationships.

Self-esteem is such a common issue. So many people have come to my office complaining of other issues and end up having challenges with self-esteem. People often get down on themselves because they lack self compassion, have a had time seeing the positives in their lives, have a lot of negative self talk, or internalized negativity from others. Self-esteem can improve through mindfulness, meditative practices, working with core material and changing core beliefs.

You’re doing everything “right” but you still feel dissatisfied. You have trouble letting go of the “shoulds” and “ought tos.” aybe you are a recovering (or hoping to become recovering) people-pleaser, seeking to figure out who you are independent of your utility to others. Let’s shift beliefs and patterns that no longer serve you in favor of relearning to trust your innate wisdom.

Self esteem is about how you view yourself. If you view yourself in a positive light and feel you have what it takes to overcome life challenges, that is called high self esteem. If you don't have a positive assessment of yourself, or feel like you can't overcome life challenges, that is called low self esteem. Another term that is used interchangeably is self image. Low self esteem chips away at life quality and it takes a toll on emotional health. We help you to improve self esteem.

Being kind to ourselves is not an easy process. We are prone to believe our inner critic and any information to the contrary is quickly discarded. You can take control of these internal messages. There is peace to be found from the constant negativity that seems to swirl around inside of us. Loving yourself unconditionally is a gift and I want to help you give that gift to yourself- you deserve it!

To improve self-esteem, I will help you learn how to trust your gut and really pay attention to what is happening inside of you. Our intuition is often referred to as our “inner voice” most commonly known as a gut feeling. Body Psychotherapy & Embodied Spirituality utilize the body as a compass along with visualization and mindfulness, to create healthy boundaries in your relationships, so that you have space to manifest how you want to be in the world, and heal negative thinking patterns.

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.

Loving and accepting yourself as you authentically are is not as easy as it sounds. For everyone, the journey toward self care is different. I will listen to you and be there for you as you learn how to value and respect yourself. You deserve care. I can help.

We receive countless messages about who we ‘should’ be from those around us and society. Chronic feelings of self-doubt can lead to anxiety, depression, unsatisfying relationships, distress at work, and to an exhausting sense of always needing to ‘do more’ just in order to feel like we’re enough. Our work together can help you to understand where these internal drives come from, remain connected to your value while you reach for your ambitions, and view yourself with greater compassion.

My counseling style integrates various therapeutic strategies that adapt to my client's individual and unique needs

You’re doing everything “right” but you still feel dissatisfied. You have trouble letting go of the “shoulds” and “ought tos.” aybe you are a recovering (or hoping to become recovering) people-pleaser, seeking to figure out who you are independent of your utility to others. Let’s shift beliefs and patterns that no longer serve you in favor of relearning to trust your innate wisdom.

I am strength based in my approach and will help you to see what is working for you in your life and build on that. By focusing on your strengths, your confidence will build, you'll feel better about yourself, and start to feel empowered to change the behaviors that are no longer working for you.

Research studies have shown that Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective treatments for low self-esteem. I believe that tools like CBT are beneficial but not before exploring where the root of self-esteem issues come from; whether that be early family life experience, societal bias, or unrealistic expectations placed on oneself.