Self-esteem is a term that refers to your overall sense of self-worth. The way you feel about yourself, your value, what you deserve, and what you can achieve is tied to nearly everything –- your career choices, relationship patterns, friendships, self-care, ability to learn from challenges, and so on.
If you have low self-esteem, you might feel stagnant in your life and personal growth. You may be self-critical, withdrawn, clingy, or people pleasing.
Or, maybe you stay in jobs or relationships that aren’t fulfilling or healthy for you. The idea of being able to find someone better suited for you feels almost impossible. The possibility that YOU can find and be chosen by a better job, better person, or better friends feels unimaginable because in your mind there are so many things that are not “good enough” about you.
“I don’t know why people like me.”
“I don’t want to take up people’s space and time.”
“I feel broken.”
You may find that you’re overly critical or judgmental of other people like your partner or your friends.
You put your all relationships and lose yourself as a result because their being with you makes you feel a sense of self worth.
When faced with challenges, you easily feel overwhelmed and defeated,
It’s hard to make decisions because you doubt yourself and your judgement.
You put up with situations that you aren’t comfortable with.
You don’t voice your needs or thoughts because you don’t feel they are valid.
Uncover the roots of your low self-esteem. Sometimes, seeing yourself with low worth develops as a result of messages, implicit or explicit, communicated to us by our family, community, or society at large about us. Other times, it develops for more complicated reasons. This is what we will collaboratively figure out in therapy.
When we are able to identify the roots of your low self-esteem, we can begin to address your shame and self-doubt in a more nuanced individualized way. Imagine being able approach challenges and opportunities with excitement and creativity about what you can achieve rather than being overcome with fear and doubt. Imagine being able to see yourself, your strengths, your areas of growth, and yourself with acceptance and compassion. This is what we will journey towards in the process of therapy.