Counselling for Self Esteem
Self esteem is how we value ourselves. We may feel positive and confident in our own abilities and our lives, or negative and critical.
It can influence many aspects of our lives, including work and relationships with family and friends. It often comes up when people go for counselling.
People often want a counsellor to help them boost their lack of self esteem and explore with them how to build their confidence.
Sometimes people go to see a therapist to seek support for another problem, and it emerges during therapy that the underlying issue is their low self esteem.
What is low
self esteem?
Low self esteem is when we place little value on ourselves. We may have developed a negative view of life, which can make it seem hopeless or pointless.
We may spend a lot of time comparing ourselves to others, thinking that we are worthless and that others are much better than ourselves, which affects our confidence.
Sometimes it can leave us feeling that people are taking advantage of us or that we are constantly under-achieving and need to push hard to be the best to make up for a feeling of inadequacy.
What causes
low self
esteem?
Our self esteem can be impacted by lots of different things - life experiences, our childhood, our family, our relationships. Sometimes there are particular people who make us feel inadequate.
Our own personalities can influence these beliefs, but sometimes these negative messages can also come from what we see on the media or our interactions on social media.
Ultimately, our self esteem is largely formed through our interactions with others. When these interactions have been hurtful or undesirable we take on negative beliefs which affects how we feel about ourselves and our worth.
How can
counselling
help?
Counselling can help you explore the way you feel and change your view of yourself and others.
By listening to and trying to understand your story, a counsellor can get an idea of what it is like to 'walk in your shoes' and why you might feel the way you do.
Counselling can help in identifying the negative thoughts and beliefs that have led to your low self esteem, and in finding ways to make changes that will foster positive self esteem, such as building a supportive network or being kinder to yourself.
Counselling can help you to make small changes to your actions and perspective which can make a big difference to your self-esteem.