• What Is Self-Esteem?

    Self-esteem is your confidence in your worth, abilities, or perceived value.

    Healthy self-esteem is a precious psychological resource that correlates to good relationships, achievement, and satisfaction. Positive self-esteem can motivate you to navigate your life with an assertive attitude with the belief that you can accomplish your goals. Low self-esteem can occur when we personalize an incident and respond in a self-defeating or self-destructive manner. This can manifest as trying to “earn” others’ love by accepting poor treatment, isolating yourself out of fear of rejection, or eventually contributing to other mental health concerns.

    You have the right to feel good about yourself. Self-esteem is vital to a flourishing life. You can accomplish anything if you believe in yourself and have the motivation to carry out your goals with a positive outlook. I will work with you to address the emotions underlying your self-esteem. My goal is for you to develop a healthy relationship with yourself.

    People with self-esteem:

    • feel they are liked and accepted by others
    • they take pride in their work and what they do
    • They trust and believe in themselves

    People with low self-esteem:

    • feel bad about their abilities and themself
    • are often hard or rigid on themselves
    • Generally think they will never be good enough

    Where Does Self-Esteem Come From?

    Parents, teachers, and others   The people the child deems important in their life affects the child’s self-concept.  When they focus on the positive and good aspects, the child feels good about himself/herself.  When the important people are patient and caring, even if the child makes a mistake, they learn to accept themself as a valuable person. When children have several friends and get along together, they will develop a strong self-concept.

    If the adults scold more than they praise, the child will not feel they are worthy. Bullying and mean teasing by siblings or peers  will also negatively affect self-esteem. Harsh words can replay in the child’s head, and become part of how they see themself. Fortunately, it doesn't have to stay that way.

    The voice in your own head The things the child says to himself that repeat in the child’s head, play a big part in how they see themselves. Thinking, and repeating negative thoughts damages their confidence and self-esteem.