Understanding Self Esteem

Self-esteem is the way you see and value yourself — your sense of worth, competence, and belonging. When your self-esteem is strong, you’re more likely to approach life with confidence, resilience, and self-compassion. When it’s low, even small challenges can feel overwhelming, and you may doubt your abilities, your decisions, or your value.

Many people struggle with self-esteem at some point in their lives. The good news is that it can be strengthened. Therapy can help you build a healthier, kinder relationship with yourself — one rooted in acceptance rather than criticism.

What Self Esteem Is

Self-esteem is the foundation of how you relate to yourself and the world. It influences how you handle setbacks, pursue goals, and connect with others. Healthy self-esteem doesn’t mean feeling good all the time or being perfect — it means seeing yourself clearly and treating yourself with respect, even when life is difficult.

Signs of healthy self-esteem include:

• Confidence in your decisions and abilities

• The ability to set and maintain boundaries

• Self-compassion when you make mistakes

• Comfort with both strengths and imperfections

• A balanced perspective on success and failure

Self-esteem grows from experiences of support, competence, and connection — and it can be rebuilt at any point in life.

What Self Esteem Isn’t

Self-esteem isn’t arrogance, selfishness, or thinking you’re better than others. It’s also not something that stays the same forever — it naturally fluctuates with circumstances, relationships, and stress.

Low self-esteem is not a personal flaw or something to be ashamed of. It often develops from experiences like criticism, rejection, trauma, or perfectionism. These patterns can become internalized over time, shaping how you speak to yourself and what you believe you deserve. Therapy helps you challenge and rewrite those stories.

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore your self-perception and begin to build self-worth from the inside out. Together, we can identify the beliefs, patterns, and experiences that have shaped how you see yourself — and develop new, healthier ways of thinking and relating to yourself.

Therapy for self-esteem may include:

• Exploring and challenging negative self-talk

• Identifying core beliefs that impact confidence and self-worth

• Practicing self-compassion and acceptance

• Developing communication and boundary-setting skills

• Building awareness of strengths and accomplishments

Over time, therapy helps you quiet your inner critic, strengthen your self-trust, and build a deeper sense of confidence and peace.

You Deserve to Feel Good about Who You Are

You don’t have to live with constant self-doubt or feelings of inadequacy. It’s possible to develop a sense of self-worth that feels genuine and steady — one that supports you through both challenges and successes.

If you’re ready to build a healthier relationship with yourself, therapy can help you rediscover your value, your voice, and your confidence.