Self-esteem
How we think about ourselves – our ‘self-esteem’ is based on many things, including where we live, our relationships, our work role and above all else, our experiences as a child – whether we were encouraged, and whether we had opportunities to develop confidence in ourselves and our abilities.
People who have experienced criticism, or bullying or abuse are more likely than others to have low self-esteem. There are many other things that can lead to low self-esteem, such as difficult family relationships, financial worries, loss or bereavement, illness or health problems.
Having low self-esteem affects how we think about ourselves, others and the world around us. For example, we worry we are not good enough, we blame ourselves and if we hear any criticism by others, we can feel overwhelmingly angry, or ashamed or hurt.
Low self-esteem can lead us to avoid seeing people or going places, or trying too hard to please other people, at the expense of ourselves and our needs and wishes.
When I work with people who have low self-esteem, I want to understand how it impacts on your life, and together we may explore what led to the development of low self-esteem, what strengths you already have, and how you would like things to change.
When the difficulties developed early in childhood, as a result of family difficulties or abuse, the therapy takes longer, and it can involve talking about difficult and painful issues from the past. My approach is to help you feel safe, and only to talk about difficult things if and when you are ready and at a pace which feels ok for you.
References
www.glasgowsteps.com
www.cci.health.wa.gov.au
People who have experienced criticism, or bullying or abuse are more likely than others to have low self-esteem. There are many other things that can lead to low self-esteem, such as difficult family relationships, financial worries, loss or bereavement, illness or health problems.
Having low self-esteem affects how we think about ourselves, others and the world around us. For example, we worry we are not good enough, we blame ourselves and if we hear any criticism by others, we can feel overwhelmingly angry, or ashamed or hurt.
Low self-esteem can lead us to avoid seeing people or going places, or trying too hard to please other people, at the expense of ourselves and our needs and wishes.
When I work with people who have low self-esteem, I want to understand how it impacts on your life, and together we may explore what led to the development of low self-esteem, what strengths you already have, and how you would like things to change.
When the difficulties developed early in childhood, as a result of family difficulties or abuse, the therapy takes longer, and it can involve talking about difficult and painful issues from the past. My approach is to help you feel safe, and only to talk about difficult things if and when you are ready and at a pace which feels ok for you.
References
www.glasgowsteps.com
www.cci.health.wa.gov.au