Do you suffer from anxiety or depression? Have you often felt awkward and self-conscious in social settings? Do you find yourself constantly comparing yourself to others and finding that you never measure up?

Self-esteem is a concept that speaks to how we feel about ourselves. When someone has high self-esteem, they feel confident, grounded, and worthy of love. When someone has low self-esteem, they often experience a lot of shame, self-doubt and deep criticism of themselves.

Individuals with low self-esteem typically cope with it through one of the following:

a. imposter syndrome

• often looks like projecting false confidence and using accomplishments to mask insecurities while at the same time feeling like they are an imposter who doesn’t truly belong

b. rebellion

• often looks like pretending not to care about what others think, demonstrating feelings of inferiority through anger and/or blame, and possibly acting out by defying authority or even breaking the law

c. victimhood

• often looks like feeling helpless in the face of life’s challenges, playing the role of the victim, and/or demonstrating learned helplessness and relying on others

No matter how it manifests, those who experience low self-esteem often end up feeling:

• depression and anxiety

• lack of joy in life

• anger, guilt, and sadness

• self-doubt

• lack of resilience

• loneliness

• eating issues

• codependency

• self-harm

The good news is that self-esteem is something you can grow into by expanding your beliefs, behaviours, and how you think about yourself. That said, most people develop their self-esteem issues in childhood and have been living with low self-esteem for a long time. For this reason, the guidance of a trained therapist can be incredibly beneficial and supportive.

A knowledgeable and supportive therapist in your corner can help you develop a healthier and more realistic sense of self. They can help you connect the dots in your life, discover the stories behind what you believe about yourself, and provide tools for the journey. We want to help you speak love and compassion over yourself, rather than criticism and shame.

If you want to explore what this might look like in your journey, please reach out to us. We’d love to support you.