3625 Eggert Rd #105 Orchard Park, New York 14127 | 3375 East Main St, Dunkirk, New York 14048
Self-Esteem Therapy
Are You Struggling With Low Self-Esteem?
Deep down, do you feel like other people are better than you? Does lack of confidence hold you back from going after what you want? Do you find it difficult to say no to other people because you’re afraid of letting them down?
Maybe you have an intense fear of failure and it prevents you from seizing on new opportunities. Perhaps you’re always worried that you’ll sound stupid or that people will judge you when you speak your mind. When you make a mistake, maybe it’s all you can think about for days. And when people give you positive feedback, you may downplay their compliments and believe they’re just faking it.
Low Self-Esteem Can Make Your World Feel Small
If you’re dealing with low self-esteem, you might feel like you take up no space in your relationships. Perhaps you find it difficult to express your needs and you constantly put other people’s needs before your own. As a result, there may be a lack of boundaries in your relationships. Because you’re always going out of your way to satisfy other people, you may begin to feel unimportant—as if you don’t deserve the same care and attention that others do.
In this way, low self-esteem can make your whole world feel small. It can make you neglect your needs and hold you back from accomplishing your goals. If you want to improve your confidence and love yourself on a deeper level, I encourage you to pursue self-esteem counseling with me.
Many Of Us Compare Ourselves To What We See On Social Media
In the Instagram age, low self-esteem is more common than it’s ever been. Our social media feeds are bombarded with images of influencers and celebrities who seem to have perfect skin, perfect bodies, and perfect relationships. The natural result is a “compare-and-despair” culture—we feel inadequate compared to all the beautiful people we see and worry that we’ll never amount to anything.
The problem is that the Instagram reality is a false reality. Most of the people who seem to “have it made” are using lots of filters to cover up their flaws and spending thousands of dollars to maintain their beauty routine. What’s more, their relationships are often deeply unhappy behind closed doors. So the standard that many of us are comparing ourselves to isn’t just unrealistic—it doesn’t exist.
Negative Self-Image Is Especially Prevalent Among Young Women
Because of all the pressure on women to look beautiful, they are often the ones hit hardest with low self-esteem. The statistics are sobering: approximately 78 percent of girls age 17 are unhappy with their bodies and 92 percent of teen girls wish they could change something about their appearance.
Therapy is a chance to look beyond unrealistic cultural standards and develop a sense of self-esteem that isn’t tied to what you see on social media. I want to help you increase your self-compassion and feel more comfortable in your own skin.
Therapy Can Help You Improve Your Self-Esteem And Love Yourself Unconditionally
When you’re struggling with low self-esteem, it’s easy to feel like the problem isn’t self-esteem, but lack of success. You might tell yourself: If I haven’t accomplished anything meaningful, how can I expect to feel good about myself?
As a therapist, my goal is to help you rethink this mindset and understand that loving yourself does not have to depend on external achievements. By showing you continual acceptance and unconditional support, I am confident that you can learn to question negative assumptions and realize that there is nothing wrong with you.
What To Expect In Sessions
In self-esteem therapy, I want to help you let go of perfectionistic ideals and learn to dialogue with yourself in a loving way. You will learn to challenge the negative voice in your head and speak to yourself as you would a dear friend. Additionally, I will teach you to celebrate your achievements and own your uniqueness. It’s okay to carve your own path—you don’t have to be like someone else in order to feel worthy.
One of the main approaches I use to help clients with low self-esteem is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The goal of this approach is to question the automatic thoughts (such as “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never be successful”) that are harming your sense of self-worth. CBT can help you focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t. This way, you can stop getting hung up on external measures of success and create a sense of self separate from what society values.
No matter how stuck you feel right now, low self-esteem is not something you have to live with for the rest of your life. I’ve seen many clients who felt hopeless in the beginning improve their confidence and learn to love themselves unconditionally. By creating a foundation of acceptance and compassion, I am confident that I can help you do the same.
You May Have Some Concerns About Self-Esteem Therapy…
Can I really change my negative thoughts?
Becoming more aware of your thoughts is the first step to changing them. In self-esteem counseling, we will work on identifying the things you unconsciously believe about yourself and asking whether or not those beliefs reflect reality. After all, it’s very easy to live day-to-day life without questioning statements like “I’m a hopeless case” or “I’ll never find someone that loves me.” Counseling for low self-esteem is a chance to challenge your assumptions and rewrite the dominant narrative about your life.
I am quiet by nature, but I don’t want to change my personality.
There is a huge difference between being quiet or introverted and having low self-esteem. Confidence does not mean being the loudest, most outspoken person in the room—you can be quiet and reserved and still feel good about who you are. I am not going to ask you to change your personality. The goal is to work with your personality as it is and utilize the things you do well to improve your life.
Will I have to do things that make me anxious?
Low self-esteem often goes hand in hand with anxiety—especially social anxiety. While I want to help you break out of avoidance patterns and take advantage of new opportunities, I am not going to make you do anything you’re uncomfortable with. You get to lead the way in therapy, so you are always in charge of what you practice and don’t practice.
Let Me Help You Carve Your Own Path
If you’re tired of holding yourself to unrealistic cultural standards, self-esteem therapy can help you embrace your individuality and embark on a path that is uniquely yours. To get in touch with me, you can use the contact page or call 716-300-1977 to schedule a free phone consultation.