Low Self-Esteem | Perspective CBT

Low Self-Esteem Treatment

Are You Struggling With Low Self-Esteem?

Do you feel like whatever you do, you don't feel good about yourself? That no matter how much you achieve, you feel like you are never "good enough"? Perhaps you try to compensate for this belief by trying to adhere to rigid (and impossibly high!) standards. Or you might cope by avoiding taking on challenges. These might be signs of low self-esteem:

Negative opinion of yourself and your abilities
Constantly comparing yourself to others
Easily hurt by criticism
Difficulty accepting compliments
Avoiding taking risks in personal and professional life
Minimizing personal successes
Focusing on mistakes
Overthinking
Feeling down, depressed or anxious
Chronic procrastination
Impostor syndrome
Tendency to blame yourself for everything

Low self-esteem can be a difficult and painful experience, leading to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and even self-hatred. If you have struggled with low self-esteem for a long time, you may feel like these negative feelings are a part of who you are and that they will never change. But the good news is that positive self-esteem can developed and strengthened with effort and practice

Questions & Concerns about Treatment for Low Self-Esteem

"I'm afraid of failing and feeling even worse about myself."

It's common to be afraid of failing, especially if you have low self-esteem! In fact, fear of failure is one of the signs of low self-esteem. But remember this - setbacks are a normal part of the process of change. The important thing is to learn from them and to keep moving forward. I will be here to support and encourage you throughout the process.

Is CBT the Right Type of Treatment for Me? What if it Doesn't Work?

It's completely normal to be worried that CBT may not help with low self-esteem. It's important to remember that every person is unique and what works for one person may not work for another. However, research has consistently shown that CBT can be an effective treatment for low self-esteem and other related issues, such as depression and anxiety.

CBT focuses on helping people identify and change negative patterns of thinking and behavior that contribute to their low self-esteem. It involves working on specific goals and tasks in each session and between sessions, and often involves homework assignments and exercises to help you practice new skills and behaviors.

It's also important to remember that therapy is a process and it may take time to see progress. It's important to be patient and consistent with your treatment and to give yourself credit for the progress you do make.

How I Can Help

If low self-esteem is the issue that's bringing you to therapy, we would usually begin by assessing how you've come to develop the problem. Perhaps you've been neglected, abused or harshly criticized as a child, or perhaps you've been bullied as an adolescent. Once we have an idea of the roots of your problem, we would next identify current thinking patterns and behaviours that keep your self-esteem low. For example, if no matter what you achieve you are constantly telling yourself that you could have done a better job, you may be reinforcing the idea that you are not competent enough. Or if you've declined promotions at work because you believe you just don't have what it takes, you never get to find out your true capabilities and improve your self-confidence. We would then work on helping you challenge your self-defeating thoughts and behaviours. Finally, we would help you formulate an alternative, balanced perspective of yourself.

There is a workbook called "Improving Self-Esteem" that I like to use whenever I work with someone who struggles with self-confidence, which you can find at: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/For-Clinicians/Self-Esteem

OK, I think I Struggle with Low Self-Esteem...What Next?

Please fill out the form below to set up a free 15-min phone chat where we can talk about your low self-esteem symptoms and treatment options.