What is low self esteem?
Low self esteem is when we place little value on ourselves. We may have developed a negative view of life, which can make it seem hopeless or pointless. We may spend a lot of time comparing ourselves to others, thinking that we are worthless and that others are much better than ourselves, which affects our confidence.

What causes low self esteem?
Our self esteem can be impacted by lots of different things – life experiences, our childhood, our family, our relationships. Sometimes there are particular people who make us feel inadequate. We take on negative beliefs and they affect how we feel about ourselves and our worth. Our own personalities can influence these beliefs, but sometimes these negative messages can also come from what we see on the media or our interactions on social media.

How to raise your self esteem
The key is to understand what the negative messages are that are making you feel this way. Once you understand that, then you can start to take steps to address them. These can be really small changes, such as recognising when these negative messages are untrue and exploring positive things about our lives. Another thing is to understand if these negative messages are coming from a particular person, for instance a friend, relative or partner. Looking after your wellbeing in general, doing things you enjoy and taking up new hobbies can be of help.

How can counselling help with self esteem?
Counselling can help you explore the way you feel and change your view of yourself and others.
Initially, I will help you to understand your own story – in a sense to ‘walk in your shoes’ to understand how and why you are feeling this way. I will help you to identify the negative thoughts that may have that lead to this poor self-belief. We will then look at how this impacts your behaviour and how you function in order to look at identifying what you would like to change. I will help you with some practical approaches which may help you move forward with positivity and self-belief.