Are you struggling with low self-esteem? Self-esteem is the measurement of how you value yourself and it determines how confident you feel in yourself. It can be influenced by personal thoughts, others' perceptions, appearance, upbringing, and several other factors. When your self-esteem is low, your mental health and perspective on life can suffer. At Symmetry Counseling, we provide self-esteem development counseling to help individuals maintain a more balanced, authentic, and positive view of themselves.
What is Self-Esteem Development Counseling?
Self-esteem development counseling is a therapeutic approach to helping individuals cultivate a positive sense of self-worth and confidence. In these counseling sessions, therapists uncover underlying thoughts and feelings that may contribute to low self-esteem.
Through various cognitive-behavioral techniques and personalized strategies, clients can build a healthier self-image and develop greater self-respect.
What Does Healthy Self-Esteem Look Like
When an individual has healthy self-esteem, they feel good about themselves and feel deserving of respect. They often take pride in their accomplishments and have a realistic view of themselves. Below are a few characteristics of individuals with healthy self-esteem:
- High Self-Confidence
- Recognize and Understand Their Emotions
- Take Accountability
- Resilient to Stress and Setbacks
- Expressing Their Needs and Opinions
- Believe in Their Ability to Make Decisions
- Communicate Openly Without Fear of Judgement
Signs of Low Self-Esteem
While low self-esteem is not depicted as its own diagnosis, in the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V), the effects of it are very real. A diminished self-esteem can decrease self-worth, amplify self-critiquing behaviors, and trigger mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Key indicators of low self-esteem include:
- Judging themselves and others harshly
- Experiencing low self-confidence
- Lacking assertiveness
- Struggling with indecisiveness
- Experiencing social withdrawal
- Focusing on negativity
- Susceptible to anxiety and depression
- Having difficulty with criticism
Low self-esteem looks different for each and every person; some may show all the signs listed above while others may only have a few.
How Can You Develop Self-Esteem in Therapy?
Our counseling services promote sustainable self-esteem development through our effective strategies tailored to each individual. Our therapists help you become mindful of negative self-talk and criticism. We also help you forgive yourself and others for past mistakes and choices.
Additionally, we help you shift your focus toward positive thinking and unlearn unhealthy habits of self-comparison. Through therapy, you can practice setting expectations and goals that are realistic and attainable.