Counselling for low self-esteem
If you've spent years being your own harshest critic, therapy can help you understand where that voice came from and build a kinder relationship with yourself.
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What low self-esteem feels like
Low self-esteem isn't always obvious from the outside. You might come across as confident, capable, even successful, but inside there's a running commentary telling you you're not good enough, that you're going to be found out, or that other people are just being polite.
It can show up as constantly comparing yourself to others, struggling to accept compliments, or feeling like you have to earn your place in every room you walk into. You might avoid putting yourself forward for things, stay in situations that aren't good for you because you don't think you deserve better, or spend so much energy looking after everyone else that there's nothing left for yourself.
Sometimes low self-esteem has been there for so long it just feels like who you are. But it's not. It's something you learned, and that means it can change.
How psychodynamic therapy helps with self-esteem
The way you see yourself didn't develop in a vacuum. It was shaped by your earliest relationships, by the messages you received about who you were and how much you mattered. If those messages were critical, dismissive, or inconsistent, it's not surprising that your internal voice reflects that.
Psychodynamic therapy explores these roots. We look at where your beliefs about yourself came from, what reinforced them, and how they play out in your life now. This isn't about affirmations or forcing yourself to think positively. It's about genuinely understanding why you see yourself the way you do.
Over time, as you begin to make sense of where these feelings started, something shifts. The critical voice doesn't disappear overnight, but it loosens its grip. You start to see yourself more clearly, and often more kindly.
You're allowed to take up space
If you've been living with a voice that tells you you're not enough, therapy can help you challenge it. I'm happy to have a conversation about how that might work.