Self-Esteem

When you never feel good enough

Low self-esteem can affect far more than how you feel about yourself. You might constantly compare yourself with other people, worry about getting things wrong, struggle to accept compliments or feel like you have to achieve more before you can feel proud of yourself. You may avoid opportunities, relationships or situations where you could be judged, or spend a lot of time replaying things you've said and done.

For teenagers and children, this can show up through worries about appearance, friendships, school, social media or fitting in. They may seem withdrawn, highly self-critical or perfectionistic, while underneath they could be feeling like they aren't good enough or don't belong.

How can CBT help?

CBT can help you understand where these beliefs about yourself have come from and the patterns that keep them going. We'll look at the way you talk to yourself, what you expect from yourself and how comparison, avoidance and perfectionism can affect how you feel.

I'll adapt therapy to you, drawing on CBT alongside my wider clinical experience and other informed approaches where helpful.

What could change?

The goal isn't to become confident all the time. It's to feel more comfortable being yourself, make choices based on what matters to you and become less controlled by the fear of getting things wrong or being judged.

You might start taking opportunities you've previously avoided, being kinder to yourself when things don't go perfectly and feeling more able to recognise your strengths without needing constant reassurance.