Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. Self-confidence is how we feel about our abilities. Feeling negative about ourselves can have a negative effect on our self-confidence and can lead to a spiral of negative thinking.
We can become overly concerned about how other people perceive us, leading us to spend too much time and energy trying to be a certain way to please others, rather than being ourselves. This perpetual feeling of not being good enough can lead to anxious feelings and even depression.
Counselling can support you in developing a trusting relationship with yourself and encouraging you to explore your attitudes, so that other possibilities can open up. Being in therapy can help you identify your core values and to learn how to stay true to them. You can explore ways to become more assertive, to learn to say no to people and things that don’t fit with who you truly are. In the supportive environment that counselling offers, you can learn to speak your truth – both inside and outside the therapy room.