How Can Therapy Help with Self Esteem
How do you feel about your self-esteem? Is it low, high, or somewhere in between? If you are not sure, talking to a therapist can help you figure it out.
Self-esteem is basically how you see and feel about yourself. It is shaped by your beliefs, past experiences, and what is happening in your life. Your relationships, successes, and even your failures all play a part in shaping how you feel about yourself.
Self-esteem affects more than you think. It influences how much you believe in your own worth and lovability. It even impacts your decisions and life choices. Therapy is a great way to explore this.
Self-Esteem and Mental Health
Self-esteem and mental health are deeply connected. A healthy self-esteem makes you feel secure, joyful, and confident. It can boost your relationships and help you make better life choices.
But low self-esteem can do the opposite. It can make you feel insecure, doubt yourself, and even lead to depression. People with higher self-esteem tend to handle challenges with more confidence. They trust their decisions and view themselves in a more positive light.
If you are struggling with self-esteem, therapy could be a helpful tool to better understand and improve how you see yourself.
Results of Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem can lead to negative thoughts and behaviors. These can lead to poor mental health outcomes. These behaviors affect their ability to cope with life’s challenges or stressful situations.
Low self-esteem has led many to a higher risk of anxiety and depression. It also leads to substance abuse, eating disorders, and other types of disorders. Unfortunately, people with low self-esteem affect themselves and those around them. They find it difficult to maintain healthy relationships and enjoy life.
Self-Esteem and Self-Acceptance
Self-esteem, or an individual's measure of self-worth, is essential for psychological survival. An awareness of self is what distinguishes humans from animals. Self-esteem can be subjective, as how people see themselves may not be how others see them.
Unfortunately, an individual's self-evaluation can impact how they interact with others. Self-acceptance is connected to how an individual views themself, complete with their weaknesses. Self-acceptance involves treating oneself with care, compassion, and support.
Factors that Influence Self-Esteem
Self-esteem changes with time as people go through various life circumstances. Self-esteem can be situational or characterological. Situational is based on circumstances, while characterological is often based on early experiences.
Factors that influence self-esteem include:
· Gender.
· Personality characteristics such as emotional stability.
· Ethnicity.
· Socioeconomic status.
· Relationships.
· Stressful life experiences.
Some people experience more self-esteem fluctuations than others.
How Therapy Can Help with Self-Esteem
Encouraging individuals to develop healthy self-esteem is essential for promoting health and well-being. Therapy can help individuals to improve their self-esteem in various ways, including:
· Helping them to differentiate between self-esteem and self-worth.
· Encouraging them to show themselves kindness or practice self-compassion.
· Helping individuals to focus on their strengths rather than their perceived flaws.
· Learning how to set realistic and measurable goals. This helps to create a sense of accomplishment.
· Helping them to recognize both their strengths and weaknesses.
· Encouraging them to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.
Trained therapists can model healthy self-esteem during sessions. This allows their clients to learn new ways of thinking. It encourages them to desire to make positive changes in their life. Building self-esteem takes time, and clients need to remain motivated in the process.
For more information on how therapy can help with self-esteem, visit Donna Kashani, M.D. Our offices are in La Jolla, California and Phoenix, Arizona. Call (858) 776-6267 or (480) 852-9898 to book an appointment today.
https://www.verywellmind.com/ask-a-therapist-how-can-i-improve-my-self-esteem-5095001
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