Self-Esteem Issues in Therapy

When our self-esteem is low, it can create a ripple effect in our lives, affecting everything from our relationships and work to our mental wellbeing and physical health.

When we are hard on ourselves and weighed down by low self-esteem, we don’t bring our full selves to the table. 

We play small. 

We don’t step into the possibilities and capabilities that are inside us.

When we approach life this way, it creates a self-reinforcing feedback loop that can lead to withdrawal, self-consciousness, anxiety, and feelings of rejection and social isolation.

You might find that once this loop is reinforced, it is very difficult to build back your self-worth because it has been so deeply ingrained in your brain.

That’s where we come in. 

At My LA Therapy, our therapists use scientifically proven techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and Psychodynamic Therapy to literally rewire your brain. 

How cool is that?

Therapy will help you transform your conditioned patterns and rewire your neural and somatic pathways to increase your inner confidence, improve your relationships and career, and help you kick butt in life.

If you are suffering from low self-esteem, here are some common statements and self-limiting beliefs you might find yourself saying out loud or in your head:

  • “I’m broken.”
  • “I’m a failure.”
  • “No one will ever love me.” 
  • “Something is wrong with me.” 
  • “I don’t matter.” 
  • “Everything is my fault.” 
  • “Why even bother when I fail anyways?”
  • “Nothing I do ever works out.”

Do any of these sound familiar?

If you relate to any of these negative statements you might want to check out our Thought Mastery Guide and Core Beliefs Inventory for pro tips, tricks, and strategies to overcome your limiting core beliefs and irrational thoughts to become more confident, hopeful, and at peace. 

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Contributing Factors to Low Self-Esteem

This kind of negative self-talk is both a symptom and a perpetuator of anxiety and depression, and can contribute to other self-destructive behaviors, relationship and work problems,  and mental health concerns such as:

  • Eating & Food Issues
  • Social Anxiety
  • Codependency
  • Self-Harm
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Causes of Low Self-Esteem

Low self-esteem often stems from early development, when children internalize harsh criticism, bullying, or abusive behavior and/or internalize their parents modeling low self-esteem. 

This can happen when one or both parents are unsupportive, enforce unachievable expectations on their child or have a tendency to diminish the child’s accomplishments. 

Even if parents are supportive of their children, if parents are hard on themselves, perfectionistic, and self-critical, children have a habit of picking this up and internalizing these behaviors by osmosis.

Child neglect or abuse can also cause significant low self-esteem, which is why a positive attachment to parents in early adolescence is crucial to fostering self-worth. 

What is a positive attachment, you may ask? It’s when a child’s needs are met by their parents, leaving them feeling secure and understood.

Self-esteem issues can develop outside the home as well.  

For example, if a child is left out or bullied by their peers, they may develop low self-esteem and attach their worth to how others view them. 

Especially in today’s age of Instagram and social media, bullying and cyberbullying are bigger problems than ever before. 

Plus, kids and teens are often exposed to filtered images and unrealistic beauty standards which can take a hit to anyone’s self-esteem. 

Yep, even a 35-year-old adult!

Which brings us to low self-esteem in adults. Low self-esteem can start in adulthood as a result of traumatic life events such as breakups and loss of employment—which in turn can set off a cycle of negative self-talk and isolation.

Typically, there are underlying vulnerabilities that begin in childhood and are brought to the surface later in life through various stressors and trauma. 

Research-based, personalized therapy.

At My LA Therapy, our warm and experienced therapists specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, & relationships.

Our Self-Esteem Therapy Methods

Therapy helps us identify where our vulnerabilities lie and take effective steps to repair them.

Additionally, in therapy, we rebuild ourselves from the ground up, creating a solid foundation for greater self-worth, resiliency, and confidence.

Our highly-trained therapists can help you uncover the roots of your low self-esteem and shift your shame and self-doubt into confidence and self-worth. 

How wonderful does that sound?

Developing deeper self-awareness and greater confidence though therapy will help you become a more robust and resilient person so you can face life’s difficulties and setbacks with greater ease and grace.

As you begin to push yourself to tackle uncomfortable situations and try new things, you’ll begin to view the world in a new way, creating an ever-growing cycle of confidence, inner stability, and renewed passion for life. 

Our evidence-based, scientifically proven interventions are shown to be effective for overcoming low-self esteem, depression, and anxiety. 

Learn more about our empirically based therapy modalities by visiting our Methods page. 

Want to talk?

At My LA Therapy, our highly-vetted Self-Esteem experts are selected not only for their clinical acumen but for who they are.

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