Are You Struggling with Self-esteem or Body Image?

Do you have a rude and bratty inner critic, who always has something to say about how you look, what you just said in a conversation at work, or on a date?  Why can’t the inner critic just leave you alone? Breathe. This is so common; although you might think you are the only one, many, many people suffer from feeling “not enough.” 

Perhaps your mind is on an endless critical loop, comparing yourself to others, where you always come up short. Perhaps you look in the mirror, or at the scale, and it can ruin your whole day. Your beauty, and the playful child that is in you, are not visible to you anymore. But, you can find them again! And, you will. You are a valuable, perfect, human being, with all your (our) flaws and imperfections.

It’s likely that your feelings about yourself are tied in with anxiety and worry. Or you may be a perfectionist, where things are black and white, you are good or bad, depending on how well you did at something, or what you ate. You can learn to be your own best friend again.

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” 
― Marilyn Monroe

This is a journey I’ve been through many times with clients. We may do some excavating to learn where these messages come from; that’s important to understand. But, our main goal is to walk boldly into the future with a renewed self-concept and confidence. You will learn how to manage your persistent thoughts, tame and befriend your inner critic and learn some mindfulness techniques to have a more nonjudgmental stance toward yourself. We may do some art therapy too, as expressing ourselves through creative ways, can yield insights we may not have otherwise seen. We may also take a walk outside and spend some time doing animal-assisted therapy, if you like.

I believe we must love and accept ourselves—our whole selves—as a jumping off point in order to make the changes we seek. That’s why much of my practice involves helping you learn to understand and accept who you are. We all have many parts inside us that are often chattering, fighting with and subduing each other. When they can have a conversation with each other, we can learn so much.

“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” 
― Sharon Salzberg

Therapy for Self-Esteem and Body Image Can Help You See Yourself in a New Light

We can be incredibly mean to ourselves, and we can get stuck in the same mental patterns, over and over, day after day. One of the benefits of therapy is that it can help you change those thought patterns and recognize that just because you have a thought, it doesn’t mean that that thought is true.

I offer a gentle, non-judgmental space where you can talk about your thinking patterns and experiences without fear. My goal is to develop a strong connection with you and I feel excited and honored to be on this journey with you. I will be there to help you learn to understand your beautiful self and accept who you are.

“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.” 
― August Wilson

You may still have reservations about therapy for self-esteem and body image …

How do I know therapy will help?

Therapy certainly can help people with issues of low self-esteem and poor body image. However, I understand that there may not be enough information available to you that clearly shows what happens during therapy. That’s why I offer education on what is coming ahead when dealing with self-esteem/body image issues.  I encourage you to take advantage of my free consultation so that I can help clarify the therapy process and you can make an informed decision about whether or not to seek therapy.

Take the First Step to Increased Self-Esteem and Better Body Image

If you are interested, I offer a free 20-minute consultation. Please contact me at 720-491-1533. You can learn how to control your critical or perfectionistic thoughts, and move forward with a new confidence and self-worth. There are so many more wonderful things you can do with your mental energy than criticize yourself.

“The worst loneliness is to not be comfortable with yourself.” 
― Mark Twain