Perhaps you constantly feel like an outsider,  where you have some connections which you feel you should be grateful for, but you never quite feel like you belong in the same way that some people seem to. 

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Low self-esteem can manifest in various ways, from struggling to make and maintain relationships, to feeling stuck and dissatisfied, to wishing you had more confidence at work or in your studies. A fear of rejection often comes up for those with low self-esteem, possibly leaving them hyper-aware and searching for signs of disapproval from others, feeding into a vicious cycle of self-doubt and shame.

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Counselling can provide the safety to say out loud how you really feel, without the risk of feeling judged.  Often, we can put on a mask and go about our lives, pretending we are confident, pretending that we feel okay.   My job is to provide you with a safe non-judgemental haven and feeling of security that you need to be able to voice your deepest insecurities. Saying it all out loud is a powerful beginning!  

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Often the unpleasant emotions around our self-worth have been buried, so we can no longer access them easily.  This may have helped us get through life at some point in the past, and it might still do so at times, but it is not going to help us feel better about ourselves!  I work with clients who are struggling to connect with their emotions to be able to rebuild connection and balance.  I will also sit with you through any pain that may follow. 

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I employ various techniques to help clients navigate their journey toward self-acceptance and healing, through helping clients increase their self-awareness and challenge irrational thinking, so that they are no longer shackled by negative self-talk and gradually shift their self-perception to one of self-compassion and understanding. Transactional Analysis is one such valuable tool that aids in uncovering the origins of our negative self-beliefs, often rooted in deep-seated wounds from our past, sometimes very early on in life. 

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Once we better understand where our self-esteem issues have come from, we can begin the process of regrowth. Through storytelling and exploration, I encourage clients to create their own narrative, connecting with their authentic selves and working towards being free from the impact of the past and feeling more grounded and confident.