Registered Psychotherapist, Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology 1994
Self esteem refers to our sense of self; being aware of what our values are, and living accordingly. It includes acting with integrity and authenticity and taking responsibility for our lives despite what may have happened to us; if we have had difficult experiences it means being aware of the self-critical mind and replacing it with self compassion; ie being kind to yourself. You can refer to Kristen Neff’s work on self compassion or Chris Germer’s; there is also 5 minutes self compassion breaks on you tube you can refer to when things get hard; be kind, cut yourself some slack and take some chances in life; that’s important.
Counsellor/Therapist, Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) with the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors
Our identities are socially constructed so it is our relationship and understanding our selves. Creating spaces to highlight our preferred narratives is a wonderful opportunity to grow, heal and re-think our selves.
Self-esteem, or lack thereof, stems from a variety of places. The relationship with one's Self, an awareness of the inner dialogue, and clear goals for change can be a good place to start for those suffering from low self-esteem.
Are you feeling like you’re not good enough? Constantly self-blaming? Let me help you gain confidence and build your assertiveness skills. You matter, and you are important.
I employ a mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural approach to help individual's recognize and reduce negative self-talk and ingrained thought patterns. We will seek out your own personal goals through a process oriented approach guided by a compassion-focused therapy lens.