Online Self Esteem therapists in Balerno, Scotland Scotland, United Kingdom UK

How we value ourselves can affect our self esteem. If we feel negative and critical about ourselves and our abilities then we will experience low self esteem. Low self esteem can affect how we fit in the world, how we feel with family, friends and relationships and how this impacts on us. It could spring from our childhood or adult experiences, school and friendship influences or our partners. We can sometimes feel inadequate or be made to feel inadequate by those around us and even by social media and current socio-environmental expectations. Working with a counsellor enables you to explore where some of these influences have stemmed from. Acknowledging, accepting and moving through these feelings and looking at changing the negative inner voice, can help build your confidence and self esteem.  

Low self-esteem can act like a quiet inner critic that holds you back. We will work on challenging those negative beliefs and replacing them with a more realistic, compassionate, and empowered view of yourself  

Low self-esteem is often rooted in the stories we have come to believe about ourselves. You may question your worth, minimize your needs, seek approval from others, or feel like you have to earn love and acceptance. These patterns can affect your relationships, decisions, and overall well-being. Together, we'll identify the beliefs that no longer serve you, reconnect with your strengths and values, and build a stronger foundation of self-worth. As your self-trust grows, so does your ability to set healthy boundaries, communicate with confidence, and make choices that reflect the person you truly are.  

I work with those going through issues related to self-esteem.  

Struggling with self-esteem can show up in many ways—doubting yourself, feeling not good enough, or constantly comparing yourself to others. These patterns can make it hard to fully enjoy relationships, work, or even your own accomplishments. We can explore where these feelings come from and begin to build a more grounded sense of confidence and self-worth. You don’t have to keep battling with self-doubt on your own—I’m here to help you reconnect with your strengths and feel more at ease in who you are  

At ComposurePsychology we have Clinical Psychologists with many years experience working with people to understand and overcome low self esteem concerns, to learn and practice new strategies for raising their confidence. We draw from evidence based therapies including; CBT, ACT, CFT, SFT, DBT, EMDR, systemic, narrative, psychodynamic and others.  

Low self-esteem is linked in most cases to neglect, abuse and bullying which must be explored to in order to find a better balance in oneself.  

I'm Emma, an integrative transpersonal practitioner dedicated to guiding you on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Through a blend of hypnotherapy, breathwork, meditation, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and spiritual coaching, I create a compassionate safe space for you to connect with the deepest levels of yourself. If you struggle with self-worth or inner criticism, our work can help you reconnect with your inherent value. I support you in healing the wounds that shaped your self-image, gently rewiring limiting beliefs through tools like NLP, hypnotherapy, and somatic practices. You’ll learn to trust your voice, set healthy boundaries, and embody confidence from the inside out. You deserve to feel empowered in your own skin.  

Self esteem can be said to be an individual's subjective evaluation of their own self-worth, based on opinions and beliefs of self. When a sense of low self esteem affects one's daily life, it can cause one to see self in a negative and critical light, reinforcing underlying doubts and fears and can eventually lead to depression and anxiety.  

Our sense of ourselves greatly impacts how we interact in the world and the type of experiences we have. Our views on ourselves does not have to be set in stone though and is something that can be continually improved and worked upon allowing us to begin to engage in the world in a much more satisfying and enjoyable way  

I use a compassionate, solution-focused approach to help my clients boost their self-esteem.  

At the core of it, no one should be able to talk you into or out of self esteem. We help you to earn this respect from and by yourself.  

Struggling with self-esteem can feel completely overwhelming, like there's no way out. As your therapist I am here to be with you, reminding you that you are not alone. We can explore your self-perception, when it is at its worst, and help you to gain more of a sense of control over this. You are not a problem to be fixed, my aim as your therapist is to try to provide the right conditions to allow you to explore whatever you want to bring to therapy to support your growth. This isn't a therapeutic approach wherein I will set a treatment plan or tell you what to do. We will work together as a partnership rather than me taking away your autonomy. I absolutely love the work I do, it is the biggest privilege being let into people’s personal worlds and seeing the immense growth of my clients. I hope to hear from you soon!  

I work with clients regarding building self esteem both in a person centred way, feeling heard and validated, as well as at times using CBT in order to reframe thoughts in order to change feelings and work towards more empowering behaviours. These behaviours in turn encourage more supportive and compassionate self talk which enables the client to feel better about themselves.  

Confidence and self esteem are areas we work with all the time. I run a Self Confidence seminar which helps people understand and to learn how to deal with their issues in this area.  

Low self-worth is often experienced as a belief - something to be challenged, reframed, or worked on. In practice, it tends to live deeper than that: in the body's habitual posture, in the contraction that happens before speaking in a group, in the felt sense of taking up too much or too little space. This work reaches those layers and creates the conditions for a different experience of yourself to emerge - not as an idea, but as something your body actually registers as true.  

How Therapy Can Help with Self-Esteem - The way you see yourself shapes everything—your relationships, your career choices, how you handle challenges, and even your overall happiness. If you struggle with low self-esteem, you're likely your own harshest critic, and that internal voice can be exhausting and limiting. The good news is that self-esteem isn't fixed—it can grow and strengthen with the right support, and therapy offers a powerful path toward seeing yourself more clearly and compassionately. What Low Self-Esteem Looks Like Low self-esteem goes beyond occasional self-doubt. It's a persistent negative view of yourself that might show up as: Constant self-criticism or negative self-talk Feeling like you're not good enough, no matter what you achieve Difficulty accepting compliments or believing positive feedback Comparing yourself unfavorably to others Perfectionism and fear of failure People-pleasing and difficulty saying no Avoiding challenges because you assume you'll fail Staying in unhealthy relationships because you don't think you deserve better Feeling like an imposter in your own life Apologizing excessively or taking blame for things that aren't your fault Difficulty making decisions because you don't trust yourself These patterns can hold you back from pursuing opportunities, building healthy relationships, and living authentically. How Therapy Helps Uncovering the Roots Low self-esteem doesn't appear out of nowhere—it's usually built over time through experiences like childhood criticism, emotional neglect, bullying, trauma, failed relationships, or repeated disappointments. Therapy helps you understand where your negative self-view originated. This isn't about blaming others; it's about recognizing that your inner critic was learned, which means it can be unlearned. Challenging the Inner Critic That harsh voice in your head isn't telling you the truth—it's repeating old messages that may have never been accurate in the first place. Therapy, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), helps you identify these negative thought patterns and challenge them with evidence and compassion. You learn to question thoughts like "I'm worthless" or "I always mess things up" and replace them with more balanced, realistic perspectives. Separating Your Worth from Your Performance Many people tie their self-esteem to achievements, appearance, or others' approval. Therapy helps you recognize that your worth is inherent—it doesn't depend on what you do, how you look, or what others think of you. This shift from conditional to unconditional self-worth is transformative and freeing. Processing Past Wounds If your low self-esteem stems from trauma, abuse, or painful experiences, therapies like EMDR can help process these memories so they have less emotional power over you. When you heal the wounds that taught you to see yourself negatively, your self-esteem naturally begins to improve. Developing Self-Compassion Self-compassion is treating yourself with the same kindness you'd offer a good friend. Therapy helps you cultivate this gentler internal voice, recognizing that everyone makes mistakes, has flaws, and struggles sometimes—and that doesn't make you less worthy. You learn to comfort yourself rather than attack yourself when things go wrong. Identifying Your Strengths and Values Low self-esteem often creates tunnel vision where you only see your perceived flaws and failures. Therapy helps you take a more balanced inventory—recognizing your strengths, accomplishments, positive qualities, and the values that guide you. Many people are genuinely surprised to discover how much they've been discounting about themselves. Setting Healthy Boundaries When you don't value yourself, you're more likely to let others mistreat you, overextend yourself, or stay in situations that diminish you. Therapy helps you recognize that you deserve respect and teaches you how to set boundaries that protect your wellbeing. Each time you honor a boundary, you reinforce your own worth. Building Assertiveness Learning to express your needs, opinions, and feelings without excessive fear or guilt is crucial for healthy self-esteem. Therapy provides a safe space to practice assertiveness and develop confidence in your right to take up space, have needs, and be heard. Breaking People-Pleasing Patterns If you've learned to derive worth from making others happy or avoiding conflict, therapy helps you examine this pattern and gradually shift toward living more authentically. You learn that disappointing someone occasionally doesn't make you a bad person, and that your needs matter just as much as anyone else's. Celebrating Progress, Not Just Perfection Therapy helps you recognize and celebrate small wins and efforts, not just major achievements. You learn to acknowledge growth, courage, and trying—even when things don't turn out perfectly. This builds a more sustainable, realistic foundation for self-esteem. Experiencing Unconditional Acceptance Perhaps one of the most healing aspects of therapy is experiencing genuine acceptance from your therapist. In person-centred therapy especially, you're met with unconditional positive regard—you're valued simply for being you, not for what you accomplish or how you perform. This experience can begin to rewire your belief about your own worthiness. Types of Therapy That Help Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Directly targets negative thought patterns and helps you develop more balanced thinking about yourself. Person-Centred Therapy: Offers unconditional acceptance that helps you internalize a more positive self-view. EMDR: Processes traumatic experiences that damaged your self-esteem. Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT): Specifically designed to build self-compassion and counter self-criticism. Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores how early relationships and experiences shaped your self-concept. Group Therapy: Provides connection with others who struggle similarly and offers opportunities to receive positive feedback and support. What Growth Looks Like As therapy progresses and your self-esteem strengthens, you might notice: Quieter, kinder internal dialogue More willingness to try new things or take healthy risks Ability to accept compliments and believe them Setting and maintaining boundaries without excessive guilt Making decisions with more confidence Less comparison to others Greater resilience when things go wrong Choosing relationships and situations that honor your worth Feeling more comfortable being yourself.  

Low self-esteem can shape how you see yourself, what you expect from relationships, what you tolerate, and what you believe you deserve. It often develops through repeated experiences of criticism, neglect, rejection, comparison, shame, or feeling unseen. My approach is warm, reflective, and focused on helping you understand the deeper roots of how you came to relate to yourself in this way, so that you can build greater self-worth, self-trust, and confidence.  

Self-Esteem or self worth is one of the most targeted issues for humans beings, unless they live in truly natural communities. We are all growing up in neurotic and untrue conditioning on how we should be, rather than supporting each other in how we are. The uniqueness of each person get sacrificed for silly idealism and children are being hindered to develop naturally. So far so bad. The good news is: your true worthiness, your self-esteem was never really destroyed. IT IS INSIDE. It simply takes taking away the lies and illusions on 'how I should be' and become how you are. I can help with that! it is much simpler than it sounds but it may not be always easy.  

Self-worth is part of self-esteem