Self Esteem therapists in Chicago, IL
Browse Self Esteem therapists in Chicago, Illinois. Compare credentials, specialties and therapeutic approach. Contact a therapist to learn more.
Self Esteem
Mary Mesiha
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LICSW
Everyone struggles with self-esteem at times. It’s easy to compare yourself to others or feel like you’re not measuring up—especially in a world that constantly sets unrealistic expectations. These feelings don’t mean something is wrong with you; they’re part of being human. In therapy, we’ll work together to understand where these beliefs come from and begin to build a more balanced, compassionate view of yourself. Over time, you can learn to feel more confident, capable, and at peace with who you are.
27 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Allyson Stephens
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, MSW, LCSW
It can be hard for a lot of people to reframe negative thoughts or feelings about themselves. I am here to help you find different ways of viewing yourself. I use IFS, EMDR, Somatic Therapy, CBT, and DBT for this issue.
8 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Shawna Stillwell
Marriage and Family Therapist, IMFT-S
Low self-esteem rarely comes out of the blue. It's usually the result of internalized messages, past experiences, and parts of ourselves that learned to be critical as a way of coping. I help clients untangle where these beliefs came from and build a more compassionate relationship with themselves.
8 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Summer Stewart, PsyD
Pre-Licensed Professional, PsyD
Tired of not feeling good enough? Low self-esteem can show up as constant self-doubt, people-pleasing, or feeling like you’re never quite measuring up. You might be your own worst critic—hard on yourself in ways you’d never be with someone else. In therapy, we’ll work together to quiet that inner critic, build self-trust, and help you see yourself with more compassion. You deserve to feel confident in who you are—without having to earn it.
7 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Sarah Fandel
Counselor/Therapist, LPC, LMHC, LCPC
I am experienced in using the modalities listed above to treat self-esteem.
11 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Emily Blitz
Psychologist, PsyD
Self-esteem struggles can be painful to live with, but they often carry important information about how you’ve learned to see yourself in relationships and the world. In our work together, we focus on building a steadier sense of internal safety while also exploring what your self-doubt may be responding to—especially in relation to early experiences, major life transitions, or recurring patterns in close relationships. Approached with curiosity and care, difficulties with self-esteem can become a pathway toward greater self-understanding, self-compassion, and a more grounded sense of worth.
12 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Jason Herr
Psychologist, Psy.D.
I help individuals build a stronger and more stable sense of self-worth. Drawing on extensive clinical experience working with a wide range of concerns—including anxiety, depression, trauma, personality dynamics, and life transitions across community mental health and private practice settings—I incorporate biological and neurological education to help clients understand how patterns of self-doubt and self-criticism are reinforced in the brain and body. I also teach practical skills to regulate the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, helping clients develop greater emotional balance and resilience. Together, we work toward increased self-awareness, confidence, and self-trust so clients can engage in relationships, work, and personal goals with a clearer and more grounded sense of identity.
16 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Elaine Flockerzi
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC
I specialize in Self Esteem, as evidenced by my professional training, licensing credentials, and years of experience working successfully in this area of treatment.
8 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Empowered Wellbeing, Decolonizing Intersectional and Integrative Complex Trauma & Dissociation Recovery Support
Life Coach, view my credentials online at: www.recoveringfromwithin.com/credentialslongform
Amazing topic! Our approach is self actualization driven as an amalgam of student directed pedagogies, neurodevelopmental applications or care, attachment/belonging circuit work, polyvagal based, parts work based, intersectional/contextual based...It's an in-house recipe for how we arrive at this, the science is generally working from context/orientation> existential> attachment based>trauma work>situational and relational and adding integrative, functional or bio/neurofeedback care (sometimes administered by others) along the way. With a CPTSD focus, it's about building inner harmony with the parts or different layers of the psyche. We may also honor and work from eastern meditation principles, nature and support for the intuitive.
15 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Beck Gardner
Pre-Licensed Professional, M.A.
Difficulties with self esteem, whether you find it to consistently low or osculating between high and low, can be very damaging to a variety of areas in one's life. I work with folks to find a more positive and stable sense of self.
3 Years Experience
In-Person in Chicago, IL 60657
Online in Chicago, IL
Self Esteem
Subconscious Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapist, C.Ht.
Low self-esteem can affect every area of life, from relationships to career and personal goals. Hypnotherapy helps uncover and transform limiting beliefs, fostering a stronger sense of self-worth and confidence. Sessions support positive self-perception, empowerment, and the ability to approach life with greater assurance and clarity.
3 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Juliette Grantham
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC
I'm Juliette Grantham, a psychoanalytic psychotherapist specializing in self-esteem.
Low self-esteem is rarely fixed by encouragement. It can persist through real accomplishment, showing up as a chronic sense of inadequacy, shame that arrives without an occasion, harsh self-criticism you would never direct at anyone else, or the conviction that you are fundamentally not enough regardless of evidence. Many people describe feeling like an imposter in a life they built themselves.
I work psychoanalytically, which means we do not try to argue you into a better opinion of yourself. That voice carries an unconscious logic worth understanding: it came from somewhere, served some purpose, and often speaks in words that once belonged to someone else. In sessions we trace where it originated and what it has been protecting you from. As it becomes recognizable as something you absorbed rather than something you are, it tends to lose authority.
If you have been carrying a low opinion of yourself for as long as you can remember, I would be glad to talk.
2 Years Experience
In-Person in Chicago, IL 60603
Online in Chicago, IL
Self Esteem
Dr. Shelley Sommerfeldt
Psychologist, Psy.D.
Building healthy self-esteem is the foundation of how you value and see yourself, shaping your confidence, decisions, and relationships. I work with clients to help them recognize their worth, challenge negative self-beliefs, silence their inner critic, and develop a stronger, more confident sense of self. Together, we focus on creating lasting inner strength so you can show up more fully in your life and relationships.
24 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Mind Body Connections
Counselor/Therapist
Self esteem is at the core of all humans. If your self esteem was negatively impacted by early attachment issues, traumas, bullying, unhealthy family of origin relationships or something else, we will explore this with you and unburden the pain that your younger parts hold as a result. We will support your Core Self in bringing compassion into your system in order to restore your worth and value.
28 Years Experience
In-Person in Chicago, IL 60613
Online in Chicago, IL
Self Esteem
Rachel Honaker, Depth Counseling Services
Counselor/Therapist, LPC
How we think and feel about ourselves impacts everything in our lives, even when we're not consciously aware of it. When we feel negatively about who we are, it's going to be challenging to make meaning, find joy, maintain mutual relationships, and access peace and rest. Asking the "why?" is an important first question. The next step can be to find a safe place to search for the pieces. Therapy can be that space, not because the therapist is going make you feel good, but because it can provide a supportive environment to explore your story and how your brain arrived to the conclusion that there is something inherently negative about you. Through the process we can deconstruct the narrative that has you stuck, begin to understand yourself differently, and move towards integration and wellbeing.
10 Years Experience
In-Person in Chicago, IL 60603
Online in Chicago, IL
Self Esteem
Fatima Mohammad, Avec Counselling
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Self-esteem is often shaped through our relationships, experiences, and the expectations we carry. I support clients in understanding the roots of self-criticism and insecurity while developing greater self-trust, confidence, and emotional resilience.
5 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Dr. Ryan Kitts Schallon
Psychologist, PsyD
Self-esteem is not something you build by telling yourself better things in the mirror. That is cosmetics. Real self-worth is structural — it comes from having been received by someone who could actually see you, and from learning, over time, to hold yourself with that same steadiness. When that early receiving didn't happen, or happened only conditionally, a person learns to earn their right to exist through performance, through usefulness, through disappearing their own needs. Therapy is not about learning to think more positively. It is about discovering that the part of you that was never good enough was answering a question someone else asked — and that you are allowed to stop answering it.
3 Years Experience
In-Person in Chicago, IL 60613
Online in Chicago, IL
Self Esteem
Merrisa Dawn Santos
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LPC, NCC, CCTMHP, CCTP
In addressing self-esteem issues, I offer supportive and personalized guidance to help individuals cultivate a healthier self-perception. Through therapy, we explore the root causes of low self-esteem, such as negative self-talk, past experiences, or unrealistic standards. I provide strategies to challenge and reframe negative beliefs, promote self-compassion, and build self-confidence. Together, we work on developing a more balanced and positive self-image, focusing on strengths and achievements. Additionally, I offer tools for setting and achieving realistic goals, fostering a sense of empowerment and resilience. The goal is to help individuals recognize their worth, embrace their unique qualities, and lead more fulfilling lives.
5 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Dr Calvin Young
Counselor/Therapist, PhD, LCPC
Self esteem is shaped by so many factors, from parenting dynamics, to our pursuits as adolescents and adults, and by our relational struggles. We build self esteem from the inside out, strengthening resiliency and equipping the individual to seize their purpose and thrive
30 Years Experience
Online in Chicago, IL (Online Only)
Self Esteem
Dr. James R. McClymonds
Psychologist, Psy.D., HSPP
Are you stressed out? And is it getting harder to "just not think about it?" I specialize in helping people work through stressful transitions and high-conflict situations. Through individual or couple's therapy, we can work together to achieve the goals you've wanted, but have felt out of reach.
19 Years Experience
In-Person in Chicago, IL 60603
Chicago's size and diversity mean therapists here cover an exceptionally wide range of specialties, with strong representation in trauma, anxiety, depression, and cultural identity work across the city's distinct neighborhoods. The South and West Sides experience community-level trauma tied to violence and systemic inequity, driving particular demand for therapists who specialize in PTSD, grief, and resilience-focused work. The city is home to Rush University Medical Center, Northwestern Medicine, and the University of Chicago Medicine, with a large independent practice community concentrated in Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park, and the Loop. Chicago also has robust bilingual therapy communities serving its large Spanish-speaking, Polish, and Mandarin-speaking populations.
Self Esteem therapists in Chicago, IL Statistics
Self Esteem therapists in Chicago, IL average 16 years of experience and charge around $207 per session. 99% offer online sessions. The top treatment approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (74%), Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) (40%), and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) (39%).
Average years in practice
16 Years Experience
Average cost per session
$207
Accept insurance
49%
Offer sliding scale
37%
Gender ID
| 65% |
Female |
|
| 31% |
Male |
|
| 3% |
Non-Binary |
|
| 1% |
Gender Fluid |
|
Session Type
| 54% |
In Person and Online |
|
| 45% |
Online Only |
|
| 1% |
In Person Only |
|
Top Treatment Approaches
| 74% | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) |
| 40% | Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) |
| 39% | Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) |
| 38% | Psychodynamic Therapy |
| 34% | Existential / Humanistic Therapy |
| 29% | Behavioral Therapy |
| 29% | Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) |
Ages Served
| 98% | Adult |
| 72% | Young Adult |
| 51% | Senior |
| 40% | Teen |
| 21% | Children |
Client Focus
| 56% | Women |
| 42% | LGBTQ+ |
| 41% | Men |
| 27% | Military / Veterans |
| 25% | Christian |