Self Esteem

Our sense of intrinsic worth is one of the key components of security, relationship health, and contentment. Issues with self-esteem are also correlated with some of the most common mental health struggles, including anxiety and depression. How is self-esteem developed from childhood and how is it impacted over time? 

At Denver Wellness Counseling, we partner with our clients to explore their development of SELF, and the contributing factors to both adaptive and maladaptive messages around worth. 

Some things that negatively impact our sense of self include:

  • Early experiences of inadequate parenting

  • Bullying

  • Toxic cultural messages 

  • Social media and society’s focus on comparison to others.   

  • Trauma, Abuse, or Neglect 

  • Lack of encouragement or support in childhood/adolescence around exploration and fostering unique gifts/qualities 

  • Disruption in mind/body connectivity 

  • Lacking tools for self-compassion and self-soothing 

Therapy for self-esteem includes a strengthening of CORE Self qualities and attributes, skill development in self-compassion, learning techniques to self-soothe, and trauma work as appropriate to disrupt and shift critical narratives of the self.