People who have healthy self-esteem are admired because they are confident and cheerful. They tend to be successful, having the guts to face adversity with self-assurance and the drive to go after their aspirations. They are likely to enjoy happy relationships, loving themselves enough to love others without encumbering them. They are optimistic people, learning from their failures and failings, rather than blaming others for every misfortune.

If all these great things are associated with healthy self-esteem, who wouldn’t want to develop it? However, many people can’t find the confidence to give their sagging self-esteem a boost. Somewhere in the picture is a missing piece—could it be counseling?

The Key to Self-Esteem: Accepting and Believing in Yourself

According to Good Therapy, “Self-esteem is the degree to which we feel confident, consider ourselves valuable, and respect ourselves, and this greatly affects our well-being.” Clearly, healthy self-esteem has a lot to do with the self, as do the other terms that are synonymous with it—self-worth and self-image. To develop healthy self-esteem, it is important to see how it is connected to self-acceptance and why self-acceptance is basic in building and boosting self-esteem.

In its most basic form, self-acceptance means embracing who you are as a person. It “is a major hallmark of well-being.” This means loving and respecting yourself and acknowledging your weaknesses. Inability or unwillingness to accept who you are can impact your self-esteem and everything that’s connected to it. Accepting yourself doesn’t mean you have to like all parts of yourself, but you must accept that they are part of you to take appropriate steps to make yourself better.

Of course, knowing all these things doesn’t make self-acceptance any easier. It can be a long process, but getting help from a professional is a good decision.

Emotional Issues That Harm Self-Esteem

There are many reasons why you may have difficulty developing or boosting your sagging self-esteem. One could be an emotional condition. Note the symptoms of low self-esteem— hopelessness, excessive self-blame, self-loathing, unnecessary worrying, etc. Aren’t these also manifestations of depression and anxiety? This isn’t actually a startling discovery, considering that a number of studies have proven that poor self-esteem and anxiety are intertwined.

Low self-esteem is closely linked to emotional conditions, though it isn’t exactly considered an emotional issue itself. This means a condition like depression or anxiety can weigh down your self-esteem, and vice versa—poor self-esteem contributes to the development of emotional conditions. This is why you must seek professional help to prevent an emotional condition from causing further damage to your self-worth. When an emotional condition is standing in the way of developing healthy self-esteem, treatment is important.

Reconnecting and Counseling Can Help

Poor self-esteem can make you withdraw from relationships, opportunities, and many other things. If you were treated badly in the past or are fearful of what others may say or do to you, you may avoid people. Unfortunately, shying away from those who care for you can do more harm than good. You can be selective, but reconnecting with and talking to the right people can do wonders for your self-worth.

If there is a right person you should add to the list of people to connect with, it is a therapist. A therapist is a wonderful person to talk to. They can help you share your fears and worries. They understand your desire for privacy and confidentiality. They know the right techniques to motivate you to talk and the tools or strategies to boost your self-esteem. They can help you learn to believe that you are the architect of yourself and your life, and that you can make the changes you want.

Where to Find Confidence

A healthy dose of self-esteem can take you where you plan to go. Your dream need not just be a dream—you can make it come true. If you doubt it because you don’t believe you can do it, find more confidence with the help of an independent counselor contracted with Carolina Counseling Services – Southern Pines, NC.

The right-fit counselor with CCS – Southern Pines, NC can help you see what’s driving you away from accepting and loving yourself. They can work with you to resolve issues, so you don’t just react to the curveballs that life is throwing at you. You can be the master and architect of yourself and the agent of change in your life. When you believe this, you are ready to accept yourself—a critical step to boosting your self-esteem.

Related Articles:

• Journeying with Counseling: The Quest for Self-Worth
• Improve Your Self-esteem with Therapy
• Adults Can Have Low Self-Esteem Too
• Finding the Confidence to Boost Your Self Esteem