Counselling can help you understand where any negative thoughts about yourself came from, making you better able to challenge them. Techniques and strategies can then be developed to help you build your self-confidence and change current negative thought patterns.

If you have low self-esteem for a long time, it can affect your mental well being. It may lead to conditions such as depression, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorders.

Building self-esteem and navigating the mental health implications can be difficult to do alone. Working with me as your counsellor can help you understand where your opinion of yourself stems from and how to challenge limiting beliefs.

Developing more awareness of your personal history and how this impacts who you are today can be eye-opening. Finding a counsellor who you feel comfortable with is key, it helps to be as open and honest as possible.

There are several different therapy types that can help here, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which helps you notice and change patterns of negative thinking. Compassion-focused therapy can also be very helpful for those struggling with self-esteem, helping you to let go of the self-blame that often comes with negative thoughts.

Arts therapies may be a good approach to consider if you find it difficult to articulate how you feel. These therapies use mediums like art, music and drama to help you process feelings and express yourself.