Identity & Self-Esteem Counseling
Identity & Self-Esteem Counseling in Kansas City
In-person and online therapy to help you build self-esteem, understand your personality type, clarify the impact of any mental illness symptoms, and identify strengths, values, interests, and life direction.
Low self-esteem or self-worth
Having an unstable or fluctuating sense of self
Feeling “empty” unsure about what’s important to you
Feeling frequently disappointed with yourself
Struggling with decision-making
Excessive people-pleasing
Struggling with racial, ethnic, sexual, or gender identity
Struggling with career or relationship incompatibility
Having a difficult time identifying interests, hobbies, or activities you enjoy
Common struggles related to identity & self-esteem
Life events that can contribute to identity loss or low self-esteem
Job loss or career transition
Relationship break-up or divorce
Moving to a new city
Starting or graduating from school
Getting married
Having a baby or adopting a child
Experiencing a serious injury, illness, or chronic health condition
Aging and/or retirement
My Approach to Identity & Self-Esteem Counseling
Identity and self-esteem work can take many different shapes, depending on the circumstances that brought you in to do this work. But there are a few areas we will likely cover while working on self-esteem and identity together. See below for more information.
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This one takes place from the assessment forward. You will tell me a bit about your family of origin, important life events, important relationships, and beliefs about yourself and the world that develop as a result.
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Exploring personality traits, patterns, preferences, and ways to relating can help you better understand yourself and make sense of recurring patterns in your life.
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There are a variety of measures we can use to get a better understanding of your strengths, values, and interests. We will often do this through in-session interviews and worksheets.
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If you are presenting with any depression, anxiety, or other mental health diagnoses, we will further assess for symptoms and review together the impact of these symptoms on your functioning, identity, and self-esteem.
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I find that having a better understanding of yourself and your strengths often leads to improved self-esteem. However, sometimes it’s necessary to do more focused work on positive self-talk, self-compassion, and creating achievable self-standards. Together we will examine what your inner voice sounds like and work to replace criticism with compassion. We will also also help you set achievable standards for yourself, so your goals don’t always end up feeling so far out of reach. We will also talk about ways to interpret disappointments without turning yourself in to the problem.