Taking up your own space, finally.
If you've spent years making yourself smaller - editing what you say, managing how you come across, apologising for taking up room - low self-esteem and self-doubt can feel like second nature by now. Almost invisible, even to you.
That inner voice of self-criticism, telling you you're not quite enough, or too much, has usually been there a long time. It can feel less like something you're doing to yourself and more like just how things are, which is exactly why it's so hard to shift on your own.
I offer self-esteem and confidence counselling in Exeter, Exmouth and online, working gently but honestly with the self-doubt and self-criticism underneath, not just the surface symptoms.
- A harsh inner critic that's louder than any voice around you
- Self-doubt that makes you second-guess decisions, or apologise before you've done anything wrong
- Feeling like you have to earn your place, rather than simply having one
- Holding back in relationships, work, or conversations - playing smaller than you actually are
- A nagging sense that other people have got it worked out, and you haven't
You might recognise...
What we actually do about it...
We start by understanding where the self-criticism comes from and what's kept it switched on for so long - with real warmth, not judgement.
From there, we look at what it would actually feel like to take up more space in your own life and build towards that at a pace that feels right for you.
This isn't about forcing false confidence or "positive thinking." Self-esteem work is steadier and kinder than that: understanding the pattern, loosening its grip and building something more solid underneath it.