Self Esteem Therapy in Bristol
Evidence based self-esteem therapy in Bristol
Build confidence with a Clinical Psychologist
Do you find yourself constantly comparing your life to everyone else’s? Keeping mental score of how you’re doing? Saying yes when you mean no — then replaying the conversation for hours afterwards?
Maybe you feel like an imposter in the life you worked so hard to build. Or you leave social events exhausted from the post-game analysis.
Low self-esteem isn’t just a lack of confidence. It’s the quiet relationship you have with yourself — how you speak to yourself when things go wrong, how worthy you feel of rest, success, love, or taking up space. When that relationship feels strained, life can start to feel heavy — even when, on paper, everything looks fine.
What to expect
You might have tried to manage this already. Looking for evidence to disprove the thoughts. Arguing back with your inner critic. Seeking reassurance from other people.
And maybe it works — briefly.
But when these self-stories are well-trodden, the brain doesn’t let go easily. Your inner critic can always find a “yeah, but…”. What follows can offer be an inner argument, possibly ending in a tailspin or tangle of thoughts. I know — because I tried this myself.
As a HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist in Bristol, I draw on evidence-based approaches, that I have connected with myself. With self-esteem, we don’t try to silence or defeat that voice. Instead, we build a different relationship with it.
First, we understand why it makes sense that this voice developed — perhaps to protect you, help you belong, or push you to achieve. Often, it formed for good reasons.
Then, rather than getting pulled into every thought, we practise stepping back and observing it. The goal isn’t to eliminate self-critical thoughts — it’s to stop them taking the driver’s seat. Lastly, we reconnect with what matters to you. The things that might have been lost in the pursuit of being the person you think others want you to be.
Together, we build compassion, flexibility, and practical skills so you can move towards what matters to you — similar to work I do in life transitions and anxiety therapy.
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a therapeutic approach that aims to reduce shame and self-criticism, and promote self-compassion and well-being. In self-esteem, it helps to understand why your brain developed a self-critical voice in the first place — often as a way to protect you, motivate you, or help you belong. Rather than fighting that voice, we explore what it might be yearning for underneath, and begin to build a steadier, more compassionate relationship with yourself.
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a therapy that helps you step out of the struggle with self-critical thoughts, and instead change your relationship with them. Rather than trying to eliminate feelings of inadequacy or doubt, we learn how to make space for them without letting them dictate your choices. The therapy helps clarify what matters to you, and find ways of committing to actions aligned with their values. It focuses on increasing psychological flexibility, the ability to be present and respond effectively to challenges, while also living in accordance with what matters most.
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Mindfulness in self-esteem work helps you notice self-critical thoughts as they arise — without immediately believing them or getting pulled into them. Instead of spiralling into comparison or post-event analysis, you learn to observe your thoughts, feelings, and body sensations with more steadiness and less judgment. Over time, this builds a calmer, more grounded relationship with yourself, making it easier to respond with self-respect rather than self-criticism.
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To understand your unique patterns, we map out how your past experiences (such as early childhood, school or relationship changes) have interacted to make sense of how you are responding now. Mapping this out offers an individual plan for therapy, combining the different therapies above.
In-Person and Online Self-Esteem Therapy
Build confidence, find inner-critic support and learn how to cope with low self-esteem. I offer collaborative, confidential and tailored sessions:
In-person self-esteem therapy in East Bristol, easily accessible from Central Bristol and serving local neighbourhoods of Old Market, St George, Hanham, Easton and Kingswood.
Online therapy across the UK
Book an initial consultation today
If you are looking for self-esteem therapy in Bristol, you can get in touch to arrange an initial consultation where I can answer any questions and we can explore whether we are a good fit together.