Specialist Support
Self-Esteem Counselling
BACP accredited counselling for low self-esteem, in person in Seven Kings, Ilford, and online across the UK. Self-esteem is about how you value yourself, and when it is low it tends to quietly set the ceiling on everything else.
What You Might Notice
How low self-esteem operates
Low self-esteem is often invisible from outside. People who appear capable and well-liked can hold a very poor opinion of themselves privately.
A critic that never rests
An internal commentary harsher than anything you would say to anyone else, running more or less constantly.
Deflecting anything good
Praise feels uncomfortable or untrue, so it gets batted away. Evidence that contradicts the belief does not get to land.
Apologising by reflex
Saying sorry for taking up space, asking a question, or existing in a room. Often paired with difficulty saying no.
Measuring yourself against others
Constant comparison in which you always come out behind, now with a phone full of material to compare against.
How Therapy Helps
Working on self-esteem in therapy
Self-esteem is learned, which means the first useful question is where it was learned. We look at the messages you absorbed, who gave them, and why they stuck, because a belief you can trace is easier to question than one that feels like simple fact.
Some of this work is also about the present. Being around someone critical or controlling can erode self-esteem steadily, and it is worth knowing how to recognise gaslighting and what narcissistic behaviour looks like if either rings true.
Alongside that we work on acting differently before you feel differently, since the feeling usually follows rather than leads. Prioritising self-care is often an early practical test of that.
If your difficulty is less about how you value yourself and more about trusting yourself to act, the confidence counselling page covers that side.
Practical Details
How sessions work
Sessions last 50 minutes and usually run weekly at the same time, in person in Seven Kings, Ilford, or by secure video anywhere in the UK.
Face-to-face in Ilford
A quiet, discreet ground-floor room at 59 Cameron Road, Ilford IG3 8LG, a few minutes on foot from Seven Kings station, with free off-street parking.
Online across the UK
Secure video sessions if travelling is difficult, or you would simply rather meet from home.
Day and evening slots
Weekdays 9:00am to 2:30pm, plus evening appointments Monday to Thursday, 5:00pm to 7:00pm.
A free first call
Start with a free 15-minute phone consultation before you commit to anything.
Further Reading
Related reading
More across the blog.
Take the First Step
Book a free 15-minute consultation
You do not have to arrive with it worked out. Bring the feeling and we will find the words.