Increasing Self Esteem

Do you sometimes feel like you are surrounded by people who feel great about themselves, while you struggle silently with low self esteem? Let me fill you in on a secret, you are not alone. A lot of people feel the same way as you do, but believe they need to pretend to feel more confident than they actually do.

It can be hard to feel good about yourself. There are a lot of factors that can make this difficult. Some of these factors are societal. We are constantly told we should be improving ourselves, that we are flawed in all kinds of way. We should loose weight, dress better, drive a nicer car, etc. Some of the factors are historical. We may have been criticized as children by our parents or other important people. Or we may have simply not been seen by our parents or other important people, not been valued for who we are, for our unique gifts and expressions. Because of this we may have a difficult time valuing and seeing ourselves as we truly are. We may feel flawed, inadequate, unlovable. One of my great joys as a psychotherapist is to help my clients break free from their misperceptions of themselves. I have seen client after client relinquish old stories and self perceptions, and begin to truly value themselves.

I have found the first step in such a transformation always begins with the revelation that it is okay to be a human, that we are all perfectly imperfect. When this realization truly sinks in, then we can grow and transform, not because it will make us less flawed, but because it will make us more fully ourselves.

For more information or to schedule an initial appointment, please contact Karen at:
Karenmotan [at] sbcglobal.net, or by calling (415) 460-9117.

Have you ever noticed how the sky
Can take up so much space
And not crowd out a thing?
Not even the stars
Not even the moon
Not even the mountain.
She does not check herself
Does not make herself small
Nor wonder if she is too blue
Or too bright
Or too brilliant
She simply holds herself open
To the whole perfect world
Is received and receives
Is received and receives.
© Karen Motan