Therapy for Self-Worth & Self-Trust in Chicago
Build a steadier sense of yourself that isn’t dependent on performance, approval, or reassurance.
You may look like you have it together from the outside while privately feeling like you are not quite enough.
Maybe your internal voice is much harsher than anyone around you realizes. Compliments are easy to dismiss. Criticism lingers. You compare yourself constantly or look to other people for reassurance that you are lovable, capable, attractive, or doing okay.
Even when life is going well, your sense of worth may feel surprisingly fragile.
Therapy can help you develop a more stable internal sense of value — one that does not disappear every time someone is disappointed in you or something does not go according to plan.
When Self-Worth Depends on the Outside World
You may notice that you:
are highly self-critical
compare yourself to other people frequently
struggle to believe compliments
feel valuable primarily when you are useful or successful
become easily threatened by rejection or shifts in attention
depend heavily on reassurance
question your own decisions and perceptions
feel undeserving of rest or care
fear that people will discover something inadequate about you
understand that you “should” feel differently but cannot make yourself believe it
These patterns are often connected to earlier relationships in which approval, safety, or connection felt conditional.
What We Work On In Therapy
Therapy may help you:
understand where harsh self-criticism and shame came from
recognize the ways your worth became tied to performance, approval, or appearance
develop a more compassionate and realistic internal voice
tolerate criticism or rejection without collapsing into self-doubt
become less dependent on other people’s perceptions
strengthen your ability to validate your own emotional experience
feel more secure in yourself and in relationships
The goal is not constant confidence.
It is a steadier ability to remain connected to yourself even when something feels difficult.
Many of the clients I work with are already highly reflective.
You may be able to identify your inner critic or understand why you seek reassurance, but still find that the emotional pattern remains.
Our work helps bridge that gap between knowing differently and feeling differently.
Relational therapy, attachment work, and EMDR can all be used to help shift the experiences and beliefs underneath chronic self-doubt.
From Self-Knowledge to Self-Trust
Ready to Build a Different Relationship With Yourself?
A complimentary 15-minute consultation gives us a chance to talk about what you are experiencing and determine whether working together feels like a good fit.
In-person therapy is available in Lincoln Park, Chicago, with virtual therapy throughout Illinois and Washington.