Self-esteem plays a crucial role in mental well-being (Sowislo & Orth, 2013), influencing how people perceive themselves and interact with the world. Many people struggle with low self-esteem due to past experiences, negative self-talk, or unrealistic societal expectations. Fortunately, therapy offers evidence-based strategies to enhance self-esteem and build a healthier self-image. Those seeking therapy for self-esteem in California can benefit from a variety of approaches tailored to their unique needs. Below are 6 evidence-based approaches to improve positivity and self-esteem.
1. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps individuals identify and challenge negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to low self-esteem. Through cognitive restructuring, clients learn to replace self-criticism with more balanced, constructive thoughts by looking at the evidence supporting and refuting the self-criticism. Often times, this approach improves confidence and a greater sense of self-esteem (Kolubinski et al., 2018). Many therapists offering therapy for self-esteem in California use CBT to help clients break free from limiting and hurtful beliefs.
2. Positive Affect Treatment (PAT)
PAT focuses on building a habit of pursuing and feeling positivity, such as happiness, curiosity, gratitude, excitement, serenity, confidence, and strength (Craske et al., 2019, 2023). It helps individuals counteract negative self-perceptions and build resilience by increasing their capacity to experience and sustain positive feelings. PAT also has the benefit of reducing negative emotions, including anxiety, depression, and stress, so people who do PAT often end up feeling “more good” and “less bad”. Positive affect treatment is an excellent therapy for self-esteem in California, as it helps people increase the breadth and depth of their daily positive experience.
3. Self-Compassion Treatment
Self-esteem and self-compassion are different from each other (Neff, 2011) but are highly correlated, and both are important for emotional well-being (Muris & Otgaar, 2023). Whereas self-esteem involves positive thoughts about oneself (e.g., one’s abilities), self-compassion refers to how we treat ourselves – especially with regards to failures, deficiencies, or difficulties (Muris & Otgaar, 2023). Self-compassion therapy helps individuals treat themselves with kindness rather than harsh criticism. By practicing mindfulness, self-kindness, and understanding that other people have experienced something similar to what we’re going through, self-compassion therapy can reduce self-blame and foster a positive self-view (Neff, 2023). Many individuals pursuing therapy for self-esteem in California find that self-compassion techniques help them build resilience and overcome feelings of inadequacy.
4. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is a great way to improve self-esteem and balance emotions more broadly (Goodman et al., 2014; Harvey et al., 2019; McMain et al., 2001; Roepke et al., 2011; Soleimani et al., 2012). It teaches skills such as mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. By learning to manage emotions and assert personal needs, individuals can develop a more confident and empowered sense of self.
5. Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness techniques encourage individuals to stay present and observe their thoughts without judgment. By cultivating awareness and self-acceptance, mindfulness therapy helps reduce negative self-evaluations, increase self-esteem, and promote inner peace (Bajaj et al., 2016; Liu et al., 2015; Randal et al., 2015). This approach is often integrated into various therapeutic modalities to support self-esteem growth, including DBT and Self-Compassion Therapy.
6. Exposure Therapy
Low self-esteem often accompanies social anxiety and depression (van Tuijl et al., 2014). Exposure therapy encourages individuals to face feared social situations to learn whether their feared outcomes (e.g., social rejection) occur as anxiously expected (Craske et al., 2014, 2022), helping them build confidence through repeated positive experiences that challenge low self-esteem beliefs. This method can significantly reduce anxiety and enhance self-esteem (Gregory & Peters, 2017).
Therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for improving self-esteem. Those seeking therapy for self-esteem in California can engage in the evidence-based therapies above to transform their beliefs about themselves and lead more fulfilling lives.
References
- Bajaj, B., Gupta, R., & Pande, N. (2016). Self-esteem mediates the relationship between mindfulness and well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 94, 96–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.01.020
- Craske, M. G., Meuret, A. E., Echiverri-Cohen, A., Rosenfield, D., & Ritz, T. (2023). Positive affect treatment targets reward sensitivity: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 91, 350–366. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000805
- Craske, M. G., Meuret, A. E., Ritz, T., Treanor, M., Dour, H., & Rosenfield, D. (2019). Positive affect treatment for depression and anxiety: A randomized clinical trial for a core feature of anhedonia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 87(5), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000396
- Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Conway, C. C., Zbozinek, T., & Vervliet, B. (2014). Maximizing exposure therapy: An inhibitory learning approach. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 10–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2014.04.006
- Craske, M. G., Treanor, M., Zbozinek, T. D., & Vervliet, B. (2022). Optimizing exposure therapy with an inhibitory retrieval approach and the OptEx Nexus. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 152, 104069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2022.104069
- Goodman, M., Carpenter, D., Tang, C. Y., Goldstein, K. E., Avedon, J., Fernandez, N., Mascitelli, K. A., Blair, N. J., New, A. S., Triebwasser, J., Siever, L. J., & Hazlett, E. A. (2014). Dialectical behavior therapy alters emotion regulation and amygdala activity in patients with borderline personality disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 57, 108–116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.06.020
- Gregory, B., & Peters, L. (2017). Changes in the self during cognitive behavioural therapy for social anxiety disorder: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 52, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2016.11.008
- Harvey, L. J., Hunt, C., & White, F. A. (2019). Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Emotion Regulation Difficulties: A Systematic Review. Behaviour Change, 36(3), 143–164. https://doi.org/10.1017/bec.2019.9
- Kolubinski, D. C., Frings, D., Nikčević, A. V., Lawrence, J. A., & Spada, M. M. (2018). A systematic review and meta-analysis of CBT interventions based on the Fennell model of low self-esteem. Psychiatry Research, 267, 296–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.06.025
- Liu, X., Xu, W., Wang, Y., Williams, J. M. G., Geng, Y., Zhang, Q., & Liu, X. (2015). Can Inner Peace be Improved by Mindfulness Training: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Stress and Health, 31(3), 245–254. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2551
- McMain, S., Korman, L. M., & Dimeff, L. (2001). Dialectical behavior therapy and the treatment of emotion dysregulation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57(2), 183–196. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4679(200102)57:2<183::AID-JCLP5>3.0.CO;2-Y
- Muris, P., & Otgaar, H. (2023). Self-Esteem and Self-Compassion: A Narrative Review and Meta-Analysis on Their Links to Psychological Problems and Well-Being. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 16, 2961–2975. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S402455
- Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-Compassion, Self-Esteem, and Well-Being. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00330.x
- Neff, K. D. (2023). Self-Compassion: Theory, Method, Research, and Intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 74, 193–218. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031047
- Randal, C., Pratt, D., & Bucci, S. (2015). Mindfulness and Self-esteem: A Systematic Review. Mindfulness, 6(6), 1366–1378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0407-6
- Roepke, S., Schröder-Abé, M., Schütz, A., Jacob, G., Dams, A., Vater, A., Rüter, A., Merkl, A., Heuser, I., & Lammers, C.-H. (2011). Dialectic behavioural therapy has an impact on self-concept clarity and facets of self-esteem in women with borderline personality disorder. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 18(2), 148–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.684
- Soleimani, M., Ghasemzadeh, A., & Ebrahimnezhad, M. F. (2012). Effects of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy on Increasing Self-Esteem in Women with Binge Eating Disorder. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 46, 1091–1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.05.253
- Sowislo, J. F., & Orth, U. (2013). Does low self-esteem predict depression and anxiety? A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 213–240. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028931
- Van Tuijl, L. A., de Jong, P. J., Sportel, B. E., de Hullu, E., & Nauta, M. H. (2014). Implicit and explicit self-esteem and their reciprocal relationship with symptoms of depression and social anxiety: A longitudinal study in adolescents. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 45(1), 113–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2013.09.007
