Self-Esteem Counseling and Therapy in Chicago
Imperfect = I'm Perfect
Build a more balanced, authentic view of who you are, with a therapist who starts from your strengths.
- Accepts insurance
- Strength-based approach
- 100% virtual in Illinois
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem is the overall opinion you hold of yourself and the value you place on who you are. With healthy self-esteem, you can look honestly at your strengths and your faults and still treat yourself with respect.
Images and messages about beauty, gender roles, values, and overall "norms" are everywhere! The barrage of messages can make it difficult to feel confident.
Having a healthy self-esteem does not make you conceited or egotistical; instead, it means you are able to recognize yourself as the entire, complex being you are.
Low self-esteem is something most people experience at some point in their lives. When it sticks around, it can shape your relationships and the choices you allow yourself to make.
Where low self-esteem comes from
According to the NHS, low self-esteem often begins in childhood, and later experiences can add to it at any age.
Early messages
Criticism at home or at school, or feeling like approval depended on getting everything right, can shape how you see yourself for years.
Culture and media
Constant messages about how you should look and act set standards almost nobody can meet.
Hard life events
A breakup or a job loss can shake even a steady sense of self.
Thinking habits
Perfectionism and an inner critic that only notices mistakes can keep low self-esteem going long after the original cause has passed.
How self-esteem shows up in everyday moments
Having a healthy self-esteem can have a dramatic, positive impact on your life. When you have a healthy self-esteem, you are more resilient to stress and less likely to personalize difficulties or set-backs.
Tap the switch to compare the same moments.
- You make a mistake at workYou replay it for days and decide it proves you aren't good at your job.You fix what you can and move on with your week.
- Someone compliments youYou brush it off and assume they were being polite.You say thank you and let it sink in.
- A friend cancels plansYou wonder what you did wrong.You figure something came up and suggest another day.
- A new opportunity opens upYou talk yourself out of applying before anyone else can say no.You apply, knowing a no wouldn't change your worth.
- You disagree with your partnerYou stay silent to keep the peace.You say what you need, even when it feels uncomfortable.
Life is difficult, and things do not always go as planned. Having a healthy self-esteem allows you to take a realistic appraisal of the situation and recognize yourself as a change agent.
Signs of low self-esteem
Low self-esteem often manifests in a degrading way whereby you cannot realistically see all that you have to offer. Instead, your negativity toward yourself may make you feel unworthy, unlovable, useless. While we all have faults, this is not the sum of who you are!
Prolonged or excessively negative thoughts can lead to mental health and physical conditions. The NHS links long-term low self-esteem with depression and anxiety, and with coping habits like drinking more than you'd like.
You don't have to keep carrying this on your own. These are some of the most common reasons people start counseling, and with support they can shift.
Begin HealingUsing a strength-based approach, we will partner with you to form healthy, realistic self-esteem
Balance and growth
Restoring balance and setting intentions for personal growth.
Your independence
Protecting your independence, resilience, and ability to make choices for your overall well being.
Moving forward
Exploring challenging or painful experiences so you can move forward with a sense of hopefulness.
Your voice
Empowering you to develop your voice and explore social, educational, and career opportunities and goals.
Room to feel
Allowing space to explore what you are feeling while working toward a place of acceptance.
Positive self-concept
Developing a positive self-concept to contribute to resiliency.
The therapy methods behind the work
Katie combines several evidence-based approaches and adjusts the mix to fit you. Choose a method to see how it helps build self-esteem.
Strength-Based Approach
A strength-based approach starts with the tools you already have. Your strengths and competencies become the foundation of the work. This model moves away from a deficit-based approach that only looks at what's wrong.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is an action-oriented approach. You develop personal coping strategies for current problems and learn to change unhelpful thought patterns. Mayo Clinic outlines a CBT-based process for raising self-esteem.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT combines acceptance and mindfulness with committed action. The goal is to make room for difficult feelings and learn to hold them without overreacting.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT teaches concrete skills for tolerating strong emotions and judging yourself less harshly. It also builds interpersonal skills.
Family Systems
Family systems work examines how your core family relationships shaped your values, the way you relate to others and how you manage emotion.
Health at Every Size (HAES)
For many people, self-esteem and body image are tied together. Katie approaches both through Health at Every Size and intuitive eating, which de-emphasize weight loss and are inclusive of people of all sizes.
Small steps you can start this week
Counseling works best with practice between sessions. These ideas come from guidance published by the NHS and Mayo Clinic. Your clinician can help you shape them to fit your life.
If low self-esteem has lasted a long time or is affecting your mood or daily life, the NHS recommends talking therapy such as counseling or CBT.
Schedule With Katie- Question one harsh beliefWrite down something negative you believe about yourself, then list any evidence that doesn't fit it.
- Keep a kind-words fileSave the nice things people say to you, and reread them on hard days.
- Practice a small noTurn down one request you would usually agree to out of guilt.
- Set a goal you can finishPick something small enough to complete this week, and give yourself credit when you do.
- Choose your peopleSpend more time with people who treat you well, and make time each day for something you enjoy.
Sources: NHS, Raising low self-esteem; Mayo Clinic, Self-esteem: Take steps to feel better about yourself.
What to expect from self-esteem counseling
We create a unique counseling process that is tailored to each person's strengths and experiences.
Counseling is meant to be a time of self-exploration and growth. Your clinician will tailor treatment to your specific needs based on your goals and what you would like to achieve. Counseling has the potential to be short-term or long-term based on your individual needs.
Sustained progress can be made in as few as 8 weekly sessions, but most people find that they need treatment for a minimum of several months. We encourage you to attend weekly sessions, as this allows you to establish a close working relationship with your clinician and to make progress more quickly.
Intake (First 1 to 2 Sessions)
Both before and during your first session, you will be asked to provide information about yourself and your reasons for seeking counseling. During the first session, your clinician will briefly review Restorative Counseling's policies so that you are aware of your rights as a client and can ask any questions you may have. The primary focus of the intake process is to discuss your personal, social, family, and educational history to help give your clinician an overall picture of who you are. Goals for treatment will be discussed and your clinician will provide insight into how they conduct counseling sessions.
In addition to learning about you, the Intake process is a time for you to learn about your clinician. It is important that you feel they are the right fit for your style and needs. We encourage you to ask questions so you can be clear on what to expect from your clinician.
Ongoing Sessions
Working with you, your clinician will help you explore the sources of your difficulties and develop helpful strategies to address your concerns. Your clinician will provide a space for you to identify your strengths and difficulties. You will be empowered to decide what works best for you and what changes you are ready to make.
Discharge (Final 1 to 2 Sessions)
As you move through the counseling process, you and your clinician will discuss your progress. Once it has been decided that you have achieved your goals, you and your clinician will discuss terminating services. These final few sessions will focus on reviewing the progress you have made and how you can continue to maintain these changes moving forward.
It is time to embrace who you are!
Connect With KatieMeet your Chicago self-esteem therapist
Katie Jackson-Griffin
LCPC · She/Her/Hers"Stronger is what you want to be, and it's what you can be. Our work starts with the strengths you already have, including the ones your inner critic won't let you see. Together we look at how your past experiences shaped the way you see yourself, and I give you concrete tools for the big emotions that come up along the way."
Katie works with young adults and adults who are ready to stop second-guessing themselves. She starts by looking at how the systems in your life, from family to culture, have shaped how you view yourself. From there she creates a safe place to share vulnerable thoughts and builds a customized plan to help you reach your goals.
Methods Katie uses
Katie also helps with
Why clients choose Restorative Counseling
We accept insurance In-network
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Blue Cross Blue Shield
BCBS PPO and BlueChoice PPO
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Aetna
Including Aetna Student Health for Northwestern students
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UnitedHealthcare
Also UHC Student Resources, UMR, Optum, Oxford, Golden Rule and United Behavioral Health
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Meritain Health
Meritain (not Meridian)
Therapy is an investment in yourself, and insurance helps make it possible. Restorative Counseling handles most insurance-related tasks on your behalf and verifies your benefits, so you know your costs before you start.
Out of network? You still have options. Restorative can submit claims for you or provide superbills so you can use your out-of-network benefits. See all insurance details.
Plans vary within a network, so it's a good idea to call your insurance company to confirm coverage. We are out of network with Cigna, Magellan and HMO plans, and we do not accept EAPs, Medicare or Medicaid.
A therapist who focuses on self-esteem
Self-esteem and body image are two of Katie's core areas of focus. She builds every plan around the strengths you bring with you.
Virtual sessions anywhere in Illinois
Every session happens online, so you can meet from wherever you feel comfortable without adding a commute to your week.
You set the pace
You will be empowered to decide what works best for you and what changes you are ready to make. Your clinician checks in on progress along the way.
Virtual self-esteem therapy in Chicago and across Illinois
Restorative Counseling offers self-esteem counseling entirely online for young adults and adults located in Illinois. You can meet with Katie by video from home, whether you live in Chicago or elsewhere in the state.
Online sessions also make a weekly rhythm easier to keep, and that consistency is how most people see progress in counseling.
- Chicago
- Chicago suburbs
- College and grad students
- Anywhere in Illinois
Self-esteem therapy FAQ
What is self-esteem counseling?
Self-esteem counseling helps you build a more balanced, realistic view of yourself. At Restorative Counseling, it pairs a strength-based approach with methods like CBT, ACT and DBT so you can challenge your inner critic and make choices from a steadier sense of worth.
How do I know if I have low self-esteem?
Common signs include harsh self-talk, needing approval before you feel okay about a decision, trouble saying no and avoiding challenges because you expect to fail. If these have lasted a long time or affect your mood or daily life, counseling can help.
If I'm humble, does that mean I have low self-esteem?
Not necessarily. Humility means seeing yourself accurately, including your strengths, and you can be modest while still treating yourself with respect. Low self-esteem tends to show up as constant self-criticism or avoiding opportunities because you doubt your worth.
What's the difference between self-esteem and confidence?
Confidence usually describes how sure you feel about a specific skill, like public speaking or your work. Self-esteem is your overall sense of worth. You can feel confident at work and still struggle with self-esteem, and counseling can help with both.
Is low self-esteem the same as social anxiety or imposter syndrome?
They often overlap. Social anxiety centers on fear of being judged in social situations, and imposter syndrome is the feeling that your success is undeserved. Low self-esteem can sit underneath both. Your clinician will help you sort out what is driving your symptoms. Learn more about anxiety counseling.
How long does self-esteem therapy take?
Sustained progress can be made in as few as 8 weekly sessions, but most people find that they need a minimum of several months. Weekly sessions help you build a close working relationship with your clinician and make progress more quickly.
Is self-esteem therapy online or in person?
Restorative Counseling offers virtual sessions only, for young adults and adults located anywhere in Illinois, including Chicago and the suburbs.
Does insurance cover self-esteem therapy?
Restorative Counseling is in-network with plans including Aetna, Aetna Student Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, BlueChoice PPO, UnitedHealthcare, UHC Student Resources, UMR, Optum, Oxford, Golden Rule, United Behavioral Health and Meritain. Out-of-network clients can use claims submitted on their behalf or superbills. Restorative does not accept EAPs, Medicare or Medicaid, and is out of network with Cigna, Magellan and HMO plans. See insurance details.
Let's explore who you are and how to accept yourself
Our mission is to help you obtain a more balanced, authentic, and positive view of who you are. We will help you work toward your own ideal self, instead of measuring yourself against others.
It is important that you can work through your own self-doubt, so both you and the world can benefit from all you have to offer.
Request an appointment
- Send a request through our secure client portal.
- We verify your insurance benefits and confirm your first session.
- Meet Katie online for your 55 to 60 minute intake.
Questions first? Contact us