Self Esteem Therapist Chicago
Takeaway: Do you have the nagging feeling that you’ll never be good enough no matter how hard you try? Do you catch yourself constantly comparing yourself to others–and never measuring up? You’re not alone. Many people struggle with self-esteem. Thankfully, low self-esteem counseling can help. Reach out today to get started.
5 Top-Rated Low Self Esteem Therapists in Chicago
Therapy, including low self-esteem counseling, works best when you truly connect with your clinician. Meet our therapists below to find out which mental health professional might be the best fit for you.
1. Samantha Jones, ALMFT
Samantha (she/her/hers) is an Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She cultivates a safe, affirming space to help people feel comfortable being their authentic selves, and she's committed to walking alongside her clients throughout every step of the therapeutic process.
Samantha is trained to help people navigate relationships of all kinds, including their connection to themselves. She's dedicated to fostering an LGBTQIA+ affirmative space and dismantling oppressive systems related to race, gender and sexuality, and more.
Credentials: Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (ALMFT)
License Number: 208.001032
Education: Master's Degree from Adler University
Years in practice: 2
Specializations: Building healthy communication, establishing boundaries, building trust, infidelity recovery, conflict resolution, intimacy concerns, life stage transitions, grief and loss, exploring identity and sense of self, trauma, managing stress, anxiety, and/or depression, men’s issues
2. Nicole Lopez
Nicole (she/her) is a Couple and Family Therapist. Her approach to therapy is both warm and direct, and she enjoys incorporating humor (when appropriate) to help her clients navigate self esteem issues.
Nicole supports people in exploring all kinds of relationships, including those with themselves. She especially enjoys helping people with marginalized identities, such as members of the LGTBQIA+, kink, and poly communities. She holds Health at Every Size Values and uses a feminist, anti-racist lens in therapy.
Credentials:Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (ALMFT)
License Number: 208.001124
Education: Master's Degree from Adler University
Years in practice: 1
Specializations: Conflict, intimacy/sexual concerns, communication issues, genuine trust and connection building, life transitions, parenting
3. Michaela Stevenson, MFT
Michaela (she/her) is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She recognizes therapy as an investment of time, money, and energy, and she doesn’t take this lightly. She wants to help each of her clients get the most out of therapy.
Michaela enjoys helping people navigate interpersonal relationships. She also takes care to note the cultural, societal, and systemic forces that can influence our connections with each other.
Credentials: Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (ALMFT)
License Number: 208.001032
Education: Master's Degree from Adler University
Years in practice: 2
Specializations: Building healthy communication, establishing boundaries, building trust, infidelity recovery, conflict resolution, intimacy concerns, life stage transitions, grief and loss, exploring identity and sense of self, trauma, managing stress, anxiety, and/or depression, men’s issues
4. Faye Williams, ALMFT
Faye (she/her) is an Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist supervised by Dr. Rachel Miller. She cultivates a safe space where people of all ages can get the support they need to build a stronger sense of self.
Faye takes a holistic approach to self-esteem therapy, drawing on 25+ years of experience working with children and families. She’d be honored to partner with you in your healing process.
Credentials: Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Education: Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy from Touro University
Years in practice: 2
Specializations: Complex and Religious Trauma, Sexual, narcissistic, and/or spiritual abuse, Depression, Anxiety, OCD/Religious Scrupulosity, Grief, Disordered Eating, Marriage and Parenting Challenges
5. Dr. Rachel Miller, PhD, LMFT
Dr. Rachel (she/her) is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and Founder of Hold the Vision Therapy, PLLC. She takes a direct approach to self esteem therapy, helping clients get to the root of their issues so they can find real, lasting results.
Dr. Rachel specializes in relationships—including your relationship with yourself. She was a sex educator prior to becoming a therapist, so she's passionate about helping people (especially those in the LGBTQIA+, poly, and kink communities) tune into this side of themselves.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), AAMFT Approved Supervisor, and Founder of Hold the Vision Therapy, PLLC.
Education: Ph.D. Degree from Adler University
Years in practice: 8
Specializations: Communication issues, intimacy concerns, infidelity, life transitions, trauma and PTSD, conflict resolution and high-conflict scenarios such as domestic violence, separation/divorce, co-parenting/blending families, anger management, and emotional regulation
Why choose Hold the Vision Therapy for self esteem counseling in Chicago
Curious whether our practice can meet your needs? Here are some reasons to consider choosing Hold the Vision Therapy.
We're relationship experts.
All of our clinicians are specially trained to use a relational framework. This means that we're experts in helping you process and transform your relationship with yourself, which is key in building healthy self esteem. By breaking down how you view yourself and how this relationship was formed, we can help you find opportunities to grow your self confidence.
We're passionate about helping clients create lasting change.
No one is born with low self esteem. And while there's no singular cause of self esteem issues, there are plenty of factors that can make your self worth take a hit. Together, we'll take a deep dive to figure out what those reasons are for you. Once we've identified the root(s), we can start incorporating tangible strategies to improve self esteem.
We're dedicated to anti-racism, inclusion, and intersectional justice.
Low self esteem goes beyond your personal psychology or even your family of origin. We're well aware of the systemic social issues that make it difficult for many folks to build high self esteem. Acknowledging these forces is an integral part of our approach to self esteem counseling.
When Hold the Vision Therapy may not be the best fit for you
While we'd love to be able to help everyone, we know that's not realistic. Here are some signs that you might benefit from working with a different mental health counseling practice.
You're located outside of Illinois (or Indiana).
We're based in Chicago, but teletherapy allows us to work with clients throughout the entire state of Illinois—and across the state line over in Indiana. However, if you're located in a different state, licensing stipulations prevent us from helping you.
You're looking for a quick fix.
We know how painful negative thoughts and low self esteem can feel. It makes sense that you'd want a quick, easy solution to "fix" or self worth and banish self doubt forever. Unfortunately, mental health counseling doesn't work that way. Our clients with low self esteem get the best results when they commit themselves to the process long-term and practice doing the work outside of session.
You need free therapy.
We understand that there are many valid barriers to seeking mental health care, including financial stressors. Unfortunately, we're not able to provide no-cost therapy at this time. However, we can work with your health insurance company to help make sessions more affordable. We may also be able to offer sliding scale fees. Check out our FAQ section for more information about cost.
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There are many different factors that can cause somebody to develop low self esteem. Childhood trauma, bullying, body image issues, and societal factors like racism and homophobia are just a few factors that can lead someone to experience low self esteem.
Thankfully, a negative self image doesn't have to be permanent. Even if you've had one or more of these experiences, therapy can help you reframe your sense of self in a more positive light.
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Yes, therapy absolutely helps with self esteem. We've seen firsthand how a client's self esteem can grow with the right support. It's not a quick fix, but if you're willing to dedicate yourself to the process, you can drastically improve your self confidence. Plus, we'll be here every step of the way to support you.
But you don't have to take our word for it. Check out this study about how cognitive behavior therapy can help teens with low self esteem.
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Through therapy, you can grow your understanding of how certain negative beliefs develop and how they negatively impact your self worth. We'll explore how personal life experiences, as well as social and cultural forces, have played into these beliefs.
Therapy can also teach you how to foster self compassion, which can be a crucial part of improving self esteem. This isn't about cultivating toxic positivity, but rather softening the harsh criticism we often throw at ourselves whenever we feel we don't measure up
Therapy can also help you shift your relationship with yourself. Self esteem reflects how you feel about yourself, but we often don't realize how poorly we treat ourselves. Your therapist may challenge you to cue into your self talk: would you say the negative things you say about yourself to a friend? Probably not.
Through this and other techniques, your therapist can help you improve your well being and grow a kinder relationship with yourself.
FAQs about counseling for self esteem in Chicago
Self esteem therapy in Chicago can help you step into your power.
Self esteem affects so many parts our lives: our mental health, physical health, relationships, and even how we view the world. While it's easy to get weighed down about how lower self esteem has kept you down, we challenge you to view this as an opportunity: with therapy, these are all of the areas of your life that could improve!
Low self esteem doesn't have to be a life sentence. If you're ready to start making positive changes today, we're here to help. Reach out today to request your free consultation and take the first steps toward greater self respect. We look forward to connecting with you!
