Welcome

A Message from our Therapists

SELF-ESTEEM

Therapist: 

Scott Peterson LSCW

                   

                 

                               

 

The importance of self-esteem to emotional well-being is undeniable.  The degree to which we find contentment and happiness in life is, in large measure, determined by our level of self-esteem.  This precious commodity provides a sense of emotional security that allows us to live more fully, freely, and effectively.  Its absence has repeatedly been demonstrated to impair human functioning regardless of social class, levels of achievement, or economic status.

Many theories assert that the approval of others is a prime ingredient of high self-esteem.  We suggest that an adult’s self-esteem does not depend on the praise or approval of others.  Rather, it is based on an internal process of being aware of, paying attention to, and fully experiencing the emotional consequences of our own behavior.  Our feeling about our behavior is the substance from which our self-esteem either grows or withers.  Gaining our own self-approval is a critical step in achieving high self-esteem and excellent mental health.