Emotional Distress
Self-Acceptance
Many people come to therapy believing they need to improve their self-worth or raise their self-esteem.
While this can sound empowering, it often leads to chasing approval, comparing ourselves to others, or feeling pressure to always be “better.” Instead of constantly trying to prove our value, what if we could learn to accept ourselves fully, kindly as we are?
Self-acceptance doesn’t mean giving up or settling. It means seeing ourselves clearly, including the parts we struggle with, and meeting those parts with compassion rather than criticism.
Especially in moments of self-doubt or failure, it’s common for old stories to surface stories like “I’m not good enough,” “I’ll mess this up,” “Other people have it more together than I do.” These stories often grow louder when we’re stepping outside our comfort zone, trying something new, or wanting more connection and meaning in life.
In our sessions, we won’t try to erase those stories.
Instead, we’ll work together to gently loosen their grip.
We’ll explore how to respond to them with warmth and honesty, rather than getting caught up in them or pushed around by them.
You’ll learn how to step back from harsh self-talk, connect with the part of you that can observe your experience without judgment, and tune back into who and what truly matters to you.
In this process, you don’t have to convince yourself that you’re worthy you only have to begin relating to yourself in a new way. A way that says: “This is tough right now, and I don’t have to go through it with harshness.” With time, this soft shift can open space for more freedom, more flexibility, and a deeper sense of being at home in yourself.
Self-Compassion
Many of us find it easy to be kind to others but struggle to extend that same kindness inward.
When things go wrong, we might respond with harsh self-talk, shame, or a quiet but persistent sense that we should be “handling it better.”
Over time, this inner criticism can wear us down, leaving us feeling small, disconnected, or alone in our struggles.
But what if the way through difficulty isn’t to try harder or be tougher but to treat ourselves like we would a close friend in pain?
Self-compassion is not self-pity or letting ourselves off the hook. It’s the choice to meet our experience with warmth rather than judgment, especially when things feel messy or painful.
In our sessions, we explore how to respond to yourself in a gentler way to notice when that inner critic shows up, to understand where it might come from, and to begin practicing a new kind of response: one rooted in care, presence, and understanding.
You’ll learn how to stay with difficult emotions without turning away from them or turning against yourself.
You’ll discover that your pain is not a flaw, but part of being human and that you’re not alone in it.
Over time, self-compassion becomes less of a technique and more of a stance a way of being with yourself that softens resistance and allows healing to unfold.
You don’t need to earn kindness. You only need to begin offering it one small moment at a time.