Low self-esteem isn't a fixed personality trait. It has roots - and those roots can be understood and worked with.
Self-esteem refers to the overall sense of your own worth and value as a person. When it's consistently low, you may find yourself holding back, shrinking, apologizing for existing, or measuring your worth by your achievements, appearance, or what others think of you. This can be quietly exhausting.
Low self-esteem rarely appears out of nowhere. It tends to develop through experiences: critical caregivers, bullying, marginalization, high-pressure environments, or growing up in communities where worth was conditional on performance. It often becomes so internalized that it feels like "just who I am."
Self-esteem difficulties commonly overlap with depression, anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and difficulty setting limits in relationships. Addressing the deeper roots makes change more sustainable than surface-level confidence strategies.
Self-esteem work is built into much of what I do, regardless of the presenting concern. I approach it with curiosity about where these beliefs came from, and with genuine respect for how hard it can be to begin changing them - especially when they've been there since childhood.
If depression or anxiety is contributing to your self-esteem struggles, medication may help create a foundation for the work. Supportive therapy helps shift the internal narrative over time. Appointments are available in person at my Fairfax office or via telehealth across Virginia, in English and Tiếng Việt.
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Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential, available 24/7.
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Alice Tran Psychiatric Care does not operate 24/7 and does not provide crisis services. Emails, voicemails, text or portal messages are typically responded to within 24 to 72 business hours.
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