Anxiety & Self Worth Therapy
When your mind is constantly questioning, worrying or looking for what could go wrong, it can be difficult to feel settled in yourself. Therapy can be a space to understand what is underneath the anxiety and begin building a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
You may be here because...
- You overthink conversations, decisions or things that have already happened.
- Your mind often jumps to what could go wrong.
- You second guess yourself even after making a decision.
- You worry about how other people see you or whether you are doing enough.
- You compare yourself to others and often feel like you fall short.
- You are much more compassionate toward others than you are toward yourself.
- Your confidence can depend heavily on reassurance, achievement or approval.
- You want to feel more comfortable in yourself but are not sure where to begin.
When anxiety keeps you questioning yourself
Anxiety can make uncertainty feel incredibly uncomfortable. You may find yourself replaying conversations, preparing for every possible outcome or looking for reassurance that you made the right choice.
Even when part of you knows that things are probably okay, another part may continue searching for certainty.
Rather than simply trying to stop the thoughts, therapy can help us become curious about what the anxiety is connected to, what it may be trying to protect you from and why certain situations feel especially difficult.
Anxiety does not always look like panic.
Sometimes anxiety looks like overthinking, preparing, second guessing, needing reassurance or feeling responsible for preventing anything from going wrong.
You may appear calm and capable to everyone around you while privately spending a great deal of energy managing worry and self doubt.
When self worth becomes tied to being enough
It can be difficult to feel secure in yourself when your sense of worth depends on doing well, looking a certain way, receiving reassurance or knowing that other people are happy with you.
You might recognize your strengths logically while still struggling to truly feel good enough. Compliments may provide temporary relief, but doubt eventually finds its way back in.
Therapy can help us explore where these beliefs about yourself developed and what experiences may have shaped the way you see your worth today.
Your relationship with your body matters too.
Body image can become closely connected to self worth. Comparing yourself to others, focusing on perceived flaws or feeling that you need to look different to feel confident can take up significant emotional space.
Therapy can offer a place to explore the messages and experiences that have shaped the way you relate to your body, without reducing your experience to simply needing to feel more confident.
Body image and comparison
The way you see yourself can be influenced by relationships, family experiences, social expectations, past comments and years of comparison.
You may notice yourself comparing your appearance, your achievements, your relationships or where you are in life with the people around you.
Together, we can explore what happens underneath that comparison and begin creating more space for a sense of worth that is not constantly measured against someone else.
How therapy can help
Our work can focus on understanding what is underneath the anxiety and self doubt while helping you develop a relationship with yourself that feels more secure, compassionate and grounded.
Understand your anxiety
Become curious about the situations that activate worry and the fears, experiences and needs underneath those reactions.
Quiet the constant second guessing
Explore why uncertainty can feel so difficult and begin developing greater trust in yourself and your decisions.
Strengthen self worth
Explore beliefs about needing to achieve, please others or receive approval in order to feel good enough.
Explore comparison
Notice the ways comparison affects how you see yourself and begin understanding what those moments bring up for you.
Practice self compassion
Begin responding to yourself with more understanding rather than automatically turning toward criticism when things feel difficult.
Feel more secure in yourself
Create more room for your own values, needs and sense of self rather than allowing anxiety or outside approval to define your worth.
Looking underneath the anxiety
My approach is not about telling you to stop worrying or simply replacing every anxious thought with a positive one.
We will get curious about why certain fears, beliefs and patterns have become so powerful. Our work may explore attachment experiences, relationships, family dynamics, people pleasing, perfectionism, body image and self worth while keeping your own experiences and goals at the centre.
Therapy can give you space to better understand yourself while developing new ways of relating to the thoughts and feelings that have been taking up so much room.
You do not have to figure everything out on your own.
I am Lauren Weake, a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and founder of BridgeWell Therapy. I offer virtual therapy for teens and adults across Ontario. If anxiety, overthinking or self doubt has been taking up more space in your life than you would like, you are welcome to book a free 15 minute consultation.
Book a Free Consultation