The subject of self esteem comes up frequently in the therapy room. How do we really feel about ourselves? Can I advocate for myself? Or do I make myself small? Where does this come from? Self-esteem grows from our lived experiences of agency, competence, belonging, and being seen, or validation.

If you’re a people pleaser, you spend a huge amount of energy trying to make others happy. You invest a lot of time in the details, and...

People-pleasing, often viewed as kind, thoughtful behaviour, generally causes enormous difficulties for us, particularly in relationships...