We all have an inner voice that either spurs us on to achieve our goals or criticises us when we've made a mistake. When you're suffering from low self-esteem, it can feel like your inner critic is so deeply entrenched that you are unable to get a clear perspective on your reality.
Your inner critic works hard to bring you down and prevents you from moving past negative experiences with any form of self-belief. For example, you may have just secured your dream job, however, your inner critic will work hard to convince you that this is an underserved opportunity that you're not capable of upholding.
Our inner critics are formed at childhood and are made up of the experiences we had with authority figures and our peers as we grew up. You may have been bullied or told by your teachers that you would never amount to anything. All of these factors contribute to your inner critic and make up the way you view yourself and believe in your abilities.
How CBT helps: When dealing with low self-esteem and particularly self-criticism, CBT helps us to examine how our thoughts, behaviours and beliefs may be contributing to our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us. During your CBT sessions, your therapist will work with you to identify negative patterns in your thoughts and behaviour and share evidence-based techniques that will help you silence your inner critic.