Counselling to increase self-confidence

Self-confidence means having trust in oneself and holding oneself in high esteem. It's about feeling "I'm OK."

Some people make distinctions between self-confidence, self-esteem, self-worth and self-respect. They are similar concepts and people with low self-confidence generally don’t value themselves highly.

What is self-confidence?

While everyone struggles with confidence occasionally, some people seem generally more confident than others. People with a healthy level of self-esteem often believe in a set of values and feel secure in these principles. They tend to trust their own judgement and do not feel threatened by other people holding different opinions. They also trust in their capacity to solve problems and face difficulties, and they do not generally feel inferior or superior to others.

Low self-confidence can be debilitating. It may involve an underlying sense of not being good enough or inherently unworthy. People with low self-confidence may avoid difficult situations because they do not believe they can handle them. They may also let others dominate or make decisions for them, trusting another person’s judgement more than their own.

Our clients have reported great results!

Mr K
“I was attending sessions at One Therapy practice for about 1 1/2 years. I am very happy with the result, sessions there really helped me. I am really grateful to my therapist. Someone recommended him to me as a high professional and it proved right, thank you.”
Mrs M
“I can only provide positive comments on my sessions with (my therapist). This was my first experience with a therapist, and she managed to make me feel comfortable. And I must say that the sessions were helpful and efficient.”
Mrs E
“My therapist was extremely helpful, considerate and understanding. I felt she properly understood what the issues I had were, and their underlying causes, and I feel I benefited considerably from the sessions with her.”
Mrs N
“I immediately felt completely at ease as they were very professional while showing genuine care and interest in helping me. I was able to confront many issues which I had so far chosen to ignore despite their negative effects on my personal relationships and happiness. I would have no hesitation in recommending (One Therapy) to anyone looking to improve their relationships and self-esteem.”
Mrs L
“I learned a lot about myself and about the relationships I make with other people. I was able to see where I was going wrong and I now make better personal choices. Thank you, again.”
Mrs R
“I can’t thank you enough for the help and support I got from my appointments. I would highly recommend therapy to anyone now. Therapy helped me in more ways than I could have imagined. Please tell (my therapist) how grateful I am for her help.”

Build your self-confidence through counselling

Low self-esteem often originates in childhood or adolescence. Some people will be able to trace their confidence issues to events such as bullying or to critical messages they received from their parents, for example. Others will be unaware of how their self-confidence problems started. 

Counselling for low self-confidence includes exploration of the origins of the issue. This helps people to understand that the negative beliefs they hold about themselves are distorted or untrue. 

People with low self-esteem may have recurring negative thoughts like:

  • I’m a failure
  • I’m not good enough
  • I’m not as worthy as other people
  • I’m stupid
  • I’m unloveable.They will typically be able to point to lots of ‘evidence’ to support these negative beliefs. When we believe something, we look for evidence to support that belief and discount evidence to the contrary. In this way, people reinforce their self-doubt, generating a powerful, relentless, negative internal voice.

Our counsellors help clients to challenge their negative internal voice. Once it has quietened down, they can be more compassionate with themselves.

Improving your confidence through counselling can have a positive effect on many areas, including your social life, intimate relationship and work. Counselling can be open-ended or time-limited to 10 sessions. Both face-to-face and online counselling are available.

One of our  therapists will be able to help

Confidence is not just something other people have. Self-confidence is attainable for us all.

What is CBT and can it help?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a practical talking therapy that helps people with problems and issues by addressing and changing how they think and behave. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy focuses on the present problems that are happening now and the relationships between thoughts…

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How does therapy help?

Over the years that I’ve worked as a therapist, I’ve been asked numerous times by prospective clients, “How does counselling help?”  And I’ve yet to come up with a satisfactory answer. Not because I’m in any doubt that it helps, but because the ‘how’ bit is so hard to articulate concisely…

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Counselling for individuals

Personal counselling can be about anything that is on your mind.

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Couples counselling

Couples counselling provides space for couples to discuss problems in their relationship and find solutions.

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Our therapists

We have over 30 qualified and experienced therapists to choose from.

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One Therapy London

Counselling, psychotherapy, couples counselling in London since 2006

Geraldine Abberton - Therapist
Geraldine Abberton

Geraldine is an integrative therapist who draws on a range of therapeutic approaches including person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic modalities, to meet each client’s unique needs She believes in her clients’ innate resilience and capacity for growth, and helps them make sense of current challenges and past experiences, to gain the insight and self-understanding...

Oxford Circus

Annabelle Hird - Therapist
Annabelle Hird

Annabelle is a skilled and compassionate therapist offering support for individuals and couples in Kensington/Notting Hill Her approach is centred around creating a non-judgemental space for clients to explore their thoughts, feelings and relationships It is her belief that with greater understanding comes agency, and this is when powerful change occurs Annabelle works...

Kensington / Notting Hill

Annabel Lear - Therapist
Annabel Lear

Annabel is an integrative therapist offering both short- and long-term therapy Acknowledging that beginning therapy can feel daunting, Annabel establishes a secure and collaborative therapeutic relationship grounded in trust, empathy and genuine understanding Working from a humanistic-integrative perspective, Annabel believes every person has an innate capacity for...

Oxford Circus

Melinda Shalet - Therapist
Melinda Shalet

Melinda offers both short-term and long-term therapy in a calm, attuned environment where clients can speak freely, make meaningful connections and gently explore the areas of life that feel stuck With a warm, collaborative approach, she encourages clients to slow down, listen inwardly and begin the process of healing Drawing from humanistic, Gestalt and psychodynamic...

Oxford Circus

Prachi Vij - Therapist
Prachi Vij

As a psychodynamic therapist, Prachi provides a warm and secure space for her clients to explore their world She works collaboratively with clients to uncover the unconscious patterns that shape their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours By making connections between past experiences and current life, clients can gain valuable insights and develop more authentic ways of...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Yussef Ferguson
Yussef Ferguson

Yussef offers a warm and confidential space to explore life’s challenges He is a psychodynamic therapist and works in a way that explores how past experiences and hidden patterns may shape your present thoughts, feelings and relationships In meetings with Yussef, you can speak freely about whatever feelings, memories or experiences are important to you You will begin...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Stamatia Lorentzou
Stamatia Lorentzou

A senior therapist, Stamatia has been with One Therapy London for many years She holds a doctorate in counselling psychology and is a registered psychotherapist Stamatia knows it can be difficult to understand or cope with the strong feelings that life’s experiences can sometimes bring Talking with an experienced therapist is a way of thinking things through and...

Bloomsbury

James Eve - Therapist
James Eve

James is a psychosexual and relationship therapist who has been in private practice for five years He works with individuals and couples on sexual and relationship difficulties, understanding that these can be significant causes of distress in one's life Prior to working in private practice, James worked for the psychosexual team at Croydon University Hospital He is a...

Oxford Circus

Therapist Tom Leonard
Tom Leonard

Tom works with both couples and individuals  His approach integrates different styles of therapy to help find the best way to assist you  Therapy is often a self-exploration, with the therapist supporting you in seeking to reach a better understanding of and connection to your needs, feelings and behaviour and the ways in which they affect your relationships and...

Oxford Circus

Damla Ciftcioglu - Therapist
Berrak Damla Çiftcioğlu

Damla offers a warm, supportive and confidential space where you can talk openly — perhaps for the first time — about the thoughts, emotions and challenges shaping your life She provides psychodynamic psychotherapy, gently exploring the deeper, often unconscious, roots of emotional difficulties Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck in unhelpful patterns, or...

Oxford Circus