Self-Esteem Therapy in Victoria, BC

If you're struggling with constant self-doubt, imposter syndrome, or the feeling that you're fundamentally not enough, you're not lacking confidence. You're carrying insecurity—and that's something we can work with.

What You're Experiencing vs. What's Driving It

You're dealing with constant self-doubt. Imposter syndrome. The feeling that everyone else has it figured out and you're faking it. You downplay your accomplishments, assume people will eventually see through you, or avoid putting yourself out there because the risk of being exposed feels unbearable.

Maybe you're high-functioning on the outside—successful career, good relationships, objectively doing well—but underneath you feel like a fraud.

Or maybe the self-doubt is more obvious: you second-guess everything, need constant reassurance, or can't make decisions without checking with others first.

Most therapists call this "low self-esteem" and focus on building confidence. But confidence is surface-level. What's actually driving this:

Insecurity—a core belief that you're not enough. That you're fundamentally flawed, unworthy, or unlovable.
Shame-based identity—the belief that who you are at your core is wrong or deficient.
Early relational wounds—experiences that taught you your value was conditional, performance-based, or nonexistent.

This isn't about lacking positive self-talk. It's about beliefs encoded in your nervous system at a young age. You can know intellectually that you're competent, accomplished, valued—and still feel like you're not enough. That's because the belief lives deeper than thought.

How Experiential Therapy Works for Insecurity

Traditional self-esteem work focuses on affirmations, positive self-talk, or building evidence of your worth. Those can help temporarily, but they don't change the underlying belief system.

I work with insecurity at the level it was formed—in your emotional memory and nervous system. We don't just challenge negative thoughts. We update the beliefs that created them.

This looks like identifying the moments when you first learned you weren't enough—not to analyze them, but to work with the emotional memory directly. Creating corrective experiences that give your nervous system new information about your worth. Working with the parts of you that carry shame and helping them update their beliefs. Tracking how insecurity shows up in your body and relationships, and shifting those patterns in real time.

The methods I use—Coherence Therapy, AEDP, IFS, somatic work—all target the emotional learning that created insecurity in the first place. When that shifts, you don't just think differently about yourself. You feel fundamentally different.

This isn't about building confidence. It's about dismantling the belief system that tells you you're not enough.

This Approach Works Best If:

✓ You've worked on "building confidence" without lasting change

✓ You know intellectually you're capable but still feel like a fraud

✓ You're successful externally but struggle with constant self-doubt

✓ You want to address the root belief, not just manage symptoms

✓ You're ready to work with what created the insecurity in the first place

✓ You're tired of positive affirmations that don't stick

This May Not Be Right If:

– You're looking for quick confidence-building techniques

– You want to stay at the cognitive level rather than engage emotionally

– You need immediate symptom relief rather than depth work

Ready to Start?

If you recognize yourself in what you've read here and want to work at this level, get in touch.

Get Started

Fees:

Individual therapy: $175/session

$5 discount when paying by e-transfer.

Insurance: As an RCC and CCC, my services are covered by most extended health plans in Canada.

I provide receipts for insurance reimbursement.

Limited sliding scale available for financial need.