Everyone has some level of self-doubt at one point or another. For some, it passes. For others, it takes root and begins to define the way they see themselves, their relationships, and their decisions. If this resonates with you, you are not alone and there are real solutions out there.
As a provider at Destiny Health, Mercy Oyerinde works along with clients with humanistic therapy as part of a more comprehensive, individualized approach to mental health care. In this post, I will explain what that means in practice and how it is a simple yet effective way to improve self-esteem and personal growth.
What Is Humanistic Therapy?
Humanistic therapy is client-centered. It is not diagnostic, meaning it does not identify what is broken. Rather, it comes from believing that you possess everything necessary to grow — and the right context facilitates this growth.
Instead of a sterile protocol, your provider collaborates with you in real time to understand what you are experiencing and what matters most to your health. The direction comes from you. This support is provided to you by your provider.
The Core Principles
This approach can be summarized in the following core ideas:
- Strengths over symptoms. Yep, you’re not a list of deficiencies — you’re reminded of your ability to improve.
- Genuine acceptance. You are free to be honest in sessions without the fear of being judged.
- Present-centered work. Sessions tend to be present-focused in exploring how things are feeling and working for you now.
- The relationship matters. Having a trusted relationship with your provider is also an essential part of this working well.
At Destiny Health, this type of humanistic therapy is often paired with other modalities like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), or mindfulness approaches, depending on what suits the needs of the individual best.
How Does Humanistic Therapy Help Build Self-Esteem?
There is no quick fix for self-esteem; some nice affirmations will never make you feel better. It evolves from experiences, and more specifically from those experiences that consistently affirm your feelings matter and are deserving of being heard.
As is so for humanistic therapy in developing that.
What Takes A Long Time To Be Accepted
This approach hinges on what is referred to as unconditional positive regard. Your provider accepts you as you are, not just who you are at your best. That kind of consistent acceptance ultimately leads to tangible change:
- You trust your own reactions more.
- You quit wasting so much time concealing the areas of yourself that you are uncertain about.
- That inner critic that used to arise rapidly has begun to lessen.
For most clients, it is a unique experience compared to that of other agencies. That dissonance is what renders it significant.
Reconnecting With Your Own Values
The sources of low self-esteem are often just living out of alignment with the things that really matter to you. That can happen gradually. You end up being what others have determined you will be, and after some time, you forget who you were before all of that.
A humanistic framework allows you to take time and really see that through. What do you value? What have you done in your life that feels truly yours? Confidence as a feeling comes not when someone tells you to feel better about yourself, but rather when the answers are clearer and you are living closer to what is real.
How Well This Work Helps Personal Growth
Your range increases along with your self-esteem level. You make decisions based on the things you actually desire instead of what feels safest. You only invest in the types of relationships that mirror who you are. You begin to see your future in a different light.
Humanistic therapy is what facilitates that process, but it’s done in stages.
Setting Goals That Feel Real
This is not about productivity systems or grand plans. It is about identifying what good progress means for you.
In sessions you may deal with:
- When you strip away outside noise, what do you care about?
- Your comfort zone and what is totally outside of it.
- Changes you would like to make that are based in reality instead of simply aspirational.
- How to monitor your growth in a way that inspires you, not pressures you.
Goals based on your own values usually stick. This is one of the most practical benefits of this work.
Changes That Appear in Daily Life
Much of what moves in humanistic therapy does so softly. Over time, the clients we work with find themselves better at:
- Having awareness of what they are feeling before it spirals out of control.
- Standing strong in their boundaries without debilitating guilt.
- Recovering from setbacks more quickly.
- Deciding in ways that embody who they want to be.
They make an important difference in day-to-day life.
A Glimpse Into What Sessions at Destiny Health Entail
It may help to know what to expect if you have never been in therapy before. There is no template or standardized agenda. You bring what is on your mind.
Sessions typically involve:
- Straightforward conversation. You speak what is true for you. Nothing is too complicated to be brought into a session, and nothing is too small.
- Reflection and observation. Your provider helps you see patterns and strengths that would be hard to notice on your own.
- A focus on the present. Instead of spending every session unpacking the past, the work stays present with what is occurring in your life now.
- Being truly understood. Your provider truly understands your concerns.
Telehealth appointment options are also available at Destiny Health. For many people, that flexibility is what finally makes it feasible to reach out.
Ways This Method Could Be an Ideal Fit
You do not need to be in a crisis to go into therapy.
You might be a good fit for humanistic therapy if you:
- Manage a nagging sense of self-doubt or an inner critic.
- Feel disconnected from your values or sense of direction.
- Are dealing with anxiety, depression, or stress that continues to be a struggle.
- Want to learn how you can improve your relationships.
- Are seeking a space to reflect in real time.
Whatever it is that draws you in, it is enough of a reason. You do not have to attain a certain level before support is warranted.
Next Steps With Destiny Health
Being confident and clear in your identity is no small thing. It alters your work life, your interactions with other people, and the way you deal with difficulty. What humanistic therapy offers is not quick fixes, but rather a truly qualitative process of self-awareness and assertiveness that lasts.
Mercy Oyerinde, PMHNP-BC at Destiny Health, brings attention to detail and clinical experience to every session. Whether you choose in-person or telehealth care, you will work with a provider who tailors treatment to your unique circumstances as opposed to using a one-size-fits-all treatment checklist.
Here is how to get started:
- Call: (770) 676-2546
- Email: support@destinyhealths.com
- Book online: Visit destinyhealths.com to schedule your appointment
You shouldn’t try to figure everything out before you reach out. This is precisely what the work is for — figuring things out together.
