Therapy for Confidence and Self Esteem
Using the latest evidence based therapies to move from past beliefs that lead to low self-confidence, to feeling safe and healthy in your belonging and ability in the world.
Your confidence in yourself shapes how you see yourself and move through the world.
Sometimes it's about what happened. Maybe you faced harsh criticism, constant comparison to others, or painful rejection or failure when you took risks.
However, other times, it's about what never happened that should have. Maybe your achievements weren't celebrated, your unique qualities weren't valued, or no one showed you how to be kind to yourself when you struggled.
These missing pieces matter just as much as the difficult things that did happen.
Low self-confidence connects to other challenges like perfectionism, where flawlessness becomes your protection against judgment. It feeds fear of failure, making mistakes feel catastrophic rather than human. It can also be linked to experiences of trauma.
Here’s what a lot of confidence therapy & coaching misses:
Real confidence isn't about perfecting your posture, maintaining eye contact, or memorising what to say. It's about that unshakeable inner knowing that you belong exactly where you are.
Surface-level confidence work teaches you to perform confidence. But performing isn't the same as feeling it. When the techniques wear off, you're back to feeling anxious.
True confidence comes from addressing what's underneath the surface - the old beliefs, legacies of relational trauma and nervous system responses that keep you playing small. When we work on this, you can develop what I call Inner Authority.
From Self Doubt → Inner Authority
Inner Authority is that unshakeable knowing that you belong exactly where you are. It's the difference between performing confidence and genuinely embodying it.
When you have Inner Authority, you make decisions from your values rather than seeking approval, you trust your instincts completely, and you show up authentically in any room without needing to prove your worth.
You're no longer asking "How do I get them to accept me?" but knowing "I belong here, and my presence adds value."
This isn't about perfecting techniques or power poses - it's about addressing what's underneath the surface so you can move from self-doubt to genuine, lasting confidence.
What is Inner Authority?
Something I hear often in low self confidence therapy:
“I know I shouldn’t feel this way but I do, I can logically recognise my success yet I still feel like I don’t belong or am not good enough”
My response:
“The gap between logic and emotion is where healing needs to happen. This conflict is valid. What matters is not changing how you 'should' feel, but understanding why these feelings persist despite your successes. Your confidence struggles aren't about logic - they're about emotional memories and beliefs that we can help process and release.”
How does CBT help for confidence?
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps you identify and transform the thought patterns and core beliefs underlying low self confidence and anxiety—without getting trapped in negative perfectionism or anxiety cycles.
For some, this means addressing specific traumas that led to a lack of confidence, while for others, it's about challenging broader patterns of mistrust or self-protective behaviours that affect all relationships. CBT delivered online is effective for both targeted low self-confidence difficulties and more general anxieties.
Backed by decades of research and endorsed by major psychological organisations, CBT provides effective tools for healing relational trauma, rebuilding trust in connections, and developing healthier ways of engaging with others that align with your authentic self and needs.
How does EMDR help for confidence?
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a powerful, evidence-based therapy that helps your brain reprocess the root experiences behind relational low self-confidence—without having to endlessly revisit painful memories or analyse relationship patterns.
For some, this may involve processing specific instances of relational wounding, failure or social rejection, while for others, it addresses deeper attachment injuries that have shaped how you connect with others and the world. EMDR is effective for both targeted trauma and more pervasive relational patterns.
Backed by over 30 years of research and endorsed by major psychological organisations, EMDR provides an effective pathway to healing relationship difficulties, social fears, and the internal beliefs that keep you feeling unsafe or unworthy in connections with others.
Options for EMDR/CBT for Self Confidence
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Single Session (60 or 90 min)
Weekly or fortnightly.
£110/£150 or payment options available. Read more here.
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Single Session (90 min)
One tailored 90-minute EMDR session to target a specific fear, anxiety, feeling, belief or memory. Ideal if you have one thing to focus on, or want to try out EMDR without committing to ongoing therapy.
3-6 Sessions (90 min each)
Three to six 90-minute EMDR sessions to target a specific fear, anxiety, feeling, belief or memory with thorough depth. Working in an intensive way, we may schedule these across 10 days (or longer as you prefer). Experiencing rapid healing and change at a deeper level, without committing to ongoing sessions.
Payment plans available to spread the cost and make EMDR intensives accessible.
You can read more on fees and payment plans for EMDR intensives here.
Not sure what’s right for you? No problem! In our assessment we will discuss which is the most likely to access the best outcome for you. Packages are designed so that payment plans can be provided for the level of care you need and to make EMDR more accessible, rather than fixed options that you need to choose before we have had an assessment.
Prices shown in GBP - payment available in your local currency at the current conversion rate.
Ready?
If you’re ready to feel safe in being yourself, please get in contact. We will have a free consultation to discuss your ultimate goal, answer questions, and see if you would like to move ahead - absolutely pressure free.
FAQs
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy that helps your brain reprocess difficult experiences and update unhelpful beliefs. Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements, taps, or tones) to help your brain process "stuck" memories and beliefs that contribute to your anxiety.
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We'll begin by identifying the specific social situations that trigger anxiety and the negative beliefs you hold about yourself in these situations. Then we'll use EMDR to target the memories that created these beliefs, helping your brain update its understanding. As treatment progresses, we'll also install preferred feelings and rehearse future scenarios with your new perspective.
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Single 90 min session:
Investment: £150
Payment Options:
Full payment of £150
Two instalments of £75 (one pre-session and 2 weeks later)
Three 90 min sessions
Investment: £450
Payment Options:
Full payment receives 10% discount = £405
Payment Plan: Initial payment of £150, two further payments of £150 to be completed over 6 weeks.
6 90 Min Sessions
Investment: £900
Payment Options:
Full payment receives 10% discount = £810
Payment Plan: Initial payment of £150, five additional payments of £150 every 2 weeks. All payments completed over 12 weeks.
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EMDR sessions can be 1 hour or 90 minutes to allow sufficient time for the processing to unfold naturally. Shorter sessions can mean interrupting the process just as it's getting to important material, which is less effective, which is why we might do 90 minutes for more ‘stuck’ memories.
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Many clients report feeling shifts after just 1-3 EMDR sessions and about 6-9 CBT sessions, though the number needed varies based on your history and the complexity of your anxiety. Some notice they're responding differently to social situations almost immediately, while more complex patterns may take longer to shift fully.
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a structured, practical but empathetic, approach that helps you identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to your emotional difficulties. It focuses on the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It is the most evidence based therapy available.
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This varies depending on your history and the complexity of your social anxiety. For specific, focused relational traumas (e.g. one-off incident of bullying), 1-6 sessions is often sufficient. More complex or longstanding difficulties (e.g. a history of critical parenting) may require additional sessions.
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EMDR sessions are 90 minutes rather than the standard 50-60 minutes, providing nearly double the therapeutic time. The extended format is crucial for EMDR's effectiveness, allowing complete processing cycles without interruption. Additionally, EMDR requires specialised training, supervision and certification beyond standard therapy qualifications, representing a higher level of expertise and specialised care.
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While the upfront cost may seem higher, EMDR often works out more cost-effective in the long run. Traditional weekly therapy for social anxiety can continue for months or even years, with gradual improvement. In contrast, EMDR typically requires fewer total sessions to achieve significant results, meaning your overall investment may be substantially lower while achieving more profound change.
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Absolutely! CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and EMDR work excellently together and can create a comprehensive approach to treating low self confidence. While they work through different mechanisms, they complement each other well. CBT helps you recognise and challenge unhelpful thought patterns and develop practical strategies, while EMDR addresses the underlying emotional experiences and beliefs that fuel your anxiety at their source. Many clients find this combination particularly powerful.
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Yes. In this case sessions would be weekly sessions of 60 minutes (£110). This allows us to work on an ongoing basis.
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This is best discussed in our free call to determine your ultimate goals and difficulties, and what’s likely to be effective.
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No, I work with clients globally online.