For Parents
She achieves. She tries. She shows up every day. And yet somehow, it never feels like enough.
Maybe she constantly compares herself to others and always comes up short. Maybe she dismisses every compliment, catastrophises every mistake and holds herself to a standard she would never apply to anyone else. Maybe she says things about herself that break your heart to hear.
Low self-esteem in teenage girls does not always look like obvious sadness or withdrawal. It can show up as perfectionism, people-pleasing, overachieving, avoiding anything she might fail at, or simply a quiet but persistent belief that she is less worthy than the people around her.
It is one of the most common and most overlooked struggles in adolescent girls, and it does not resolve on its own simply by telling her she is wonderful. It requires genuine therapeutic work, and support is available now with no waitlist.
For Young Women Aged 12 to 25
Maybe you have never felt good enough, no matter what you do or how hard you try. Maybe you compare yourself to everyone around you and always feel like you are falling short. Maybe you find it impossible to accept a compliment, brush off every achievement and hold onto every mistake.
Maybe you are exhausted from trying to be everything to everyone, and you are not sure there is anything left underneath all of that.
You deserve support that offers real tools, real understanding and a space to figure out who you actually are, beneath the self-criticism.
Private fee sessions are available directly with no referral and no GP visit required. Send an email to info@nvpsychology.com.au to get started.
How Low Self-Esteem Shows Up in Girls and Young Women
Low self-esteem presents differently in different young people. Common signs include:
- Persistent self-criticism and negative self-talk
- Difficulty accepting compliments or acknowledging achievements
- Comparing herself unfavourably to peers, particularly on social media
- Perfectionism and fear of failure or judgement
- People-pleasing and difficulty saying no or asserting needs
- Avoiding new experiences or challenges out of fear of not being good enough
- Seeking constant reassurance from others
- Feeling like an imposter despite evidence of capability
- Tying her sense of worth entirely to appearance, academic results or external approval
- Difficulty identifying her own values, preferences and identity separate from others
Self-Esteem and Neurodiversity
For neurodivergent girls and young women, low self-esteem is particularly common, and often deeply rooted in years of feeling different, misunderstood or like they are not measuring up to expectations that were never designed with them in mind.
The experience of masking, of working hard to appear neurotypical while exhausting internal resources, frequently results in a profound disconnection from self. Many neurodivergent young women reach adulthood with a strong sense of what others expect of them and very little sense of who they actually are.
Common experiences for neurodivergent girls include:
- A deep sense of being different that has never been fully explained or understood
- Low self-worth rooted in years of academic, social or behavioural feedback that felt critical or confusing
- Intense shame around perceived failures or differences
- Difficulty identifying personal strengths
- An unclear sense of identity, particularly in adolescence and early adulthood
Support at this practice is neuroaffirming and individually tailored to each young person's experience.
For more information, visit our Neurodiversity Support page.
What to Expect
The first session is focused on understanding each young person's experience, her history and what has been getting in the way of feeling settled and secure in herself. There is no pressure to have everything figured out or to share more than feels comfortable.
From there, sessions draw on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). ACT supports the development of a stable, values-based sense of self that is not contingent on achievement, appearance or external approval. Rather than challenging negative thoughts directly, ACT helps young people change their relationship with those thoughts so that self-criticism has less power over how they live and what they choose to pursue. CBT helps identify and work with the specific thought patterns and behavioural responses that maintain low self-esteem, including cycles of avoidance, reassurance-seeking and self-criticism that can become deeply entrenched over time.
Where low self-esteem is connected to past experiences of criticism, trauma or significant adversity, EMDR or DBT-informed skills may also be incorporated into the work. For neurodivergent clients, the approach is adapted to account for the specific impact of masking, identity confusion and years of feeling different on sense of self and self-worth.
Every approach is individually tailored. Sessions are available weekly, fortnightly or monthly, with after-school and evening times offered to fit around school, university and work commitments. All sessions are delivered via secure telehealth video call across all of Australia.
Accessing Support
Private Fee Sessions
Private fee sessions are available at $260 per session with no referral required and no annual session limits. The most direct way to get started.
Medicare Rebates
Available with a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, providing up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year.
Bulk Billing
Available for eligible clients. Please get in touch to discuss eligibility.
NDIS Funding
Accepted for self-managed and plan-managed participants under Improved Daily Living. Direct liaison with plan managers and support coordinators is available to make the process as seamless as possible.
For a full breakdown of all funding options, visit our Fees and Funding page.
Ready to get started?
Support for self-esteem and confidence is available now, with no waitlist. Whether you are ready to book or simply have a question, send an email to info@nvpsychology.com.au — we are always more than happy to help.