The way a child sees himself can drastically affect how he interacts with the people around him. It can determine whether his relationships with his family, peers and teachers are positive or negative. We start to build an image of ourselves while we are very young, based on how we are treated, reactions to our behaviour, and how we feel we measure up to siblings, peers, and other people in our lives.

A positive self image builds self esteem in a child; these children become proud of themselves and their accomplishments and set realistic goals for themselves. They are not afraid of failure, they do not hinge their sense of self worth on one individual, and they value themselves as people.

A negative self image can be devastating to a child. It can lead to all sorts of negative behaviour patterns that may follow the child into adulthood. Children who have low self esteem are unhappy with themselves as people, and they feel that other people are unhappy with them as well. Unfortunately these children are often caught in a downward spiral. They feel bad, and they indulge in negative actions and relationships that make them feel worse. A child who is obsessed with her weight may overeat to comfort herself. A child who feels he is not intelligent may refuse to try for fear of failing.

Unfortunately, not every child has a loving, supportive environment. It is especially important in cases where a child has been in foster care or any other situation that may have made him feel unwanted that he learn to build a positive self image.

In therapy, a client develops the following skills in order to help modify their behaviour and communicate their concerns with the people who support them.

• Recognizing negative self talk.
• Learning to use positive self talk.
• Assertiveness.
• Tolerance of oneself and others.
• Forming supportive, healthy relationships.

Please refer to assessment intake form, or Contact us for more information.