Self-Esteem Case

Although Mr X doesn't fully understand why he feels as he does, he is aware that his worries, thought patterns and self perception are preventing him from moving forward and embracing opportunity and that this is impacting his work and personal life. He seeks to improve the quality of his life and be able to deal effectively with situations that arise. It is the intention of this essay to establish the issues for which Mr X seeks assistance and to detail an effective treatment plan to implement positive change in all areas of his life.

I have identified Mr X's issues as being a deep rooted lack of self-esteem and a lack of confidence. It has been established through the initial consultation that Mr X is not taking any prescription drugs and has never been prescribed medication for, nor been treated for depression. I am aware that I would not be able to treat depression at this stage of my hypnotherapy career as per The Hypnotherapy Society's Code of Ethics governing 'Good Quality of Care' and feel confident that Mr X, from his explanation of his issues, behavior and importantly, the information gleaned through the notation, is not suffering from depression, nor are there any indicators of psychoses.

The two issues, while both have different characteristics and aspects, invariably interplay and can deeply affect a person's life. Where self-esteem reflects Mr X's more internal beliefs, confidence represents his belief in what he can achieve; what goals he can aspire to. Where a person with high self-esteem will have respect for themselves and an acceptance of who they are, with confidence in their abilities, the low self-esteem experienced by Mr X carries a fear of failure, unfavorable comparison to others as well as inner negative thoughts and chatter about his life, self worth and capabilities.

With regards to the primary issue of a deep rooted lack of self-esteem, Mr X described growing up with very overbearing and judgmental parents, critical of his school work, and ability to aspire to anything. It became clear that his low self-esteem was established early on in his childhood where he was rarely encouraged or congratulated; the focus rather being a negative one, with failure being reinforced into his subconscious at a young age. This early development of an internal voice which did not foster the development of Mr X's self-esteem, established feelings of not being good enough and over the years he has justified this to himself and in sense, similar to self sabotage, he has set out to prove to himself and others that this view is correct. It has been his subconscious mind keeping him safe and preventing him from taking risks; in essence reminding him throughout his life of his perceived limitations. "The major cause of poor self-esteem is past negative programming that is the product of judgmental parents." (Hadley and Staudacher, page 152, 2001)

It is apparent that Mr X grew up developing a strong internal voice which was and still is very fear based, filled with fear of failure, fear of change and trying new things. As an adult in the present day Mr X fears his mother's verbal reprisals, such as if he were to seek to change the day he visits her, whilst at the same time he craves her approval and respect, due in part to growing up trying to constantly gain acceptance and encouragement from his parents against overwhelming negativity. His lack of self-worth has resulted in Mr X burdening himself with worry in regard to others' views and opinions of him. He finds it difficult to socialise and fully relate to his colleagues and as such has been staying in the background with regards to suggesting alternative nights to go out. Lack of self-esteem has also contributed to preventing him from progressing his relationship with his girlfriend and fear of rejection is apparent throughout the arenas of Mr X's life, wholly preventing him from moving forward.

"Self-esteem is one of the fundamental influences on nearly everything you do. When your self-esteem is low, almost all areas of your life - working, socializing, loving - are made more difficult." (Hadley and Staudacher, page 152, 2001) While this quote epitomizes Mr X's present situation, he does have positive foundations which hypnotherapy and various other techniques can work from and help to grow and flourish. Mr X knows deep down that he can do the job of manager, he also desires to socialise with his colleagues and he also has a girlfriend who he feels could become his wife.

The second issue is a lack of confidence in himself, his abilities and in essence, his rightful place in the world. Mr X has experience of taking on the role of manager, however where previously he did so for short periods when he was asked to, his lack of confidence in his ability to secure the job on his own merits, coupled with his fear of being unsuccessful and the ensuing situation he fears would then arise, is holding him back. "There may be any number of situations where you lack confidence, but they all have one thing in common - they will all be rooted to some kind of fear relating to your ability to succeed. The roots may be long, entangled and reaching deep into your unconscious mind, and this is why feelings of low confidence often seem irrational." (Molden and Hutchinson, page 9, 2008)

While it is clear that Mr X does require confidence for a specific event, namely the interview for the manager's position, it is my assessment that it is his deep underlying lack of self-esteem which is the core level issue, underpinning his perception of himself, his self-worth and fear- based outlook. In assessing Mr X's issues I feel that there are no hidden agendas or secondary gains present.

Having established the issues, a suitable treatment plan has been devised, incorporating several elements. In assessing Mr X with deep underlying lack of self-esteem, I am aware that because my training is currently based solely with hypnotherapy, that I am not qualified to fully explore all of the often complex components of such a diagnosis, as detailed under the 'Good Quality of Care' criteria of The Hypnotherapy Society's Code of Ethics. As such it is my ethical duty to refer Mr X on to someone who can assist him with exploring

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