Low self-esteem is a very common problem. It can cause great unhappiness and restrict people’s lives. This
practical booklet draws on an established treatment, cognitive behaviour therapy. It offers a framework for
understanding how low self-esteem develops and the unhelpful thinking patterns that keep it going, and offers
ideas on how to tackle the problem and how to learn to accept yourself and treat yourself with kindness.
Melanie Fennell is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with OCTC. She has a long-standing special interest in selfesteem,
and has written widely about it, both for clinicians and for the general public.
Helen Jenkins is a Clinical Psychologist with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.
