Self Esteem
Self-esteem is defined as an individual’s subjective emotional evaluation of their own worth, encompassing both self-belief and emotional states such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Unlike self-concept, which is a collection of data points about oneself, self-esteem is the evaluative component—the degree to which one likes, accepts, or respects themselves. Counselors view healthy self-esteem as a protective factor in mental health, while low self-esteem is treated as a core vulnerability that often underlies clinical issues like depression, social anxiety, and eating disorders.
