Self-Esteem & Confidence Therapy for Kids and Teens in Calgary

Helping Children Rewrite the Story They Tell Themselves

We all carry a voice inside — one that shapes how we see ourselves and what we believe we’re capable of. For some children and teens, this voice becomes overly critical. They begin to compare, question, and shrink back. That inner narrative can dim their spark — and leave them doubting their worth.

At Creative Sky Psychology, we help kids and teens rewrite the stories they’re telling themselves. We support them in seeing their strengths, exploring their challenges, and building confidence that grows from the inside out.

child building confidence in therapy session Calgary psychologist

Signs Your Child May Be Struggling with Self-Esteem

Frequent negative self-talk (“I’m dumb,” “I can’t do anything right”)

  • Avoiding challenges or new activities out of fear of failure

  • Excessive comparing to peers or siblings

  • People-pleasing or hiding true feelings

  • Difficulty accepting compliments

  • Withdrawing from friendships or feeling “left out”

  • Sensitivity to feedback or perceived rejection

Low self-esteem in childhood and adolescence can affect mental health, learning, and relationships. Left unaddressed, it can quietly shape how kids see their future.

child building confidence in therapy session Calgary psychologist

How Therapy Helps Build Confidence and Self-Esteem.

We work with children and teens to:

  • Identify and challenge unhelpful self-beliefs

  • Build emotional regulation and self-compassion

  • Develop confidence through strengths-based experiences

  • Learn to accept feedback without shame

  • Practice assertiveness, healthy boundaries, and decision-making

  • Reframe failure as part of growth

  • Frequent negative self-talk (“I’m dumb,” “I can’t do anything right”)

Our Calgary child psychologists tailor support based on age and developmental stage — because confidence doesn’t look the same at age 6 as it does at 16.

What Therapy Looks Like by Age. We work with children and teens to:

Preschool & Early Childhood

We use play therapy, art, puppets, and gentle modeling to build emotional vocabulary and confidence. Activities focus on separating mistakes from identity (“You spilled the paint” vs “You’re messy”), using encouragement, and exploring feelings safely.

School-Aged Children (6–12)

Kids this age often benefit from CBT-informed techniques, creative exercises, storytelling, role play, and problem-solving games. We explore themes like bravery, comparison, perfectionism, and trying new things — always through a positive, developmentally tuned lens.

Teens & Adolescents

Teen therapy integrates talk therapy, values work, cognitive tools, and deeper exploration of identity and pressure. We address comparison, anxiety, body image, social exclusion, and inner criticism — and help teens develop a voice they can trust.

child expressing confidence through art in Calgary therapy session

Confidence Isn't Something You're Born With — It's Something You Practice.

Children don’t need to be the most outgoing or always get things right to feel confident. At Creative Sky Psychology, we believe confidence comes from trying, failing safely, being seen, and learning that your worth isn’t tied to performance.

We help kids and teens build inner confidence they can carry into friendships, school, sports, and the world.

Parent Support & Collaboration

We work closely with parents to ensure that growth continues beyond the therapy room. This might include:

  • Coaching on language that builds self-worth at home

  • Feedback on how to respond to perfectionism or people-pleasing

  • Helping you understand your child’s specific triggers for shame or comparison

  • Support navigating school issues, friend drama, or performance anxiety

child building confidence in therapy session using art and emotion therapy

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Soft skills such as empathy, cooperation and problem-solving supports the development of peer relationships in children and teens. Conversely, difficulties with the development of these skills can affect the overall mental well-being of children and adolescents. Bullying, teasing, and exclusion are common social issues which may put children at a higher risk for anxiety, depression, low-self esteem, and other mental health challenges. Our Child Psychologists at Creative Sky Psychology assist children and teenagers in managing challenges related peer relationship difficulties. Our Child Psychologists support individuals to develop tsocial and emotional skills to foster healthy peer relationships and better cope with negative encounters.

  • You may ask yourself how you can help build your child's self-esteem. Since every child is unique, building self-esteem may come easier to some kids than others. Avoid focusing on praising your child. Rather, applaud your child’s effort, progress, and attitudes. Notice what your child is good at and enjoys, and help them develop those skills. Realistically, overpraising will  only take away from the things they succeed at and that took real effort. Focusing on their strengths, rather than weaknesses, is key to building their self-esteem. Children's self-esteem improves when they feel that their actions make a difference to others. By involving them in tasks such as helping at home, school projects, or doing favors for siblings, you can help boost their sense of accomplishment. 

    It is important to spend quality time with your child by playing with them and actively listening to them. Show interest in their activities, projects, and problems, and let them choose the games. Join in on the activities they enjoy. By doing this, children will feel secure and cared for, leading to a boost in self-confidence.

    It is important to remember that peer pressure isn’t always a bad thing. Positive peer pressure can help push your child to do something of benefit. This beneficial aspect of socialization can help to strengthen youth’s academic, behavioral, and social skills. 

  • For all children, the desire to establish secure peer relationships is crucial to their mental health. There are a variety of reasons of why some children experience difficulties when trying to build friendships. In general, children who struggle with making friends fall into three general categories:

    1. They tend to be shy and anxious- children who feel uncomfortable expressing themselves socially can experience difficulties when engaging with friends 

    2. Some children struggle with social difficulties- it’s not that youth don’t want to engage with peers, it’s that they lack the interpersonal skills to do so. In some cases, They might not understand social cues well and act controlling or aggressive, only talking about themselves and not showing interest in others

    3. Underlying issues- Social difficulties in children may be a symptom of underlying issues such as ADHD, Anxiety, ASD, or other neurological disorders.