Integrating Self-Love, Self-Care, Self-Compassion, and Self-Respect For Enduring Self-Esteem

Thrive • February 10, 2022

By Thrive Waco Therapist Sarah Neelley, MA, LPC-Associate, 200 RYT

WHAT IS SELF-ESTEEM?

Self-esteem is your general opinion of yourself, including how you feel about your abilities and limitations. When you have a healthy sense of self-esteem, you believe that you’re worthy of respect, your opinions matter, and you’re capable of achieving whatever you set your mind to. Alternatively, an unhealthy sense of self-esteem can lead to feelings of worthlessness, comparing yourself to others, and difficulty maintaining boundaries

THE MULTIFACETED NATURE OF SELF-ESTEEM

Extending love, care, compassion, and respect to yourself is vital for growing and maintaining a healthy sense of self-esteem. By exploring the meaning of self-love, self-care, self-compassion, and self-respect, you can begin to foster an honest and deep appreciation of your amazing self!

What is self-love?

Easily confused with narcissism, which is an unhealthy overemphasis of one’s strengths and ignorance of one’s weaknesses, self-love is something else entirely. Based in self-awareness, self-love means accepting your intrinsic worth as an individual, despite your imperfections. 

Some examples of embracing self-love include:

  • Prioritizing your well-being
  • Recognizing your strengths
  • Accepting your imperfections
  • Acknowledging your feelings
  • Asking for help when you need it
  • Letting go of resentments 
  • Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
  • Forgiving yourself for any mistakes

Without a foundation of self-love, you may find that you neglect your own needs, make self-sabotaging decisions, and allow others to take advantage of you. When you love yourself, you value your well-being and happiness enough to protect it. 

What is self-care?

Self-care is putting self-love into action. You practice self-care whenever you intentionally engage in activities or behaviors that promote your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. What constitutes self-care for an individual is based on their tastes, interests, and needs.

Self-care may mean:

  • Playing an instrument
  • Attending a yoga class
  • Taking a shower or bath
  • Practicing photography
  • Spending a day at the beach
  • Going on a bike ride
  • Catching up with friends
  • Visiting places of worship
  • Reading a good book
  • Learning something new
  • Eating adequately, consistently, and intuitively
  • Embracing a wide variety of foods, including those you enjoy most

Self-care should not be perceived as a reward, obligation, or frivolous pursuit. Instead, self-care should be an integral element of your lifestyle that empowers and energizes you.

What is self-compassion?

Self-compassion is the heart of self-love and self-care and invites you to honor your humanness. It means extending to yourself the same understanding and kindness that you offer to others. 

You can practice self-compassion by:

  • Being patient and kind with yourself
  • Affirming your positive attributes
  • Acknowledging your successes of any size
  • Allowing your progress to be nonlinear
  • Accepting what you can control versus what you cannot
  • Allowing yourself to make mistakes and viewing them as learning opportunities
  • Avoiding unfavorable comparisons of yourself to others
  • Refraining from self-criticism and self-judgment

While negative self-talk can foster a sense of self-pity, self-compassion keeps you from holding yourself to impossible expectations, encourages you to mindfully recognize your humanity, and allows you to embrace life with graciousness toward yourself.

What is self-respect?

Another aspect of self-esteem is self-respect or self-regard. Self-respect involves embracing your autonomy while also defining your own values and living in accordance with them.

Self-respecting individuals don’t regard themselves as inferior or superior to others. Instead, self-respect is based on adhering to one’s standards for themselves, which are rooted in an individual’s unique sense of integrity. 

Having self-respect means:

  • Desiring to be treated in accordance with your inherent dignity
  • Protesting degrading treatment of yourself
  • Living by a self-defined sense of morality
  • Feeling a responsibility to make your life into something you believe to be good
  • Seeking to use your talents in pursuit of your goals

Self-respect empowers individuals to have agency over their own lives. With self-respect, you can demand better of and for yourself to create a life you deserve. 

GROW WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

Appreciating your uniqueness and honoring your worth promotes healthier relationships, decision-making that honors your desires, and confidence in pursuing your goals. Attending therapy can help you identify any patterns impacting your self-esteem and learn strategies to hold yourself in healthy high regard. If you’re curious about your relationship with yourself and others, reach out to Thrive for details about how outpatient therapy can serve as an insightful, self-reflective practice for personal growth. 

About the Author

Thrive Waco Therapist Sarah Neelley, MA, LPC-Associate, 200 RYT

Sarah is passionate about providing holistic care to survivors of interpersonal trauma, as well as individuals struggling with eating and body image concerns.

A registered yoga instructor, she enjoys integrating her counselor education and yoga training to holistically approach mental health treatment. She is skilled at facilitating trauma-informed yoga therapeutic groups for survivors of interpersonal trauma.

As a counseling intern at Baylor University’s Counseling Center, Sarah has provided mental health support to clients facing crisis situations, trauma, anxiety, depression, OCD, substance use, and anger concerns.

Sarah holds a Master of Arts degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Baylor University.

In her free time, Sarah loves reading, spending time with friends and family, taking long walks outdoors, enjoying a good cup of coffee, and doing puzzles. She recently developed an interest in keeping plants alive. Wish her (and her plants) all the luck!

Supervised by Erin McGinty Fort, LPC-Supervisor (76628) | Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors

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December 2, 2025
Like the fir tree, a symbol of endurance rooted in hope, our Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR) approach reflects the strength that grows when families face challenges together. At our new residential center “The Greenhouse”, FIR is more than a treatment model, it’s a philosophy of healing that places families at the heart of recovery for adolescents and young adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We believe lasting healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s built with the support of families through perseverance, hope, and compassionate care. What Is Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR)? Family Intensive Recovery (FIR) is a specialized and immersive approach that actively engages caregivers as central agents in their child’s healing process. Rather than seeing families as contributors to a problem, we view them as essential partners in recovery. Drawing from two evidence-based frameworks, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT), FIR helps families cultivate resilience, confidence, and connection throughout the journey to recovery. Grounded in SPACE and FBT Through the SPACE model, parents learn how to recognize and reduce well-intentioned but unhelpful behaviors known as accommodations that can reinforce anxiety and OCD symptoms. By shifting from rescuing to supporting and challenging, parents develop the confidence to guide their child through discomfort, helping them build distress tolerance and self-trust. Simultaneously, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) empowers families to take an active, compassionate role in their child’s nutritional and emotional recovery. Parents learn how to support weight and nutritional restoration, disrupt the eating disorder’s patterns, and reestablish boundaries that promote health and growing autonomy. Together, these approaches strengthen both the individual and family system, allowing recovery to take root within an environment of empathy and optimism. From Blame to Collaboration A cornerstone of the FIR model is removing blame. At Thrive, parents are not viewed as the cause of their child’s struggles, but rather as key partners in recovery. Treatment focuses on joining forces to create a safe, supportive environment where: Families learn to sit with their child's discomfort alongside them without rushing to fix or control it. Parents practice compassionate firmness, setting boundaries grounded in care and safety. Teens and caregivers rebuild trust through open, honest communication. This collaborative framework helps families reestablish a sense of connection and confidence, fostering long-term resilience and open communication that extends beyond the treatment setting. Why Family Matters in Recovery Recovery from eating disorders, OCD, or anxiety isn’t a one-person job, it requires integrated care including the family. When families learn to navigate challenges together, they can model emotional regulation, reinforce healthy boundaries, and create conditions for sustained recovery. Through FIR, we aim to strengthen attachment bonds, reshape family interactions, and empower every member of the family to grow. The result is not only symptom reduction but also a deeper sense of unity, hope, and shared endurance, just like the steadfast fir tree that stands resilient through every season. Moving Toward Hope Family Inclusive Recovery invites caregivers and loved ones to become active participants in change. It’s a journey of learning, letting go, and leaning into love and acceptance. Together, families and clinicians can cultivate the courage in clients to face uncertainty, and in doing so, help them discover that recovery is not just possible, but enduring. If you’d like to learn more about Family Intensive Recovery at The Greenhouse or how we support families in eating disorder and OCD treatment, reach out to our team today.
November 14, 2025
The Greenhouse at Thrive Wellness A New Chapter of Hope and Healing in Nevada On Friday, November 14 , we gathered with our partners at Molina Healthcare to share an important moment for our community. Together, we celebrated Molina’s generous $50,000 grant , an investment that is helping bring The Greenhouse to life. Their support is not only a financial contribution—it’s a statement of belief in the young people and families of Nevada who deserve access to compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare close to home. This gathering marked the beginning of something we’ve dreamed about for years: a place designed specifically for adolescents and emerging adults to receive the care, connection, and support they need during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Something New Is Growing In early 2026 , Thrive Wellness will open The Greenhouse , Nevada’s first residential treatment center devoted to adolescents and emerging adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD . For too long, families have faced a heartbreaking dilemma—send their child far from home for treatment or go without the specialized care they need. The Greenhouse is our answer to that gap. It will be a place where young people can settle into an environment built for healing, where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by a team that believes in their capacity to recover. The Greenhouse represents a natural extension of our mission. It’s a living expression of our belief that recovery is possible—and that with the right support, families can find their footing again. 
November 11, 2025
Are you looking for a meaningful way to give back this holiday season? Thrive Wellness is excited to continue our 6th Annual Giving Tree Program in collaboration with Perenn Bakery this winter. This year, Thrive Wellness Reno and Perenn Bakery are proud to partner with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Northern Nevada. The organization supports families with children receiving treatment at area hospitals, providing comfort, hope, and a home-away-from-home during challenging times. Ronald McDonald House Charities offers essential services, removes barriers, strengthens families, and promotes healing when children need healthcare the most. How It Works Simply take one (or a few) tags from the Giving Tree, each listing an item you can purchase and donate for residents of the Ronald McDonald House. Then, drop off your item(s) at one of our designated donation locations by Friday, December 19. Items Needed: Restaurant gift cards Walmart or Target gift cards Games, puzzles, and coloring books Toys (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Lego sets, craft sets, magnet blocks, baby dolls, action figures, journals, infant toys, etc.) Children's books (picture, chapter, and graphic novels) Toiletry sets (for adults) Lotion/self-care gift sets (for adults) Sweatshirts/hoodies (adults, XS-XXL) Scarves, gloves, fuzzy socks, pajamas (all sizes) Infant diapers, onesies, and baby bottles Bulk individually wrapped snacks (granola bars, chips, etc.) Please ensure all donations are new, in original packaging, and unwrapped. Donation Drop-Off Locations Please deliver donations by Friday, December 19, to one of the following sites: Thrive Wellness 201 W Liberty St., Suite 201, Reno, NV 89501 Perenn Grocery 7600 Rancharrah Pkwy, Suite 130, Reno, NV 89511 The first 50 people to return their donations will receive a complimentary ornament gift!  Why We Give Back Through our Giving Tree program, we’re honoring one of our core values at Thrive Wellness: staying rooted in community. This annual tradition allows us to give back to those who need support most during the holiday season. We invite you to join us by taking a tag at any Thrive or Perenn location and helping spread kindness throughout our community. There’s no better way to embrace the holiday spirit than by supporting local families with thoughtful, heartfelt donations. We are deeply grateful for your generosity and continued support. Thank you for helping us make a difference!
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