Self-esteem & self-acceptance therapy in San Francisco & online across California.
We help adults understand where their inner critic came from, so their worth stops depending on getting everything right.
Is Your Inner Critic Running the Show?
Maybe you can list everything wrong with you faster than anything right. Maybe a compliment slides right off, but one piece of criticism sticks for days. Maybe you've achieved a lot and still don't feel like it's enough — or like you are. If your sense of worth rises and falls with how well you're performing, that's not a personality trait. It's something that can shift.
How Low Self-Esteem Can Show Up
A harsh inner voice — quick to criticize, slow to acknowledge what's going well
Needing to be perfect before you'll accept yourself — nothing ever feels quite good enough
Comparing yourself to others — and usually coming up short in your own eyes
Difficulty accepting compliments or support — deflecting, minimizing, or explaining them away
Over-apologizing — for taking up space, having needs, or making mistakes
Worth tied to achievement or approval — feeling okay only when you're producing or being praised
Staying quiet about what you actually want — because asking feels too exposing
What We Work With
Perfectionism and fear of failure
Imposter syndrome
People-pleasing and difficulty saying no
Body image and comparison
Self-worth tied to achievement, productivity, or others' approval
Self-esteem shaped by family or cultural expectations
Confidence in dating, relationships, or the workplace
High achievers and founders whose worth feels conditional on results
How We Approach Self-Esteem & Self-Acceptance
Most self-esteem advice stays at the level of positive thinking — affirmations, reframes, "just be kinder to yourself." That's a piece of it, but it rarely holds if you don't understand where the harsh inner voice came from in the first place.
At Spiral Up Therapy, we work with approaches that go deeper and pair them with practical tools you can use right away.
Psychodynamic & Attachment-Informed Therapy
This is where we start: understanding your story, including your childhood experiences and your relationship with your parents or caregivers. Many of your earliest beliefs about your own worth were formed there — through what got praised, what got criticized, and what love or approval seemed to depend on.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Once we've named where the inner critic comes from, CBT gives us concrete tools to work with it — catching a self-critical thought in the moment and building a more accurate, less punishing one in its place.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT helps you build a sense of worth that isn't conditional on performance — reconnecting with your own values so you can accept yourself as you are while still working toward the things that matter to you.
Self-Compassion Practice
This is central to self-esteem work: learning to be an adult to yourself — someone who can hold your own mistakes and shortcomings with the same care you'd offer a friend, instead of the harshest voice in the room.
Your therapist draws from these based on what you actually need — there's no one-size-fits-all protocol here.
Meet the Team
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Manali Deolalkar
Licensed Therapist
Individual Therapy - 210$/session
Couples Therapy - 230$/session
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Melanie Lei
Associate Therapist
Individual Therapy - 175$/session
Couples Therapy - 225$/session
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Meghna Das
Associate Therapist
Individual Therapy - 150$/session
Couples Therapy - 175$/session
What Sets Us Apart
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
South Asian Therapy
Immigrant Therapy
Inclusive Therapy
Frequently Asked Questions
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It depends on you. CBT is a strong starting point for the self-critical thought patterns; ACT helps build a sense of worth that isn't conditional; psychodynamic and attachment-informed work helps when low self-esteem is rooted in longer-standing patterns.
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Most clients start weekly and see meaningful shifts within a few months, though this varies by person. We check in on progress and adjust together.
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Yes — online anywhere in California, plus in-person sessions in San Francisco.
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We're out-of-network. Most clients pay directly and use a superbill for reimbursement — ask us about this during your consultation.
You Belong Here 🌟
Whether you’re the first in your family to seek therapy, or you’ve been on this journey for a while, we’re here to walk alongside you. Think of us as a mix of thought partners, compassionate guides, and cheerleaders—here to help you rewrite the story you want to live. Your culture, your struggles, and your dreams all matter—and we’re honored to hold space for them.