Working with low self-esteem?

Understanding and Working With Low Self-Esteem in Voice Users, 21st July 2026

With Dr. Luke Aldridge-Wadden Clinical Psychologist (NHS & Independent Practice, BAPAM)

Key Takeaways & Core Concepts

1. Defining Self-Esteem

Referencing the work of clinical psychologist Dr. Melanie Fennell, Dr. Aldridge-Wadden emphasized that self-esteem is fundamentally about the overall opinion we hold of ourselves, how we evaluate ourselves, and the value we attach to ourselves as whole human beings.

Unlike self-efficacy (the belief in one’s ability to perform a specific task), self-esteem refers to an unconditional, over-generalized judgment of one’s entire worth. In voice users—where performance and identity are deeply intertwined—fluctuations or chronic difficulties with self-esteem are remarkably common.

2. The Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) Model of Low Self-Esteem

The session explored how low self-esteem develops and maintains itself through two core components:

• Personal Adequacy: Deep-seated beliefs regarding whether one is fundamentally "good enough" or competent.
• Social Concept: Beliefs about how others perceive one's worth (e.g., "People will see right through me").

When a critical incident occurs—such as a period of illness, a vocal injury, or an unexpected voice crack during a performance—it can activate negative core beliefs. This often leads to a cycle of hyper-vigilance, self-criticism, performance anxiety, and safety-seeking behaviors (such as overcompensating, hiding, or avoiding singing altogether).

Case Study Focus: "Emma"

To connect theory with real-world practice, Dr. Aldridge-Wadden walked through a hypothetical case study involving Emma, a 34-year-old teacher and keen church choir singer recovering from a bout of severe laryngitis.

Despite recovering, Emma experienced ongoing vocal fatigue and sporadic hoarseness. This physical shift triggered a cycle of low self-esteem, where she began discounting her abilities, over-personalizing minor incidents in choir rehearsals, and considering quitting singing entirely out of fear that others judged her as "no longer capable."

Practical Tools for Voice Practitioners

While deep-seated developmental trauma or core belief restructuring belongs in clinical therapy, voice teachers and coaches can implement "light-touch" psychological principles to help break maintaining cycles of low self-esteem in the studio:

• Fostering Awareness: Helping students track and log their thoughts, physical sensations, and behavioral responses when vocal challenges arise during practice.
• Theory A vs. Theory B: Guiding students to separate the automatic appraisal (Theory A: "Everyone in the choir thinks I sounded terrible and hates me") from an equally plausible alternative (Theory B: "I am reasonably worried about my vocal fatigue, and my worry is making me hyper-focus on others' reactions").
• Behavioral Experiments: Collaboratively designing low-stakes "experiments" in lessons or rehearsals. For example, testing whether transparently stepping out for a 5-minute vocal rest actually results in judgment from peers—or if people simply carry on without paying negative attention.
• Strength-Focused & Acceptance Approaches: Drawing on Solution-Focused, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion-Focused frameworks to help students tolerate difficult emotional states rather than using distress as proof of personal inadequacy.

Recommended Reading & Resources

For those interested in exploring this topic further, Dr. Aldridge-Wadden highlighted several foundational texts:

• Melanie Fennell – Overcoming Low Self-Esteem (Overcoming Series)
• Joe Oliver et al. – The ACT Workbook for Perfectionism and Low Self-Esteem
• Elisa Monti – Research on voice, emotion, and trauma.

Thank you to Dr. Luke Aldridge-Wadden for another enriching session, and to all the attendees who joined us live and engaged in the Q&A!