When you know what you want but you cannot make yourself go for it
You have done the research. You know what the next step is. You might even have the qualifications for it. But something keeps getting in the way, and that something is the quiet voice that says you are not ready, not good enough, or not the kind of person who gets to have that.
That voice shows up everywhere in your career. It is the reason you are still in the job you want to leave. It is the reason you watched a less-qualified colleague get promoted while you waited to "feel ready." It is the reason you rewrote that email 12 times and then did not send it.
People searching "career change support" or "career counselling for confidence" often discover that the practical obstacles are not actually the problem. The real block is a self-esteem issue that has been dressed up as a career issue for years. You can update your resume and practise interview answers, but if you do not believe you deserve the role, none of that work will stick.
That is exactly where self-esteem counselling comes in.
What self-esteem counselling actually addresses
Self-esteem counselling is a focused form of psychotherapy that helps you understand where your self-worth patterns came from and how to change them. At Modifi, this work is done specifically through a career counselling lens.
That means the goal is not just to feel better about yourself in general. The goal is to help you show up differently at work, in job searches, in salary conversations, and in the professional relationships where your self-worth shapes what you ask for and what you accept.
This approach is a good fit for professionals who feel stuck, people considering a career change, and anyone who keeps underplaying their own value at work.
Career counselling that addresses what your resume cannot fix
Ashley Talbot, MA, RP (Qualifying), CCDP, works exclusively in career counselling and psychotherapy, which means she is not a generalist offering self-esteem support as one service among dozens. With a decade of experience in business, human resources, and career development, her practice is built entirely around the intersection of identity, self-worth, and professional life.
This focus matters because the way low self-esteem shows up in a career context is specific. It is not the same as generalized anxiety or life dissatisfaction. It is imposter syndrome in a promotion meeting. It is knowing your market rate and asking for less. It is the belief that if you take up more space at work, something bad will happen.
Ashley's approach draws on positive psychology, solution-focused therapy, and narrative therapy to help you trace those patterns, understand where they came from, and practise responding differently, so your next career decision comes from clarity rather than fear.
- Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and Certified Career Development Practitioner
- Virtual sessions available province-wide across Ontario
- Specialized in supporting professionals through career transitions, stalled careers, and workplace confidence challenges
What to expect when you start
Your first session:
Your counselling plan:
Moving forward with confidence:
What changes when self-esteem is no longer the obstacle
You stop waiting to feel ready. Most career opportunities do not wait for confidence to arrive first. Self-esteem counselling helps you act before you feel certain, which is where real career movement happens.
You start advocating for yourself at work. Whether that means asking for a raise, taking on a more visible role, or simply speaking up in a meeting, you build the internal foundation that makes those actions feel possible.
Your career decisions come from what you actually want. Not from fear of failure, not from what you think you deserve, but from a clear sense of your own value. That shift changes everything about how a career develops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all. Many people come in with a general sense that they are holding themselves back at work without being able to point to one specific thing. That feeling is exactly the right place to start.
General therapy and career-focused counselling are different. If previous therapy did not address the specific ways self-esteem shows up at work, in job searches, or in professional relationships, you may not have had the right lens for the problem. Ashley's practice is built entirely around this intersection.
It depends on what you are working through and what your goals are. Some people notice meaningful change in 6 to 8 sessions. Others prefer to work more deeply over a longer period. Ashley will discuss what makes sense for your situation in your first session.
