273: Best of Ask Lisa: Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Compassion

273: Best of Ask Lisa: Confidence, Self-Esteem & Self-Compassion

From Ask Lisa: Untangling Family Life by Dr. Lisa Damour

May 26, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

This episode compiles powerful conversations on confidence, self-esteem, and self-compassion for tweens and teens.

Does your tween or teen struggle with low confidence and self-esteem? Do you want to cultivate healthy self-compassion and self-worth in them — and in yourself? In this special "Best of Ask Lisa" compilation, clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and co-host Reena Ninan pull together some of their most powerful conversations on self-esteem, confidence, and self-compassion, covering the full arc of the tween and teen years. Whether your child is drowning in negative self-talk, paralyzed by perfectionism, or just seems to have lost the spark they once had, this episode will help you understand what's normal, what's not, and what actually works. 💡 YOU'LL LEARN: - Why confidence naturally dips around ages 5-9 (and why that doesn't mean you've failed as a parent) - Why girls often experience a sharp confidence drop around age 12, and what's really going on for boys during puberty - The "tributaries and the lake" framework for building self-esteem that lasts across a lifetime - How to respond when your kid spirals into harsh negative self-talk, including the exact phrases Dr. Lisa recommends - Whether it's okay to tell your daughter she's beautiful - How modeling self-compassion is…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr. Lisa Damour, Reena Ninan

Topics covered

  • confidence
  • self-esteem
  • self-compassion
  • tweens
  • teens
  • parenting

Keywords

  • confidence
  • self-esteem
  • self-compassion
  • parenting
  • tweens
  • teens
  • negative self-talk
  • perfectionism

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