Rediscovering Your Self Worth Part 1
About this episode
Dawna Daigneault discusses her book on self-worth and its implications for mental health and relationships.
Part one of a three-part conversation features author and therapist Dawna Daigneault discussing her book, Understanding Self-Worth: A Guide to Worth-Conscious Theory and Psychotherapeutic Practice, and introducing “birthright self-worth,” the idea that worth is inherent from birth rather than earned. Dawna distinguishes self-worth from self-esteem, explains how family systems can condition worth through transactional acceptance, and connects self-worth needs to early survival needs, emphasizing that the “how” of meeting needs (e.g., attunement vs. apathy or anger) shapes worth. She expands Eric Berne’s parental injunctions into intrusive versus abusive forms (e.g., “Be someone I like”) and describes how children prioritize attachment over authenticity, influencing adult relationships. Dawna outlines four rebuildable pillars—awareness, self-respect, self-esteem, and self-confidence—and describes therapeutic strategies for gently identifying conditions, protecting worth, and reducing shame and self-loathing. Learn more about Mary and her therapy practice here: https://marybtherapy.com Learn more about Dawna here: https://zestoflife.com/ Buy Dawna's Book here…
People in this episode
Host: Mary Barbour
Guest: Dawna Daigneault
Topics covered
- self-worth
- mental health
- therapy
- family systems
- relationships
Keywords
- self-worth
- self-esteem
- therapy
- mental health
- family systems
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Mary B Therapy, Zest of Life
Products: Understanding Self-Worth
Books & works: Understanding Self-Worth: A Guide to Worth-Conscious Theory and Psychotherapeutic Practice
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