Therapist for Women and Girls Struggling with Anxiety and Self Worth
I’m Alex McStea, a therapist in Ormskirk and online across the UK, supporting women and teenage girls with anxiety, body image and self-esteem struggles to build confidence from the inside out.
If you are going to open up about the parts of yourself that feel messy, ashamed or not good enough, you need to feel safe with the person sitting across from you.
I genuinely understand how heavy it can feel to grow up in a world that constantly evaluates women on how they look, how they behave and how well they perform, and to feel the constant pressure to look and be “good enough.”
How I Work
Therapy with me is:
Warm and down to earth - a space where you can talk honestly about anxiety, body image, food, self doubt and the things you might not say out loud anywhere else.
Tailored to you - sessions move at your pace and focus on what feels most important for you, not a checklist of techniques.
Creative and flexible - I often incorporate solution focused and creative approaches, especially helpful for teenagers who prefer a less clinical feel.
Anti diet and weight neutral - as a certified intuitive eating counsellor, I do not reinforce appearance based goals. Instead, we explore what is underneath food struggles or body worries, building self trust and self compassion that lasts.
Food struggles, self esteem or anxiety might bring you to therapy, but our work goes deeper, towards helping you feel more grounded, more confident and clearer about what you deserve, so that comparison, self criticism and overwhelm no longer run your life.
Why I Do This Work
I have always felt drawn to working with girls and women because I’m passionate about challenging the unfair pressures placed on them and supporting them to grow into a stronger, more assured sense of who they are. I find it incredibly meaningful to watch someone begin to recognise what they deserve, to draw clearer boundaries, and to stop questioning whether they are too much or not enough.
Like many women, I grew up in the same landscape of comparison, pressure and unrealistic expectations. I know how easy it is to internalise the message that your body is wrong, that you should be thinner, quieter, prettier, more confident, more successful. I remember noticing how quickly negative words could attach themselves to how I saw myself, and how convincing that voice of not good enough could be.
Being able to sit alongside girls and women as they begin to question those messages, untangle them and build a stronger sense of self underneath is one of the most rewarding parts of my work. I admire their openness, their kindness and their willingness to reflect on themselves, and I feel proud when I see them move from self-criticism towards self-respect, developing a more positive relationships with their bodies, with food and with the people around them.
20 year old Alex, still learning that her worth was never meant to be measured by her body.
Professional Background
I have a BA (HONS) in Counselling and Psychotherapy and I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am also certified in intuitive eating counselling.
Alongside my private practice, I have extensive experience of working in charities, a hospice and varied schools/colleges with children and young people.
