The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: – Success Osuji

“This shift in perspective helped me recognise that how I saw myself mattered more than anyone else’s opinion.” 

By David Oletu (DCM)

……Though it took nearly 15 years, I was finally free and determined to ensure others—whether teenagers or adults—never remained trapped in this silent killer of self-worth. 

Having lived through verbal abuse and low self-esteem, I now understand the pains of self-esteem victims.

…” As a child, you will discover ways to fight self-esteem issues and come out of it. Every setback will no longer be just a setback but an opportunity to bounce back.”

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: – Success Osuji

In a world where self-doubt and low self-esteem threaten the mental well-being of millions of teenagers,

Success Osuji, a Teens Recovery Ambassador, author, and mentor,

has dedicated her life to empowering young minds to overcome the challenges of self-esteem, relationships, and personal growth.

With unwavering passion and a profound understanding of the complexities surrounding teenage struggles,

Success shares her remarkable journey from overcoming personal self-esteem issues to becoming a leading advocate for teenage empowerment.

As the author of two life-changing books, ‘Start Living’ and ‘Self-Esteem Therapy for Teens,’

Success offers actionable advice and expert insights to help teenagers and parents navigate the intricate web of self-discovery, confidence-building, and healthy relationships.

Her writing is infused with compassion, wisdom, and a deep understanding of the human experience.

Through her pioneering initiatives, Living Virtues Mentorship Platform and Teens Recovery Foundation,

Success has created safe spaces for young individuals to confront their fears, build resilience, and unlock their full potential.

Her tireless efforts have touched countless lives, fostering a community of empowered teenagers equipped to thrive in an increasingly complex world.

In this exclusive interview, Success Osuji opens up about her struggles,

the driving forces behind her mission, and the most critical lessons she has learned along the way.

Join us as we delve into the inspiring story of Success Osuji, a true champion of teenage empowerment.

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: A Conversation with Success Osuji

Watching how God is using a mere vessel like me to raise ladies of relevance is one testimony of my life that I can never get tired of sharing. 

It baffles me each time I think of how He raised me and now uses this piece of clay to reach out to His own. 

Seriously, this is my testimony.

DCM: Can we meet you? 

Success: Hello! I am Osuji Amuche Success—the Teens Recovery Ambassador, a passionate lover of God and His kingdom,

an author, a Teens Mentor, an advocate for the girl child, a creative writer, ghostwriter, and editor. 

I also have a natural oil business where I produce undiluted natural oils like avocado oil, coconut oil, carrot oil, and the like.

And I hold a bachelor’s degree in science laboratory technology from the prestigious University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. 

Though a science student, I have a great flair for writing even at a tender age. 

As I will always say, writing is therapeutic for me. 

It has a way of helping me pour out my heart and heal from hidden pains. 

So far, I have authored 2 books—START LIVING (a book on finding purpose and meaning in life)

and SELF-ESTEEM THERAPY FOR TEENS (a systematic guide to parents on how they can help boost the self-esteem of their children), and many more are yet to come. 

Also, I’ve been privileged to pioneer a vision targeted at raising young ladies into becoming balanced women with kingdom relevance. 

Through my platform, the ‘LIVING VIRTUES’ mentorship platform,

young ladies between the ages of 15 and 29 are being exposed to intensive mentorship training geared towards making them usable vessels to God in any sphere they find themselves in.

Apart from LIVING VIRTUES, I also co-founded ‘Teens Recovery Foundation,’

an online platform opened for both genders and consumed with the vision of raising problem solvers in society. 

As a way of reaching out to society, I’ve been able to engage in numerous outreaches, both to secondary schools for sensitisation programs and orphanages for love outreaches.

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: – Success Osuji

DCM: Can you share your personal story of how you struggled with self-esteem issues as a teenager?

Success: Growing up, I had a rival. 

Comparison and competition were the order of the day for me. 

I developed a perfectionist mindset driven by the pressure to meet my parents’ high expectations. 

Their belief that comparing me to others would push me to excel only trapped me in a shell, where every failure made me feel worthless. 

I became harshly self-critical, which lowered my self-esteem and led me to constantly devalue my uniqueness. 

This negative thinking created a mental cycle that made it difficult for me to break free,

as I convinced myself that I would never measure up to the standards I had set.

My strengths were never focused on. Instead, it was my weaknesses that were always amplified. 

Everyone has weaknesses, but this didn’t make sense to my parents back then. 

In cases where I wasn’t measuring up, verbal abuse would be the last resort. 

So, I had to maintain the ideology that ‘Failure is not allowed.’ and ‘Mistakes are not allowed too.’

As time went on, these beliefs didn’t lead to success but instead fostered self-pity and despair whenever I failed. 

Rather than seeking solutions, I would retreat into my misery,

dwelling on my perceived shortcomings and comparing myself unnecessarily to others. 

The weight of this mindset affected all aspects of my life, from my academic performance to my relationships. 

I lost focus and felt stuck, unable to break the cycle of self-criticism and low self-worth.

Back then, I totally got to a point where the sight of my rival became irritating to me. 

She became a stand for me day after day. 

It took me years to come out of this trauma because it also affected my definition of success. 

None of my achievements meant anything to me. 

I began to monitor every single step my rival took. 

Little did I know that I was battling with chronic low self-esteem. 

I sought accolades and appraisals from people before I could ever appreciate myself.

However, I eventually found a way to break free from this destructive pattern with the help of God and the scriptures. 

Realising that God had declared me “good” in Genesis 1:31, I began to affirm my worth daily and focus on my strengths instead of my failures. 

Genesis 1:31 KJV
[31] And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
https://bible.com/bible/1/gen.1.31.KJV

This shift in perspective helped me recognise that how I saw myself mattered more than anyone else’s opinion. 

I also started writing down my unique qualities and working on my weaknesses with a renewed sense of purpose.

To heal completely, I confronted my parents and explained the harm their words and comparisons had caused. 

This conversation marked the beginning of my liberation from low self-esteem. 

Though it took nearly 15 years, I was finally free and determined to ensure others—whether teenagers or adults—never remained trapped in this silent killer of self-worth. 

Having lived through verbal abuse and low self-esteem, I now understand the pains of self-esteem victims.

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: – Success Osuji

DCM: How did your experiences shape your passion for helping others with similar struggles?

Success: My experience gave me a closer view of how victims of self-esteem troubles battle to be free. 

I came to realise that a lot of people never come to full realisation of what their challenges are. 

Instead, they mask it up and wear the tag called introvert;

they begin to call themselves introverts, whereas in reality, they are victims of chronic low self-esteem. 

From my experience, I can better understand the pain that comes with being verbally abused or compared by the very people you expect accolades from. 

It hurts, and truly, I wish I got a helping hand early enough,

but notwithstanding, my experience has been a propelling force needed to push me into rendering a helping hand to as many battling these issues.

DCM: What do you believe are the primary causes of self-esteem issues among teenagers, particularly girls?

Success: Comparison and verbal abuse from the home. 

Girls are moved by what they hear, whether it’s a little girl or an aged woman. 

Words have a way of helping us appreciate ourselves. 

So, in a case where a girl is constantly being compared to anyone else, whether her siblings or neighbours, it eats up her self-worth. 

The home is a place of building—it is the foundation that determines the outcome of the child’s life.

DCM: What helped you overcome your own self-esteem struggles?

Success: First of all, it was God. 

My view of myself changed the moment I started to have a relationship with God. 

This relationship helped in reshaping my view of myself.

Secondly, the word of God. 

I began to see who I really am through the lens of God’s word. 

The word began to help me debunk the lies I have accepted about myself.

Thirdly, the power of affirmation. 

I constantly and consistently spent time affirming every word I encountered from God’s word about my uniqueness while studying. 

I spent time affirming to myself; I took to writing these things everywhere in my room, even as I spoke them out.

Finally, focusing on my strengths while I kept improving on my weaknesses. 

This is where a lot of people miss it. 

They focus on their weakness while neglecting their strength. 

This is a wrong approach that I have spent time teaching as many that come to me for one-on-one coaching sessions on overcoming Self-esteem troubles.

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: A Conversation with Success Osuji

DCM: How can adults (parents, educators, leaders) best support teenagers in building their self-esteem? 

Success: Encourage Self-Awareness: Help teenagers reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, and emotions.

Self-awareness allows them to understand their worth beyond external validation.

Be their role model. Model healthy self-esteem to them every time not seasonal. 

Also, ensure you always offer genuine praise to them. 

Focus on praising effort, resilience, and improvement rather than just results. This reinforces a growth mindset and builds confidence.

Provide Opportunities for Responsibility: Giving teens responsibilities (e.g., leadership roles, managing tasks) helps them feel trusted and capable, which boosts their self-worth.

Promote Independence: Encourage teens to make decisions and solve problems on their own.

Allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them fosters confidence in their abilities.

Focus on Effort Over Perfection: Encourage teens to embrace challenges and view setbacks as part of learning. Avoid setting unrealistic expectations that could lead to self-doubt.

Support Social Connections: Positive peer relationships are important for a teen’s self-esteem.

Encourage involvement in activities and friendships that reinforce their sense of belonging.

Address Negative Self-Talk: Help teens recognize and challenge negative self-talk. Teach them to reframe their thoughts positively and build a compassionate inner voice.

Be Patient and Consistent:  Building self-esteem takes time, especially during adolescence when teens are navigating complex emotions. Offer consistent support and patience as they develop.

DCM: What policy or systemic changes would you like to see implemented in any government or private-owned sector to address self-esteem issues among teenagers and youths?

Success: Total removal of gender-based favouritism. 

Qualifications should be considered more and above gender. 

Discrimination towards favouring a particular gender in a situation or opportunity that should be opened for all genders should be stopped especially at schools and places of work. 

Also, the use of demeaning statements by those in authority on their subordinates should be prohibited. 

Mutual respect should be fully enforced.

DCM: What advice would you give to teenagers currently struggling with self-esteem?

Success: Dear teenager, focusing on your weaknesses keeps you shortsighted of your strengths—growth will never be possible for such an individual. 

But focusing on your strengths empowers you for growth while unveiling the need for you to keep developing in all areas of your life,

including your weaknesses—growth is always the end product here. 

You can be the best version of yourself if only you believe that such a version of you exists.

DCM: Give us an overview of your book—the core messages you convey and why it should be read. 

Success: ‘Self-Esteem Therapy for Teens’ is a book not just for teens to groom themselves,

but also for parents to unlock the uncertainty they have in the way or method to help their child become a confident person in the society they find themselves.

It might be intimidating most of the time out there if a child fails to understand what he or she carries or when they have uncertainties about what they can achieve in life. 

This book focuses on how to help your child or that teenager around you become the best version of themselves,

by Intentionally paying attention to things that can boost their self-worth.

Both the parents and child have something to learn from the book. 

As parents, you will be more knowledgeable about your little mistakes, which seem not to matter to you but have done damage to your child’s self-esteem and a lot more. 

As a child, you will discover ways to fight self-esteem issues and come out of it.

Every setback will no longer be just a setback but an opportunity to bounce back.

SELF-ESTEEM THERAPY FOR TEENS is a must-read for all who desire to overcome their self-esteem troubles, no matter the cause of the self-esteem trouble.

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: A Conversation with Success Osuji

DCM: Could you also share with us your unforgettable testimony of God’s faithfulness and grace in your life?

Success: Watching how God is using a mere vessel like me to raise ladies of relevance is one testimony of my life that I can never get tired of sharing. 

It baffles me each time I think of how He raised me and now uses this piece of clay to reach out to His own. 

Seriously, this is my testimony.

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: – Success Osuji

DCM: Any final thoughts or messages you’d like to share?

Success: Growth is a process. 

Keep being you, and keep doing what satisfies with your strength in view, and watch yourself overcome all forms of limitations.

DCM: Thank you for your time, Success. Thank you so much for allowing yourself to be used by God to heal others. God bless you!

Success: It’s a great privilege to reach out to many young people out there through this platform. 

It’s a pleasure to share my story.

Thank you so much!

Also Read: Choices: Two Ways to Live – Diademng (thediademng.org)

The Self-esteem Therapy for Teens: A Conversation with Success Osuji