Nora Bennett, LCSWYou're allowed to take up space
In brief
For everyone who's ever apologized for existing, softened themselves to be easier, or worried they're 'too much.' A note on self-worth.
A lot of the people I sit with share a quiet belief: that they're somehow too much and not enough at the same time. Too needy, too sensitive, too emotional — and also not successful enough, not calm enough, not worthy of the space they take up. It's an exhausting way to live.
Where it comes from
Usually this isn't a character flaw; it's a lesson. Somewhere along the way, many of us learned that love felt safest when we were small, easy, low-maintenance. That made sense then. It costs a lot now.
In therapy, we gently question that old lesson — not to blame anyone, but to loosen its grip. You're allowed to have needs. You're allowed to take up space. You're allowed to be a full, inconvenient, wonderful human. We practice believing it a little more each week.
About the author
Nora Bennett, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker · Portland, OR
Nora is a relational therapist in Portland who works with anxiety, life transitions, grief, and self-worth. She writes here the way she works — warmly, plainly, and without jargon.