Social Anxiety therapists in Santa Ana, CA
Browse Social Anxiety therapists in Santa Ana, California. Compare credentials, specialties and therapeutic approach. Contact a therapist to learn more.
Social Anxiety
Mary Gonzalez
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW
If social situations leave you feeling anxious, self-conscious, or emotionally drained, you're not alone. Social anxiety is more than shyness—it can involve an intense fear of being judged, criticized, rejected, or embarrassed. You may avoid speaking up in meetings, meeting new people, attending social events, or expressing your thoughts because you're worried about saying or doing the "wrong" thing. Over time, this fear can impact your relationships, career, confidence, and overall quality of life.
At Holding Space Therapy, we provide compassionate, evidence-based treatment to help you understand and overcome social anxiety. Together, we'll explore the thoughts, beliefs, and past experiences that contribute to your anxiety while developing practical tools to reduce fear and build confidence in social situations. Using approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), mindfulness, exposure-based strategies, and trauma-informed care, we'll work to identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns, reduce self-criticism, regulate physical symptoms of anxiety, and strengthen your ability to navigate social interactions with greater ease. If past experiences such as bullying, emotional abuse, rejection, or trauma have contributed to your anxiety, EMDR may also be incorporated to help process those experiences and reduce their ongoing emotional impact.
Our goal isn't to change who you are or make you more outgoing than you want to be. Instead, therapy helps you feel more comfortable being your authentic self, communicate with greater confidence, establish healthy relationships, and participate more fully in the experiences that matter most to you. You deserve to live without constantly worrying about what others think. With the right support, you can develop lasting confidence, reduce anxiety, and create meaningful connections while staying true to yourself.
6 Years Experience
Online in Santa Ana, CA (Online Only)
Social Anxiety
Karina Larios
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Are you experiencing panic attacks or fears that are limiting how you wish to show up in your life? I lead this work with one of my core values, importance of human relationships and community, as we gently explore ways to help decrease the fear to get you living a life that feels more connected in a meaningful way. My approach is compassionate, encouraging, and gradual, always honoring my client's pace.
6 Years Experience
Online in Santa Ana, CA (Online Only)
Social Anxiety
Dr. Cristal Lopez
Psychologist, Ph.D.
Welcome! You might be feeling disconnected from your family, friends, children, job, or even the world. I'm Dr. Cristal Lopez, and I believe that we all have powerful strengths. Together, we will explore yours to help you unlock your full potential, connect authentically with others, and show up as your true self. My training at top U.S. children's hospitals, including Children's Hospital Los Angeles, California Pacific Medical Center, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, has provided me with over 6 years of experience working with children, adolescents, young and mid-life adults, and families.
For my younger clients, I use behavioral and play therapy techniques, while also supporting parents and families to foster healthy connections. With adolescents and adults, I draw on strength-based, humanistic, and relational principles to guide our work together.
Beyond traditional mental health concerns, I specialize and publish work in: coping with chronic illnesses, career-related issues (burnout, work-life balance), trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and stress related to first-responder families. I’m committed to guiding you, your child, or family to a more connected and fulfilling life. Invest in yourself!
9 Years Experience
Online in Santa Ana, CA (Online Only)
Social Anxiety
Barry Ross
Psychologist, Ph.D.
I am a psychologist, marriage family therapist, bioenergetic analyst, and psychoanalyst with more than 30 years of clinical experience in treating adolescents, adults, and marital couples. I am skilled in helping a person to feel understood and related to in a new and helpful way.
42 Years Experience
In-Person Near Santa Ana, CA
Online in Santa Ana, CA
Social Anxiety
Anna Yu Lee
Life Coach, PhD, MPH, MA
I use a combination of active listening, encouragement, and exposure tactics.
4 Years Experience
In-Person Near Santa Ana, CA
Online in Santa Ana, CA
Social Anxiety
Melissa Berschauer
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
It is incredibly exhausting to walk into a room and instantly feel like everyone is judging you, or to spend hours overthinking a casual conversation after it’s already over. Social anxiety loves to make you feel isolated and keep you playing small to avoid embarrassment. We will work together to lower that intense internal pressure, quiet the fear of rejection, and build realistic comfort so you can show up in social or professional spaces without your nervous system going into overdrive.
14 Years Experience
Online in Santa Ana, CA (Online Only)
Social Anxiety
John Fry
Psychologist, Ph.D.
Social anxiety can be alleviated by learning more powerful social skills, learning how to convincingly modify your sometimes self-defeating self-talk, and by learning to relax more effectively.
49 Years Experience
In-Person Near Santa Ana, CA
Online in Santa Ana, CA
Social Anxiety
Monica M. Huston
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Social anxiety often involves fear of judgment, overthinking interactions, and difficulty feeling at ease around others. I work with individuals to understand the underlying patterns driving these experiences, rather than only trying to reduce symptoms. Therapy focuses on building confidence, increasing tolerance for discomfort, and developing a more stable sense of self in social situations.
9 Years Experience
In-Person Near Santa Ana, CA
Online in Santa Ana, CA
Social Anxiety
Dr. Mitch Keil, PsyD
Psychologist, Keil Psych Group
Social anxiety is more than being shy or uncomfortable around people. It can feel like constantly seeing yourself through someone else's eyes—monitoring what you're saying, how you're coming across, whether you're being judged, and replaying interactions long after they're over.
While avoidance can make social anxiety worse, we are also interested in understanding why being seen by other people feels so threatening in the first place. Beneath social anxiety we often find shame, fear of rejection, harsh self-criticism, painful earlier experiences, or a deeply held belief that something about you will be exposed and found unacceptable.
Our approach to social anxiety therapy combines psychodynamic and depth-oriented work with practical interventions when helpful. We explore where these fears came from, how they shape your relationships, and the ways avoidance or self-monitoring may unintentionally keep the anxiety alive. Exposure, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral strategies can also help you gradually build confidence and tolerate situations you've learned to fear.
The goal isn't to turn an introvert into an extrovert or teach you how to perform better socially. It's to help you become more comfortable being yourself in the presence of other people—without constantly watching, judging, or editing yourself.
16 Years Experience
In-Person Near Santa Ana, CA
Online in Santa Ana, CA
Social Anxiety
Romina Schnelle
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Social anxiety can make everyday interactions feel intimidating, leading to intense worry about being judged, embarrassed, or rejected. You may avoid social situations, overanalyze conversations, or feel exhausted from trying to appear "perfect" around others. Together, we'll explore the underlying factors contributing to your anxiety and develop practical strategies to help you feel more confident and comfortable in social settings. Using evidence-based approaches, including EMDR when appropriate, my goal is to help you reduce anxiety, build self-confidence, and engage more fully in the relationships and experiences that matter to you.
6 Years Experience
Online in Santa Ana, CA (Online Only)
Santa Ana is one of the most densely populated cities in the United States and has an overwhelmingly Latino population — predominantly Mexican American, with significant Central American communities — making Spanish-speaking and bicultural therapists not a specialty but a baseline requirement for meaningful access to care. The city's families navigate a complex mix of immigration stress, economic precarity, and the particular challenges of raising children across cultures, and therapists fluent in both language and cultural context serve an essential community function. Rady Children's Health Orange County (formerly CHOC) and the broader Orange County healthcare system provide institutional mental health resources, though access can be limited by insurance and immigration-related barriers. Telehealth has meaningfully expanded therapy access for Santa Ana residents who prefer culturally matched care over what is available locally.
Social Anxiety therapists in Santa Ana, CA Statistics
Social Anxiety therapists in Santa Ana, CA average 16 years of experience and charge around $204 per session. 99% offer online sessions. The top treatment approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (67%), Psychodynamic Therapy (37%), and Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) (37%).
Average years in practice
16 Years Experience
Average cost per session
$204
Accept insurance
35%
Offer sliding scale
46%
Gender ID
| 63% |
Female |
|
| 30% |
Male |
|
| 5% |
Non-Binary |
|
| 2% |
Gender Fluid |
|
Session Type
| 61% |
In Person and Online |
|
| 38% |
Online Only |
|
| 1% |
In Person Only |
|
Top Treatment Approaches
| 67% | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) |
| 37% | Psychodynamic Therapy |
| 37% | Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) |
| 36% | Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) |
| 35% | Existential / Humanistic Therapy |
| 34% | Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) |
| 34% | Family Systems Therapy |
Ages Served
| 97% | Adult |
| 65% | Young Adult |
| 57% | Senior |
| 48% | Teen |
| 26% | Children |
Client Focus
| 58% | Women |
| 43% | LGBTQ+ |
| 37% | Men |
| 29% | Hispanic / Latino |
| 27% | Christian |