Social anxiety is a major focus area of my practice. I will help you understand the causes and give you tools to overcome this potentially debilitating disorder.
Fears relate to perceived risk of rejection and hurt. Anxiety is fear of felt but non-specific risks. Each involves the same areas of the brain. My treatment focuses on finding and resolving the core issues that trigger the fear and anxiety responses, except in response to realistic perceived threat.
Many people suffer from social anxiety and don't even realize. I utilize several CBT and DBT techniques to help my clients take control of their social anxiety and manage these symptoms so that they no longer feel debilitated by this difficult disorder.
Psychotherapy opens our perceptions to the meanings behind our beliefs and patterns of behavior, that in turn comprise the roles we take in our lives. My job is to help you integrate these perceptions and access these meanings, so you can expand your life by creating new roles.
Feeling awkward, shy, or fearful of social situations can occur for several reasons. Working on skills such as self-acceptance, self-confidence, and positive regard can help to overcome social anxiety.
All of our therapists can work with patients on reducing social anxiety, through understanding the underlying causes of social anxiety and acquiring skills for managing such anxiety in social settings. Sometimes this include ERP, as well as CBT.
Children and adolescents suffer intense distress when affected by social anxiety. They can manifest their discomfort by avoiding anxiety-inducing situations whenever anxiety feelings are triggered.
Young kids can express their discomfort by a rapid change in mood, tantrums, and crying; older ones may experience panic reactions and physical signs like shortness of breath shaking, sweating, stomachaches and nausea.
One of the most significant consequences of social anxiety is that it can prevent individuals from taking risks and trying new things, ultimately blocking them from reaching their full potential.
Talking to a therapist about their feelings and learning techniques to deal with social anxiety allows kids to feel less overwhelmed, less upset and scared, and eventually more in control of themselves and their environment