Social Anxiety therapists in Evanston, Illinois IL
We are proud to feature top rated Social Anxiety therapists in Evanston. We encourage you to review each profile to find your best match.
Anne Zakaras
Counselor/Therapist, LCPC, ATR-BC, PMH-C
When social anxiety takes hold, everyday interactions can feel like a performance where you are constantly being critiqued. Anne provides a warm, deeply validating, and low-stakes environment to help you safely unpack the fear of judgment, rejection, and overthinking. As a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) clinician, she specializes in helping individuals quiet the exhausting inner commentary that tells them they don't fit in, allowing them to rebuild real confidence in their relationships and public spaces.
Anne’s integrative approach is uniquely designed to calm the hyper-vigilance of social anxiety. By pairing evidence-based clinical practices with creative art therapy, she offers a non-verbal outlet to process underlying insecurities when traditional "talk therapy" feels too exposed or intimidating. Together, you will practice regulating your nervous system in real-time, silencing the post-event rumination loop, and setting comfortable boundaries. Whether your social anxiety is a lifelong battle, tied to professional burnout, or amplified by major life milestones like chronic illness or the isolating transitions of parenthood, Anne is dedicated to helping you step back into connection with others on your own terms.
8 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Bergen Counseling Collective
Counselor/Therapist, LCPC
It's not shyness. It's the dread before social situations, the replaying of conversations afterward, the constant worry that you said something wrong or that people are judging you. You cancel plans because the relief of staying home outweighs the effort of showing up. Or you push through and spend the whole time managing the anxiety instead of actually being present. Social anxiety shrinks your world slowly, and the avoidance that feels like it's helping actually makes it worse over time. We can help you break that cycle with approaches that work, not just "put yourself out there" advice that ignores how hard that actually is. Telehealth throughout Illinois. BCBS PPO and Aetna accepted.
20 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Sarah Farris
Licensed Professional Counselor, MA, LCPC, LPC
Social anxiety can feel overwhelming, impacting relationships, confidence, and the ability to participate in areas of life you care about. Symptoms may include self-doubt, reassurance seeking and rumination, feeling embarrassed, and avoiding social situations. I utilized evidence-based therapy including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and mindfulness methods to help clients face their fears and better manage discomfort in social settings.
14 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Mind Body Connections
Counselor/Therapist
Using IFS and EMDR techniques as well as body based approaches, we will help you understand the origin of your social anxiety and work towards decreasing this stress so that you can live your best interpersonal life possible.
28 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Lincoln Park Psychology, Inc
Psychologist, Licensed Clinical Psychologists, LCPC, LPC, LCSW, LSW, CADC, AMFT
Social anxiety can make everyday interactions feel overwhelming, leaving you stuck between wanting connection and fearing judgment or embarrassment. Our therapy services help you break free from the fear that holds you back from social situations, public speaking, meeting new people, or simply being yourself around others. Through evidence-based approaches, we'll help you understand the roots of your social anxiety, challenge anxious thoughts, develop practical coping strategies, and gradually build confidence in social settings. You'll learn that the catastrophic outcomes you fear rarely happen, and that you can handle uncomfortable situations more effectively than you think. Social anxiety doesn't have to control your life—with the right support, you can develop genuine comfort in your own skin and create the meaningful connections you deserve.
17 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Dr. Ryan Kitts Schallon
Psychologist, PsyD
Social anxiety is not shyness. It is the experience of being watched by a judge who lives inside your own head — a judge who arrived long before you ever chose to listen to it. Every room becomes a performance. Every interaction is graded. The exhaustion is not from other people. It is from the constant labor of self-surveillance. Therapy works not by teaching you to ignore the judge but by understanding whose voice it actually is, and why it was installed in the first place.
3 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Beck Gardner
Pre-Licensed Professional, M.A.
Social anxiety is another difficulty that people face which can often be helped by better understanding the nuances of your fears and the ways it may have once protected you. I hope to help you understand your social anxiety and feel supported as you try out new ways of being with people that might feel too scary to try alone.
3 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Nicole Houde
Pre-Licensed Professional
I work with individuals experiencing social anxiety by helping them understand the patterns of fear, self-consciousness, and avoidance that can make social situations feel overwhelming. Social anxiety often involves worries about judgment, embarrassment, or saying the wrong thing, which can lead to avoiding interactions or feeling stuck in your head during them. In therapy, we focus on gradually building confidence in social settings, reducing avoidance, and challenging unhelpful thoughts that contribute to anxiety. I incorporate CBT and ACT-based strategies to support you in developing more flexibility in how you respond to social fears while increasing comfort and confidence in connecting with others.
1 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Clark Thompson, PsyD, MA
Psychologist, PsyD, MA
Through specialized virtual assessments, I help individuals understand how social anxiety impacts their cognitive functioning, daily performance, and overall quality of life, providing comprehensive evaluations from the privacy and comfort of home. My approach to social anxiety assessment goes beyond symptom identification, examining how anxiety affects attention, memory, decision-making, and executive functioning—crucial insights for developing effective treatment strategies. With extensive experience evaluating the intersection of anxiety and cognitive performance, I provide detailed assessments that differentiate social anxiety from other conditions, identify specific triggers and patterns, and offer evidence-based recommendations for therapy, accommodations, and coping strategies tailored to each client's unique needs and goals.
7 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Paul Losoff
Psychologist, PsyD
That negative inner voice can be relentless, especially when social anxiety is in the mix. I offer a safe space to understand these patterns, develop strategies to manage them, and build confidence in social situations. Let's work together to quiet your inner critic and find greater enjoyment in connecting with others.
18 Years Experience
In-Person Near Evanston, IL
Online in Evanston, IL Illinois
Social Anxiety therapists in Evanston, Illinois Statistics
Social Anxiety therapists in Evanston, Illinois average 16 years of experience and charge around $200 per session. 98% offer online sessions. The top treatment approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (78%), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) (43%), and Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) (38%).
Average years in practice
16 Years Experience
Average cost per session
$200
Accept insurance
45%
Offer sliding scale
34%
Gender ID
| 60% |
Female |
|
| 36% |
Male |
|
| 3% |
Non-Binary |
|
| 1% |
Gender Fluid |
|
Session Type
| 55% |
In Person and Online |
|
| 43% |
Online Only |
|
| 2% |
In Person Only |
|
Top Treatment Approaches
| 78% | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) |
| 43% | Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) |
| 38% | Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) |
| 37% | Behavioral Therapy |
| 31% | Psychodynamic Therapy |
| 31% | Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) |
| 31% | Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) |
Ages Served
| 98% | Adult |
| 76% | Young Adult |
| 52% | Senior |
| 51% | Teen |
| 25% | Children |
Client Focus
| 49% | Women |
| 38% | LGBTQ+ |
| 35% | Men |
| 25% | Military / Veterans |
| 20% | Persons with Disabilities |