Social Anxiety therapists in Wilmette, Illinois IL
We are proud to feature top rated Social Anxiety therapists in Wilmette. We encourage you to review each profile to find your best match.
Michael Losoff
Psychologist, PhD
TL;DR: Michael approaches social anxiety as a protective but limiting "mask," helping clients move from the fear of being judged to a more authentic and relaxed way of connecting with others.
Social anxiety often feels like an internal spotlight, magnifying every perceived flaw and making everyday interactions feel like high-stakes performances. With 35 years of clinical experience, Michael looks beyond the physical symptoms of "shyness" to explore the underlying fears of rejection or inadequacy that often stem from early relational patterns. By utilizing a psychodynamic framework, he helps you unpack the "unconscious scripts" that keep you in a state of hyper-vigilance, allowing you to move past the exhausting effort of social mask-wearing. The goal is to shift from a focus on how others might judge you toward a deeper sense of self-acceptance, enabling genuine, low-pressure connections with the world around you.
35 Years Experience
In-Person Near Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, IL Illinois
Rachel Losoff
Psychologist, PhD
I specialize in helping individuals overcome social anxiety and build confidence in social situations. My approach combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with exposure therapy, helping clients challenge negative thought patterns and gradually face feared social scenarios in a supportive environment. Through our work together, clients learn to develop practical coping strategies, improve their social skills, and cultivate a more positive self-image, enabling them to engage more comfortably and authentically in social interactions.
18 Years Experience
Online in Wilmette, IL Illinois (Online Only)
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 Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, 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 Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, IL Illinois
Brittany Statler, Intuitive Wellness Therapy Group
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW
Headline: Beyond the "Polite Mask": Finding Genuine Connection in a World of Over-Control
The Loneliness of Always Being "On"
Do you find yourself meticulously managing how you come across to others or changing yourself to adapt to everyone in the room? For many high-achievers, social anxiety doesn’t look like shaking hands; it looks like a "polite mask," a rigid adherence to social rules, and an exhausting internal monologue that critiques every word you say. You may be highly successful and well-liked, yet you feel deeply disconnected and "on the outside" of your own life.
My Approach: Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT)
I specialize in a unique, evidence-based approach called Radically Open Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (RO-DBT). Unlike traditional therapies that teach you more self-control, RO-DBT is designed for those who already have too much of it. We focus on the "biological" side of social signaling to help you feel safe enough to be seen.
Together, we will target the roots of social isolation by:
Fostering Radical Openness: Learning to drop the shield of perfectionism and lean into the "messy" beauty of unfiltered human feedback.
Building Flexibility: Breaking the rigid "shoulds" that dictate how you interact, allowing you to be spontaneous and authentic in real-time.
Enhancing Social Signaling: Learning how to use your body and voice to signal safety and warmth, which naturally invites deeper, more rewarding connections.
20 Years Experience
Online in Wilmette, IL Illinois (Online Only)
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 Wilmette, IL
Online in Wilmette, IL Illinois
Social Anxiety therapists in Wilmette, Illinois Statistics
Social Anxiety therapists in Wilmette, 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 |