Social Anxiety therapists in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland, United Kingdom UK
We are proud to feature top rated Social Anxiety therapists in Edinburgh. We encourage you to review each profile to find your best match.
Social Anxiety
Claire de la Varre
Therapist, PhD, HGDipP
Social anxiety comes up in a variety of situations and has multiple symptoms. Perhaps you struggle with public speaking and your mind goes blank or your voice gets shaky. Maybe you blush every time you talk to someone. Perhaps you stutter or fail to make appropriate eye contact. Maybe you are shy and think everyone is scrutinising you or judging you. Perhaps you have experienced panic attacks or you worry excessively about social interactions. Whatever your particular situation, I can offer lots of tools and strategies to help calm your nervous system, tame your thoughts, and manage uncomfortable feelings. You can learn to be cool and calm in your interactions with other people, even if you don't believe you ever could be!
18 Years Experience
In-Person in Edinburgh, Scotland EH10 5HQ
Online in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland
Social Anxiety
Birgit Schreiber Dr
Psychologist, PhD and MA in Psychology
Our approach includes a gentle step by step approach - using small but deft steps towards a more satisfying social life.
26 Years Experience
Online in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland (Online Only)
Social Anxiety
Sara Aicart-Pendlebury
Art Therapist, Human Givens Practitioner (HG.Dip.P), Member of Human Givens Institute, IFS therapist Levels 1&2, Narm Practitioner
We all need to experience some degree of anxiety at times – it would be unnatural not to feel any of its symptoms, such as racing pulse, dry mouth, sweatiness and shallow breathing, just before a big speech or exam, for instance – as it helps get us motivated to act. But excessive anxiety causes problems. Excessive anxiety may develop gradually, starting, perhaps, with loneliness after the loss of a loved one; being too shy to make new friends when moving somewhere new; experiencing unwelcome life changes because of chronic illness and pain; or feeling loaded down with too much responsibility – all cases of unmet emotional needs.
When people worry excessively, it is in essence because important emotional needs, such as for safety, connection or status, are not being met. That’s why the human givens approach, which focuses on helping people in distress find healthy ways to meet their emotional needs, is so effective.
For some people, anxiety can develop suddenly, after they are caught up in some tragic disaster, such as a fire or a crash, or are the victims of violence, and their lives become ruled by fear. (This is known as post-traumatic stress.) Anxiety may also take the form of obsessions, compulsions, phobias or a nagging feeling of foreboding – all of which are attempts to ward off a sense of threat.
Yet, as we know, some people face such circumstances without becoming overly anxious, while others end up almost crippled by anxiety. How we explain the negative events that happen to us has a considerable bearing on whether we are likely to suffer from excessive anxiety. Three particular types of thinking are especially connected with its development and its close partner, depression: how personally people take events (they think everything is their fault or that they didn’t get the job because they weren’t good enough, rather than because the competition was particularly stiff); how pervasive they think the effects will be (if they lose their job, they think everything in their world is going wrong, even though their relationship is still strong and they have their health, good friends, etc); and how permanent(they will never get another job, partner, dream house like that one, etc).
People who suffer badly from anxiety also tend to have a lot of negative thoughts running through their minds that they don’t even notice (“I’ll never cope”; “it’s going to be awful”; “no one likes me”) and commonly catastrophise (“I’m going to be late. My boss will sack me!”) Changing negative self-talk and challenging catastrophic thinking help lower stress levels.
Another major cause of troublesome anxiety is negative over-imagination. Anxious people tend to spend a lot of time worrying “What if?”, coming up with a whole variety of dreadful outcomes for themselves or their loved ones. This keeps them in a constant state of high emotional arousal and can take the extreme forms of phobias or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Learning to use the imagination positively – by calmly rehearsing mentally tried and tested techniques (such as deep breathing and distracting thoughts) for dealing with feared or worrisome situations – is very effective. Calming ourselves down, when anxious, is extremely important because high emotional arousal makes us stupid. We literally can’t think straight and that makes the situation worse.
Human givens practitioners can show people how to relax, so that they can bring their own arousal and stress levels down, and how to use their imaginations positively, to rehearse successful outcomes instead of bad ones. They can also help people overcome phobias, panic attacks and traumatic memories quickly and painlessly. And, very importantly, they will encourage people to find ways to reduce their stress and also focus outwards on fulfilling activities (maybe involving the wellbeing of others as well as themselves) – excellent ways of getting their own needs met.
17 Years Experience
Online in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland
Social Anxiety
Dr. Antonio D'Costa
Registered Psychotherapist, M.B.B.S, M.D. (Paediatrics)
I specialize in pediatric medicine and trauma-focused therapy using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). My work centers on supporting children, adolescents, and adults through grief, anxiety, behavioral challenges, and the lingering effects of difficult experiences.
As a pediatrician, I've seen how unprocessed trauma shows up in young lives- through sleep troubles, feeding issues, social withdrawal, and emotional struggles. EMDR offers a gentle, research-backed path to healing that goes beyond words.
With EMDRIA-approved training and my pediatric experience, I help families navigate some of their most challenging moments. Whether it's a child struggling with grief, an adolescent facing anxiety, or an adult working through long-held wounds, my approach blends medical expertise with compassionate, evidence-based care.
I'm passionate about making mental health support accessible- offering teletherapy across India and internationally, with subsidized sessions available for those who need them.
Let's connect if you're looking for trauma-informed support, professional collaboration, or referrals for children and families in need.
3 Years Experience
Online in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland (Online Only)
Social Anxiety
Samantha Coleman
Therapist, MBACP Prof Dip
Social anxiety can make everyday interactions feel stressful, exposing, or overwhelming. You may fear being judged, rejected, misunderstood, embarrassed, or seen in the wrong way. My approach is warm, thoughtful, and focused on understanding what lies underneath these fears rather than judging them. Together, we can explore the deeper patterns driving your anxiety and help you build greater confidence and ease in how you relate to other people.
13 Years Experience
Online in Edinburgh, Scotland Scotland
Edinburgh's identity as Scotland's capital and a major university city — home to the University of Edinburgh, one of the world's leading research institutions — creates strong demand for therapists experienced with academic pressure, young adult transitions, and the challenges of a highly competitive intellectual environment. The city's large student population, tourism sector workforce, and growing tech community each generate distinct therapy needs, from performance anxiety and identity exploration to burnout and occupational stress. NHS Lothian provides public mental health services, with a private therapy community concentrated in Stockbridge, Morningside, and the New Town. Edinburgh's annual Festival season brings an influx of creative professionals and associated mental health demands around performance, identity, and the pressures of public artistic life.
Social Anxiety therapists in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom Statistics
Social Anxiety therapists in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom average 14 years of experience and charge around ¤112 per session. 100% offer online sessions. The top treatment approaches are Integrative Therapy (62%), Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) (55%), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (52%).
Average years in practice
14 Years Experience
Average cost per session
¤112
Accept insurance
31%
Offer sliding scale
49%
Gender ID
| 69% |
Female |
|
| 29% |
Male |
|
| 1% |
Non-Binary |
|
| 1% |
Gender Fluid |
|
Session Type
| 57% |
In Person and Online |
|
| 43% |
Online Only |
|
Top Treatment Approaches
| 62% | Integrative Therapy |
| 55% | Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) |
| 52% | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) |
| 38% | Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) |
| 34% | Psychodynamic Therapy |
| 32% | Somatic Therapy |
| 31% | Hypnotherapy |
Ages Served
| 100% | Adult |
| 65% | Young Adult |
| 58% | Senior |
| 57% | Teen |
| 23% | Children |
Client Focus
| 68% | Women |
| 52% | Men |
| 51% | LGBTQ+ |
| 38% | Persons with Disabilities |
| 35% | Asian |