Social Anxiety therapists in Nashville, Tennessee TN

Not all depressive symptoms are the same. It is important that your provider asks the right questions. oo often, the label “Depression” is tossed around in popular culture as a way to describe a feeling or a mood, i.e. “I’m depressed thinking about how much work I have to do this weekend” or, “After looking at my bank balance this morning, I’m completely depressed.” While these situations CAN trigger sadness, hopelessness, and/or other unpleasant emotions, they are NOT a Depressive Disorder. We want to help rule out chemical, physical, environmental, and other factors to help you really get to the bottom of things.  

Therapy that targets social anxiety teaches you how to recognize and change negative thoughts about yourself and develop skills to help you gain confidence in social situations.  

Social Anxiety  

Social anxiety is a specific form of anxiety disorders that has grown in prevalence since the age of social media. Now, more than ever, a sense of community has been replaced with computer screens and has caused an increase in social anxiety, particularly in young adults. Social anxiety is treated similarly to generalized anxiety disorder but with a focus on in-vivo desensitization to the anxiety caused by being around others. CBT is used to challenge thought patterns and their validity, and DBT is used to incorporate mindfulness and "doing the opposite," which is part of in-vivo desensitization, or sitting with the discomfort until it resolves. The desensitization exercises begin with only a few other individuals and progress up to a social event. Journaling and processing emotions in session is also a focus of therapy, with a goal of beginning to process uncomfortable emotions in real time, decreasing fear. If you are suffering from social anxiety and need the support and/or guidance of a therapist, please reach out! I can help!  

Social anxiety can be holding a client back from pursuing their life. I work with them to identify their issues and begin to get comfortable, little by little to address these issues. It takes time but the work pays off when a client can make the kind of change that can enhance their life.  

Are you extremely afraid of being judged by others? Are you very self-conscious in everyday social situations? Do you avoid meeting new people? When having to perform in front of or be around others I tend to: • Blush, sweat, tremble, feel a rapid heart rate, or feel their “mind going blank” • Feel nauseous or sick to their stomach. • Show a rigid body posture, make little eye contact, or speak with an overly soft voice. • Find it scary and difficult to be with other people, especially those they don’t already know, and have a hard time talking to them even though they wish they could. • Be very self-conscious in front of other people and feel embarrassed and awkward. • Be very afraid that other people will judge them. • Stay away from places where there are other people If you have been feeling this way for at least six months and these feelings make it hard for you to do everyday tasks—such as talking to people at work or school—you may have a social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia) is a mental health condition. It feels like intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and your other day-to-day activities. It can even make it hard to make and keep friends. It could cause depression, suicidal thoughts, and panic attacks. Social Anxiety Disorder is not equivalent to shyness. Unlike shyness, Social Anxiety Disorder is persistent, intense fear and anxiety that does not diminish in social situations and that greatly interferes with the ability to function academically, socially, and at work. People who struggle with SAD often avoid activities such as speaking in class, joining clubs or sports teams, attending parties, initiating romantic relationships, and approaching professors. What causes social anxiety? Social anxiety disorder sometimes runs in families, but no one knows for sure why some family members have it while others do not. Environmental and stressful life experiences can cause social anxiety, such as excessive social isolation, including studying alone in academic environments. A childhood with parents or guardians who are overprotective, controlling, restrictive or anxious. Traumatic bullying. Emotional, physical, sexual, or verbal abuse. Treatment A type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is especially useful for treating social anxiety disorder. CBT teaches you different ways of thinking, behaving, and reacting to situations that help you feel less anxious and fearful. It can also help you learn and practice social skills.  

Cognitive behavioral therapy uses a variety of direct methods to help patients modify their thoughts and emotional reactions to stressors like social situations. Using psychodynamic techniques, we will work together to gain insight into the emotional roots of unhealthy attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Based on the idea that avoiding the things we fear tends to reinforce anxiety, exposure therapy encourages people to encounter the sources of their anxieties in a controlled, deliberate way.