Social Anxiety Therapy
Worry about being judged or embarrassed. Regularly experience discomfort or fear in social situations.
Gain social confidence for meaningful relationships.
Anna Ryan
Therapist (Dip. CBH)
Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.
– Bethany Hamilton
Are Any of These Scenarios Familiar to You?
▰▰ Initiating Conversations, Making New Friends —
“I don’t know what to say. I’ll just be anxious and they’ll think I’m weird. What if I say something stupid?” – feeling self-conscious and overwhelmed.
▰▰ Managing Official Matters Personally —
“I’m afraid I can’t explain myself properly. They’ll think I’m incompetent, it’s going to be embarrassing.” – feeling nervous and self-doubtful.
▰▰ Casual Social Gathering —
“I’m not good at small talk. What if people notice it? I’d rather stay quiet and not draw attention.” – feeling awkward and anxious, desiring to avoid social interactions.
▰▰ Public Speaking, Giving Presentation —
“Everyone is staring at me. What if my voice trembles? I hope I don’t embarrass myself.” – feeling uncomfortable, fearing judgement and having a strong desire to avoid participation.
▰▰ Job Interview —
“What if I say the wrong thing? They’ll think I’m not qualified. I wish I could just leave.” – feeling extreme nervousness, being self-critical and fearing rejection.
▰▰ Making a Phone Call —
“I don’t want to bother them. What if they don’t want to talk to me? I’ll just send an email.” – feeling anxious, avoiding direct communication.
▰▰ Social Media Interaction —
“What will people think about my posts? I should be careful about what I share. What if no one likes or comments?” – feeling self-conscious, fearing negative reactions and anxiety about online visibility.
“I don’t know what to say. I’ll just be anxious and they’ll think I’m weird. What if I say something stupid?” – feeling self-conscious and overwhelmed.
▰▰ Managing Official Matters Personally —
“I’m afraid I can’t explain myself properly. They’ll think I’m incompetent, it’s going to be embarrassing.” – feeling nervous and self-doubtful.
▰▰ Casual Social Gathering —
“I’m not good at small talk. What if people notice it? I’d rather stay quiet and not draw attention.” – feeling awkward and anxious, desiring to avoid social interactions.
▰▰ Public Speaking, Giving Presentation —
“Everyone is staring at me. What if my voice trembles? I hope I don’t embarrass myself.” – feeling uncomfortable, fearing judgement and having a strong desire to avoid participation.
▰▰ Job Interview —
“What if I say the wrong thing? They’ll think I’m not qualified. I wish I could just leave.” – feeling extreme nervousness, being self-critical and fearing rejection.
▰▰ Making a Phone Call —
“I don’t want to bother them. What if they don’t want to talk to me? I’ll just send an email.” – feeling anxious, avoiding direct communication.
▰▰ Social Media Interaction —
“What will people think about my posts? I should be careful about what I share. What if no one likes or comments?” – feeling self-conscious, fearing negative reactions and anxiety about online visibility.
When to Seek Support?
▰▰ Social anxiety is one of the most common forms of anxiety, with most people experiencing discomfort during at least one type of social interaction. However, symptoms can become overwhelming.
It is advisable to seek therapy if:
✔️ Your anxiety substantially impacts your daily life and functioning (e.g. interferes with your work)
✔️ Physical symptoms such as sweating, elevated heartbeat and gastrointestinal issues become permanent.
✔️ You notice that you are constantly avoiding social situations that cause you fear and anxiety.
✔️ Your professional and/or personal relationships are affected (due to avoidance or communicational difficulties).
✔️ Your anxiety hinders the achievement of your personal and professional goals (e.g. career advancement, academic success).
✔️ It is leading to feelings of isolation, low self-esteem, constant self-criticism and a sense of hopelessness.
It is advisable to seek therapy if:
✔️ Your anxiety substantially impacts your daily life and functioning (e.g. interferes with your work)
✔️ Physical symptoms such as sweating, elevated heartbeat and gastrointestinal issues become permanent.
✔️ You notice that you are constantly avoiding social situations that cause you fear and anxiety.
✔️ Your professional and/or personal relationships are affected (due to avoidance or communicational difficulties).
✔️ Your anxiety hinders the achievement of your personal and professional goals (e.g. career advancement, academic success).
✔️ It is leading to feelings of isolation, low self-esteem, constant self-criticism and a sense of hopelessness.
How Can I Help?
▰▰ In therapy, we address social anxiety in a complex way. Firstly, we identify the core fears and underlying beliefs in the problematic situation(s). We then develop new, more helpful thinking patterns that will help you feel and see yourself differently in social situations. Step by step, we put these new attitudes into practice, helping you make positive changes to your behaviour in social situations as well.
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▰▰ Imagery exercises and meditation help deepen the acquired knowledge and strengthen your sense of self-worth, build self-confidence and improve your self-esteem.
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▰▰ I work with tools from Cognitive-Behavioural Hypnotherapy, an evidence-based form of therapy that is goal-oriented and future-focused, and is a proven effective therapy for the treatment of social anxiety.
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▰▰ During the sessions, we learn relaxation techniques that you will be able to use on your own and apply in challenging situations. Through attention training and new coping skills, you will become more confident and have trust in your abilities to overcome difficulties.
Client Testimonials
Social Anxiety Therapy is available online.
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Virtual therapy has proven to be as effective as therapy conducted in person.