How Social Anxiety Therapy Works
The social anxiety group therapy process begins by joining a supportive group of people who understand you, guided by a therapist that has experience and success treating social anxiety. At first, you may find that some people in the group have already made tremendous progress in overcoming social anxiety. Others may be just at the beginning of their healing process. Whether your social anxiety is mild or severe, it doesn’t really matter, because what matters is that you simply show up. Showing up to a group therapy session when feeling socially anxious deserves much praise, because that alone can be very challenging when you are suffering with social anxiety. Not only that– showing up is also a deceptively powerful way to overcome social anxiety. By showing up despite your anxiety, you’re not only exposing yourself to what you fear and thus growing beyond it, but you’re also sending yourself the message that you’re ready for change, no longer willing to be controlled by social anxiety. Newcomers may find that older group members, who often have made a lot of progress, can provide great feedback to the newer members as they share their success stories in overcoming social anxiety. With the therapist and group members all supporting each other, the group becomes a powerful catalyst for change!
Addressing the Thoughts That Fuel Your Social Anxieties
Behind automatic negative thoughts are typically deep-seated beliefs about people and how the world works. These are beliefs that you may have had your entire life– unexamined beliefs that you simply took for granted. Unfortunately, these beliefs about how the world works keep your social life small and unsatisfying. By directly looking at the beliefs that you may think are true, but in fact may be totally false, you will learn how to grow beyond social anxiety and shyness. This process of cognitive self-examination acts as a spotlight that gives you greater insight into your personal psychology. False beliefs need to be deconstructed first because they lead to thinking patterns, behaviors and choices that isolate you even more, creating loneliness and frustration. This treatment will open your mind to new possibilities, which will allow you to make better behavioral choices that ultimately lead to a more fulfilling life.
In the language of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), this is called examining one’s “cognitive distortions.” These distortions are often happening without conscious awareness, so they control the way we think and see the world. After these distortions are brought into awareness, they can be mindfully observed, explored further, or challenged and refuted. This secondary process is referred to as “cognitive restructuring,” which is simply a way of saying that beliefs are being taken apart and then put back together in a more accurate and rational form.
For example, if your anxiety gets triggered when eating out in a restaurant because you think people are secretly judging you, then that belief can be looked into. Are people really judging you? Do you have any evidence that this is true? Have you checked it out with friends or acquaintances? Have you scanned the restaurant to see whether anyone is even looking at you? What other things could be true instead of your belief that people judging you? Maybe the woman who you worried was judging you is actually looking at you because she finds you interesting and attractive. Wow! Could that even be possible? Exploring beliefs further in the therapy group setting allow us let go of your automatic assumptions, become more comfortable with uncertainty, and maybe even find out what’s actually true!
Making Different Choices, Changing Behavior
Within our caring social anxiety therapy group, you will be gently challenged to meet your social anxieties through behavioral changes, all done in a mindful and gradual manner. Over a period of weeks and months, you will approach those things that scare you through a process of incremental training. In CBT lingo, this is called exposure and response prevention (ERP), which basically means that you’ll be learning to face your fears. Facing your fears one baby step at a time will send the message to your brain and nervous system that what you once believed to be dangerous is really not dangerous at all. Of course, this is a gradual process that challenges you in ways that are not overwhelming. Gradually, you learn to see through your false beliefs and develop a renewed freedom to do what you really want to do in life, no longer held back by your social anxieties.
All social anxiety therapy groups in Pasadena are led by myself, a board-certified and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT# 102053) with expertise and experience treating social anxiety. My social anxiety therapy / support groups use various methods and techniques to help social anxiety sufferers with this challenging condition. My primary goal is to help people with social anxiety grow beyond their fears in order to create meaningful and satisfying relationships. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindful awareness, group-processes, somatic awareness, meditation practices, and Humanistic Psychology are some of the orientations I draw from to meet the unique needs of each group member.
Individual or Group Social Anxiety Therapy?
Please note: In order to find out whether the social anxiety therapy group is a good match for your needs, an individual intake session with me is required. During this intake session, we may determine that the social anxiety therapy group feels too overwhelming for you at this time. In that case, individual social anxiety therapy might be a better place to start. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have about the group. I offer a free 15 minute consultation and can be reached on my cell phone at 323.577.3430. I look forward to hearing from you.
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