Social Anxiety
If you suffer from social anxiety, you most likely feel self-conscious, awkward and tense in a number of different social settings. While other people seem comfortable talking at a social gathering, you're feeling uneasy, tongue-tied, and nervous.

Do You Have Any of These Symptoms:
  • Distressing fear and anxiety in social situations
  • Nervous about starting a conversation with someone at a social function
  • Worried you can't keep the conversation going in an interesting way
  • Afraid you'll embarrass yourself in a public gathering
  • Endure the socializing with distress and nervousness
  • Avoid social situations, but then it hurts your professional or social relationships that matter to you.

You Really Can Learn to be More Comfortable and Self-Assured in Social Situations

CASE STUDY
(The name and identifying details have been changed.)


When Karen first came to counseling, she was feeling frustrated. She'd been a member of a 12-step,
self-help group for years, and the meetings were important to her. Even though Karen knew most of the members, she still felt anxious and awkward when she attended.

She'd start to get her courage up to speak at the meeting, but usually never got the words out. She'd freeze, tight with tension. Other times she'd think, "Nobody wants to hear what I have to say." Most often, she'd sit in silence the entire time, feeling scared and timid.

Karen felt she was letting herself down every week, by rarely being a part of the discussions. She was tired of sitting in silence, feeling anxious and on edge. Karen and I worked on changing the thoughts and behaviors that created her anxiety in the group meetings.

Karen didn't think too highly of herself, a result of growing up with a very critical mother. We improved her self-esteem by identifying a realistic, positive view of herself.

I helped teach Karen good conversational skills. We also rehearsed possible conversations that Karen might have at the meetings, so she felt more comfortable sharing.

I also used hypnotherapy to boost her confidence in speaking up. During hypnosis, in a deep relaxation, she could imagine feeling more secure and self-assured when she talked in the group. She used those new strengths at her meetings.

As new changes came about for Karen, she was able to carry this new confidence into other social areas in her life. She was feeling good about herself, and relieved and happy to enjoy social gatherings much more.




Possible Benefits of Treatment With Me For Social Anxiety:
  • Feeling more confident and self-assured in social settings
  • Feeling more comfortable when attending a social gathering
  • Increasing self-esteem so you feel good about yourself in social situations
  • Improving your conversational skills to feel relaxed and poised when talking with others

LIFE SHOULDN'T BE SCARY
I invite you to contact me today. We can discuss how you can start feeling relaxed and self-confident in social situations.