It is normal to feel a little nervous when you know you are going to be judged or assessed on your abilities or character. This type of anxiety is actually healthy, as it prepares you to focus on doing your best. However, some people experience excessive worry about being judged. As a result, they might avoid social situations altogether, or replay conversations long after they have ended. Overall, they find social situations stressful, exhausting and overwhelming. This is called Social Anxiety or Social Phobia.
Many people feel nervous before a presentation, first date, job interview, or unfamiliar group event. But social anxiety is more than occasional shyness or awkwardness. It can involve a persistent fear of being judged, criticised, embarrassed, or rejected by others.
You might find yourself overthinking what to say, monitoring your body language or how you are coming across, or feeling tense before even small interactions. Over time, social anxiety can make your world feel smaller, as you avoid situations that could otherwise bring connection, confidence, or opportunity.
Therapy for social anxiety can help you understand what is keeping the anxiety going and develop practical ways to feel more at ease around others.
Social anxiety can affect your thoughts, emotions, body, behaviour, relationships, work, and study. It can look different from person to person, but common signs include:
Social anxiety can be triggered by any situation where you feel observed, evaluated, or at risk of embarrassment. These may include:
For some people, social anxiety is strongest in performance-based situations. For others, it shows up across many everyday interactions. Therapy can help identify the specific patterns that affect you and support you to approach these situations differently.
Psychologists who help people with social anxiety, do not force you to become outgoing or change your personality. Therapy is about helping you feel less controlled by fear and more able to participate in life in a way that feels meaningful to you.
Therapy for social anxiety can help you:
Many people with social anxiety have spent years trying to hide how anxious they feel. A psychologist will offer a space to talk openly about these experiences without judgement, whilst learning practical strategies to move towards the situations and relationships that matter to you.
Many people feel nervous in social situations from time to time. However, social anxiety becomes more of a problem when it begins to hold you back from living the life you want to live.
You might benefit from speaking with a psychologist if social situations feel consistently stressful, exhausting or overwhelming. Perhaps you spend days worrying before an event, avoid certain situations altogether, or replay conversations long after they have ended. You may find yourself constantly wondering how you came across, monitoring what you say or do, or feeling embarrassed about things that others would quickly forget.
Social anxiety can be surprisingly easy to hide. Many people with social anxiety appear confident, capable and outgoing to others, while privately feeling anxious and self-critical. Others may have quietly started saying no to social invitations, avoiding career opportunities or limiting their world in ways they hadn’t realised.
Seeking help doesn’t mean your social anxiety is “severe enough” or that you have to wait until it significantly impacts your life. If social anxiety is stopping you from feeling like yourself, making meaningful connections or participating in things that matter to you, therapy can help.
The earlier social anxiety is addressed, the easier it can be to break the patterns of avoidance, overthinking and self-criticism that keep it going. With the right support, many people find that social situations become more manageable, enjoyable and less emotionally exhausting.
Reaching out for support can feel particularly difficult when you have social anxiety. Many people worry about saying the wrong thing when making an enquiry, feel uncomfortable talking about themselves, or question whether their struggles are “serious enough” to seek help.
You don’t need to have all the right words or know exactly what kind of therapy you need before reaching out. A good psychology clinic will have a reception team who are supportive and understanding. They will guide you through the booking process in a caring and compassionate way, or you can send in an enquiry form if that’s easier.
Social anxiety is one of the most treatable mental health concerns, and many people are surprised by how much their confidence, relationships and quality of life improve once they begin addressing the thoughts and behaviours that have been keeping them stuck.
Even if you’re feeling nervous about starting therapy or have been considering it for years, seeking help is a meaningful investment in your wellbeing and future.
Looking for treatment for social anxiety? Learn more about our approach to social anxiety treatment, the psychologists who work with social anxiety, and how to find the right fit for you.
Learn More About Social Anxiety Treatment
More than regular nervousness and shyness, social anxiety describes the experience of intense fear of social situations, to the point where it impacts your daily activities or relationships. Social anxiety symptoms vary significantly across individuals, but some of the most common include fear of interacting with others, being judged or embarrassing oneself in front of others, and worrying about others noticing your anxiety.
There are several well-researched treatments that are effective in treating Social Anxiety, including but not limited to Cognitive-behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure-based Therapies. Medication can also be helpful in treating social anxiety, especially when combined with talk therapy. While working on your social anxiety, although it can be hard, it is also important to keep showing up to as many of your social commitments as you can tolerate.
Someone may be more likely to develop social anxiety if they have a family history of anxiety (genetics), or have family members who behaved anxiously when they were growing up (modelling that there’s something to be afraid of). Social anxiety may also be triggered by environmental and social factors such as a history of bullying, temperament, or a combination of several of these factors.
There has also been a rise in social anxiety since the pandemic, whereby the forced isolation was a risk factor for everyone.
Though it does not necessarily cause it, research suggests that long periods of isolation can lead to increased social anxiety symptoms. It is normal to find social situations more difficult after emerging from particularly solitary environments. This is because, like anything, without practice it can be hard to maintain our skills – socialising is no different! Be gentle with yourself and ease back into social environments slow and steady. If you are finding this process overwhelming, it can be helpful to get support from a therapist with strategies and skills to help you cope.