dealing with overwhelming social situations

Social Anxiety

In a world where social landscapes can feel daunting, it’s essential to recognize that you’re not alone in your struggle with social anxiety; many individuals experience similar feelings of unease and apprehension. The good news is that overcoming these challenges is entirely possible.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Now

Social Anxiety

It’s normal to feel nervous or get butterflies in social situations. But if you often find yourself wondering why everyone else seems so much more at ease, social interactions can start to feel exhausting and discouraging. Thoughts like “What’s wrong with me?” or “Why can’t I just relax?” may take over, leading you to constantly worry about how others perceive you. Over time, this inner dialogue can reinforce the belief that you’re different or that something is fundamentally wrong with you.

Trying to manage these feelings by drinking to calm your nerves or pushing yourself to “just get through it” often brings only temporary relief. You may begin to withdraw, avoid eye contact, stay quiet in groups, or worry that you come across as distant or uninterested. For many people with social anxiety, social situations are marked by intense fear, self-consciousness, and anticipation of embarrassment rather than comfort or connection.

Feeling shy or uncomfortable doesn’t automatically mean you have social anxiety disorder. However, when these experiences are persistent and start to interfere with daily life, they may include:

Common symptoms of social anxiety disorder

Intense fear of social or performance situations

Fear of being judged, criticized, or embarrassed

Avoidance of social interactions

Excessive self-consciousness

Blushing, sweating, or trembling in social settings

Nausea or stomach discomfort before or during social events

Difficulty speaking or mind going blank

Anxiety leading up to upcoming social situations

How I help clients manage and overcome social anxiety

Social anxiety can quietly shape how you show up in the world. Over time, fear of judgment or embarrassment may lead you to avoid situations, hold back in conversations, or rely on short-term coping strategies that don’t truly ease the anxiety. While these patterns can feel deeply ingrained, they are malleable.

In therapy, I use evidence-based approaches to help reduce the intensity of social anxiety and build confidence in social settings. This includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and challenge the thought patterns that fuel self-doubt and fear, mindfulness-based strategies to help you stay present and grounded during social interactions, and solution-focused techniques to build on your existing strengths and create practical steps toward change. Together, we work to decrease avoidance, increase emotional flexibility, and help social situations feel more manageable over time.

If social anxiety is limiting your relationships, work, or ability to enjoy life, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Reach out to schedule a consultation and begin working toward feeling more at ease and confident in social situations.

Schedule Your Free Consultation Now

How I Work With Clients

I employ a variety of evidence-based methods and techniques tailored to your unique needs. Each approach, whether mindfulness-based stress reduction or cognitive behavioral therapy, is designed to help you develop greater self-awareness and cope with life's challenges.
Learn More About My Methods

What My Clients Say

“The logical discussions, the insight into why I do things the way I do them, and the homework all helped me focus on what was going on in my life at the time.”
“My therapist provided tremendous guidance to us as we navigated some very difficult events and situations that were thrown at us during our first years of marriage. No matter how we came into it, we always left feeling as if both of us were adequately heard, yet came away with a better understanding of each other’s feelings.”

-MK & EK

“I had never been to therapy before and did not know what to expect. Although it was much more difficult then I anticipated, it was very helpful. My therapist did a great job of making me feel comfortable, trusted, and heard.”
I like how collaborative the process has been, and that Justin took the time to pair me with the right counselor with a compatible therapy technique that would help me achieve my goals. Deborah has been great, and I already feel like I’m making meaningful progress and adjustments after just a few sessions.

Therapy Blog

Effective Communication With Your Partner

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
LEARN MORE

Effective Communication With Your Partner

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
LEARN MORE

Effective Communication With Your Partner

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
LEARN MORE

I am therapist with over 20 years experience in private practice and have worked with thousands of individuals, couples and families.

GET IN TOUCH

(312) 346-5156

SCHEDULE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION NOW