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Therapy for Social and Performance Anxiety

Do you experience anxiety in social or performance situations, avoid them, or work hard to cope? Does this impact on your life?
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If so, you may experience social and performance anxiety (SPA).

One in ten people experience SPA. Most never seek support. ​SPA is characterised by:

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  • Fear of social interactions, being observed, or performing in front of other people

  • Fear of being judged, embarrassed or humiliated

  • Urges to avoid situations where this could happen, or enduring them with the help of 'safety behaviours'​

  • These things causing distress, and having an impact on different areas of life​​​​​

I work with adults (18+) who want to develop skills to feel more comfortable in themselves, and confident in social and performance situations.

Genetics can contribute to SPA, but life experiences play a strong role, leading people to:

 

  • Think other people will judge them

  • Underestimate their own ability to cope

  • Predict socialising and performing will go badly

  • Develop rules and behaviours to manage the threats they fear and the anxiety they feel.

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​Before feared situations, people may choose to avoid them altogether, or anticipate them anxiously. 

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During these situations, 'safety behaviours' begin, including:

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  • Trying to control or hide anxiety

  • Monitoring and controlling every action

  • Over-planning what to do or say, and second guessing those choices 

  • Scanning for threats

  • Trying hard to fit in

  • Avoiding attention or connecting with people (e.g. not speaking up, staying busy, going on phone, etc)

  • Leaving early​

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After these events, it's very common to ruminate - reviewing how it went, and being self-critical. ​

 

All of these efforts - whether conscious or not - don't help people to overcome their social fears. Sadly, they usually keep them going. 

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Therapy helps you to identify these coping behaviours, develop new skills, and enjoy life more.   ​​​

I help people with anxiety. I have worked with people from all walks of life, including university students, PhD candidates, doctors, builders, CEOs, managers, actors and sportspeople.

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I practice Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)​, while drawing heavily on evidence-based processes and skills. This helps to create a structured and flexible therapy approach to suit your needs.

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Over a number of online sessions (usually 6-18), I will work with you to:

  1. Make sense of your anxiety and clarify what you want and need

  2. Build knowledge, learn skills, and apply them in social and / or performance situations

  3. Solidify your new knowledge and skills, and leave with a greater sense of confidence and freedom​

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If this approach sounds right for you, please get in touch about meeting.  ​​​​​​​​​​​

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