Social Anxiety Therapist Near Me

Introduction

Before we find out more details about a social anxiety therapist, let’s first understand what social anxiety is and then how a therapist can help with it. Social anxiety or Social Anxiety Disorder is a classified mental illness that creates difficulties in socialising. If you have social anxiety, you will have nervousness, palpitations, or any other symptoms of anxiety in social situations. 

After developing social anxiety, you will most likely avoid places and activities that increase anxiety. This will lead to issues in your daily life and well-being. A therapist who specialises in social anxiety can help you manage this anxiety. Let’s find out how below. 

Who is a Social Anxiety Therapist?

Essentially, a social anxiety therapist is a mental health professional. They have the required training and experience in dealing with the everyday struggles of living with social anxiety. Henceforth, they have the tools and techniques that you will benefit from if you are socially anxious or have social anxiety disorder. Below mentioned are some of the important aspects of a social anxiety therapist:

Qualifications of a Social Anxiety Therapist

Firstly, social anxiety therapists will have certain certifications and qualifications that equip them to deal with the struggles of social anxiety clients. This means that they are mental health professionals. Mental health professionals include Psychiatrists, Clinical and counselling psychologists, Psychiatric Social workers, and nurses and counsellors. 

Secondly, these MHPs have certifications and licenses to practice psychotherapy and provide assistance for mental health issues. Finally, look out for professionals who have extensive experience in anxiety disorders, as social anxiety falls within anxiety disorders. 

Different Types of Therapy for Social Anxiety

Essentially, Mental health services can be segregated into several subtypes, such as First aid, psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and pharmacotherapy. Mainly, a social anxiety therapist will help you through pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. While pharmacotherapy will require a medical background and prescription, psychotherapy will depend on the judgment and preference of the therapist and the client. 

Keep in mind to ask your therapist about the kind of therapy that they practice and what they recommend for your social anxiety symptoms. You need to discuss and be on the same page about what kind of treatment you are looking for and what the therapist can offer. 

How do I find a Social Anxiety Therapist?

In essence, finding the right therapist with experience in dealing with your concerns can seem daunting. Questions regarding where to look for a therapist, what the appropriate qualifications are, and how the process works will pop up in your mind. To not get stuck into these concerns, here are a few important things to keep in mind while looking for a social anxiety therapist:

• Finding the right therapist takes time and requires patience. 
• There is no one correct therapy style or frequency. You will need a style and frequency based on your needs and convenience. 
• A therapist can have a range of qualifications and backgrounds, and it is important to verify that you are looking for the right professional. 
• It is important to ask the therapist about their experience in dealing with social anxiety clients or patients. 
• It will take a while for the talk therapy to take effect as compared to the medicines. 

Settings that have a Social Anxiety Therapist

As mentioned above, looking for the right therapist can seem difficult. Although we can easily google search for the information, finding a personalised match will require you to make an effort. 

• Online – The least effort-based way to find the right therapist is through reaching out to mental health-based services. You can find these through social media or using any search engine of your choice. 
• Local Setups – Try to find private practitioners and mental health-based services within your community or locality. You can do this by asking around or reaching allied professionals such as social workers or hospitals. 
• Medical setup – Nowadays, most government and private hospitals offer trained therapists within their psychiatry department or mental health clinic. You can reach a medical professional for further guidance. 

Why is a Social Anxiety Therapist Important?

Without a doubt, a therapist can bring positive change to your mental health in several ways. More importantly, this therapeutic change can give you a better quality of life and improved well-being. Let’s discuss how:

For Dealing with Anxiety

Practically, social anxiety can lead to several anxiety symptoms, such as palpitations, sweating, panic-like feelings, etc. If social anxiety is not dealt with, with time, you will find that the anxiety is gradually increasing. Also, with time, you start to avoid more and more so that you don’t have to deal with the anxiety. 

A social anxiety therapist can help you find coping strategies to reduce your overall anxiety and, with time, reduce your social anxiety. 

Working on Relationships 

Particularly, social anxiety can greatly impact your ability to connect to others and form new relationships. It can decrease your ability to maintain friendships and good relationships with your colleagues. With social anxiety, you will have difficulty attending gatherings and social events. 

A social anxiety therapist will have techniques and tools to navigate through social gatherings and maintain relationships while keeping the anxiety in check. 

Better Mental Health 

Overall,  by reducing and managing your social anxiety, you will find that you are better able to cope with stressors. You will not feel the need to avoid scenarios or find excuses to deal with the fear of social situations. Moreover, you can find the root cause of your anxiety and help your mental health. 

A social anxiety therapist has the guidance to improve your mental health overall, along with specific social anxiousness. 

Conclusion 

All in all, a social anxiety therapist is someone who helps you manage social anxiousness or, more severely, a social anxiety disorder. Social anxiety is one of the most common forms of anxiety disorders and can severely impact your ability to connect with others and be present in your communities. Finding a therapist with appropriate professional licensure and background will help you reach the right social anxiety therapist. Finally, to get in touch with quality healthcare professionals, reach out to United We Care. 

References

[1] N. A. Alomari et al., “Social Anxiety Disorder: Associated Conditions and Therapeutic Approaches,” Cureus, vol. 14, no. 12, Dec. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.32687.

[2] Harvard Health Publishing, “Treating social anxiety disorder – Harvard Health,” Harvard Health, Mar. 2010. https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/treating-social-anxiety-disorder