Social Anxiety

Social anxiety can make everyday interactions feel overwhelming. Therapy helps you understand your fears, build confidence, and reconnect with others more comfortably.

Understanding Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is more than shyness - it’s an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or rejected in social or performance situations. You might worry about what others think, replay conversations in your mind, or avoid situations where you might be the focus of attention.

While these fears can feel overwhelming, therapy can help you understand what’s keeping them going and build confidence in connecting with others.

Main Symptoms

Social anxiety can affect both how you feel and how you behave in everyday life. Common symptoms include:

  • Intense fear or anxiety in social or performance situations

  • Worrying excessively about how you appear to others

  • Physical symptoms such as blushing, shaking, or heart racing

  • Avoiding conversations, meetings, or public situations

  • Replaying social interactions or fearing you’ve “said the wrong thing”

  • Difficulty making eye contact or speaking up

Impact Social Anxiety Can Have

Social anxiety can limit opportunities and impact relationships, work, and self-esteem. You might turn down invitations, struggle to meet new people, or feel lonely and self-critical. Over time, avoidance can make the fear stronger — creating a cycle that feels difficult to break.

Therapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore these fears, challenge unhelpful thinking, and practise new ways of coping in social situations.

How Therapy Helps

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is highly effective for social anxiety and is recommended by NICE.

Together, we work to:

  • Identify the patterns of thinking and behaviour that maintain social fears

  • Gently test out new ways of responding to anxious thoughts

  • Build confidence through gradual, supported exposure to feared situations

  • Develop self-compassion and reduce self-criticism

At Shire Therapies, our accredited therapists offer evidence-based, collaborative treatment that helps you rebuild confidence and feel more comfortable in social interactions.

Take The Next Steps

You don’t have to face this alone.

Book a session or Contact us to find out how therapy can help you move forward with confidence.