SOCIAL PHOBIA

 

Linda Atkinson has extensive clinical expertise in the assessment and treatment of social phobia using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).  During her career she worked with leading experts in the field of social anxiety whilst living and working in the United Kingdom.  Linda Atkinson is also experienced in the use of imagery re-scripting which has been shown to be effective in treating social phobia when the fear of social situations is clearly linked to an early memory.

 

If you are interested in reading about CBT for social phobia please click the following link. This book would be an excellent companion to treatment with Linda Atkinson. 

 

What is social phobia? Shyness and social anxiety becomes social phobia when a person changes their life considerably in order to avoid being evaluated by other people. 

 

Social phobia is anxiety problem about interacting or performing with other people. Common situations that are feared include: starting conversations, talking in meetings or talking with strangers, eating in front of people, writing in front of people, talking to a group, dating or being the centre of attention. 

 

The reason why a person with social phobia fears these situations is that they worry about doing or saying something humiliating or embarrassing.  For example, showing signs of anxiety such as blushing, stammering or trembling.  Social phobia is diagnosed when this fear of evaluation stops them from doing things that they normally do.

 

There are two kinds of social phobia.  The first is called Specific Social Phobia and occurs when a person is fearful of only a few social situations such as public speaking.  The second kind of social phobia is called Generalised Social Phobia which involves a fear of many social situations. 

 

Social phobia often starts early in life, but it can be effectively treated with cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) at any stage in life.  CBT focuses on teaching new ways of thinking and behaving before, during and after a social situation.  People are encouraged to enter social situations while dropping behaviours that might accidentally keep their fear going.  For example, a person would be encouraged to drop the tendency to focus on him or herself in a social situation and instead to focus on the situation around them. 

 

If you suffer from social phobia or you are a professional who treats social phobia you may like to take a look at the video below which talks about CBT for social phobia by world renown Professor David Clark. The talk on social phobia starts about 6 minutes into the video.

 

Please feel free to contact Linda Atkinson about the possibility of treatment for social phobia