Social Anxiety and Social Distress Are Treatable
Overcome social discomfort and become intentionally authentic.
An invisible barrier is stifling your personal wellness.
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Negative Evaluation
The core fear is assuming criticism.
The most common experience with social anxiety is feeling unsure of what people think of you, often assuming they don’t like you.
It can feel like people are about to tell you they don’t like you or you are one mistake away from judgement.
Commonly questioning and thinking if what you said or how you said something came out right.
“Cringing” after socializing.
Uncomfortable when the center of attention.
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When Anxiety Happens
Three moments for social anxiety are:
When you are talking with someone. This can be anxiety over a phone call, being in-person, or writing electronically, even with a friend or family.
Feeling of being observed. For example, going to the grocery store, you may think people are secretly judging your clothes, the way you walk, or your appearance harshly.
Performance setting, like sports, art, or speaking up in class or at work.
Trouble making eye contact when anxious.
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Wanting to Connect
The prevailing pattern is avoidance.
A pattern I notice is that people often want more friends, want to get a job, and want to find a romantic partner.
However, self-sabotage and finding ways out of connection has become a habit from years of seeking safety that unfortunately has not been helpful.
Research confirms, without a doubt, that people do not want to experience social anxiety. I believe in your ability to be brave and find your authentic self.
Transform your relationship with fear and anxiety.
Picture this: You are sitting in your car in your hero posture practicing your defusion skills and recognizing that YOU are in CONTROL. You decided to be here because you know your friends/family/work is a high value to you and you’re tired of letting anxiety win. You take another deep breath and bravely head in. Your friends/family/work greet you and you have worked to see they authentically care about your presence. YOU MATTER. As you leave you reflect on the highlights, no more cringing, no more doubt, just assurance that you have fostered and are actively maintaining close connections.
Imagine this:
Engaging in conversations with purposeful clarity and conviction
Choosing to build a supportive network that believes in you
Embracing your unique style and voice to unlock new levels of influence
Controlling your calendar, career, and friends, rather than anxiety controlling them for you
When you transform social discomfort into five specific concepts: self-compassion, acceptance, mindfulness, awareness of perfectionism, and developing a growth mindset, you gain access to the Social Ease Mindset and quiet that inner critic keeping you from the life you deserve.
Social anxiety therapy rooted in science using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a branch off of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Your unique path to recovery begins with a free Social Ease Strategy session.
Social distress is a continuum, yet the skills translate across the board.
Navigating social challenges can be tough, but you're not alone. We'll dive deep into the roots of your social discomfort, helping you uncover and understand the patterns and beliefs that have been holding you back. Through personalized sessions, we’ll develop strategies to overcome your barriers through specific steps you choose to take at your own pace. Our tailored approach, founded on evidence-based skills, empowers you to conquer your fears and harness your authenticity through insights and wisdom.
You'll also gain:
Practical tools to navigate unique interactions.
Find and build genuine relationships.
Communicate internally and externally with clarity and compassion.
Awareness of the inner critic that undermines your authority.
A new connection with yourself; based on a kinder, more understanding relationship with your values.
Whether you are here to change environmental factors or because a family member wants to help you, my question is; are you ready to transform your approach to life and social interactions? Let’s get started on this journey to unleash the amazing person within you! No need to let the continuum continue loading.
The most significant barrier is not time, access, or cost; rather it’s the stigma and fear of getting support
On average, people with social anxiety disorder will wait 15-20 YEARS before getting help and even then, only 50% will seek therapy.*
* American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Social anxiety disorder. In American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.- text revision, pp.229-235). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
Three simple ways to end the self-stigma and schedule a FREE, no-pressure strategy session to learn more about what your unique journey would look like.
1) Send this pre-filled email.
2) Follow the steps on the Orange Button on the contact page.
3) Call: I promise to be kind and compassionate; no judgment here.
About Matt Bedell, LPC-S, LCDC and a common question about medication.
I am a mental health professional based in Allen, Texas. You can click to learn more about me or my approach. In my office, people learn to manage both the physical symptoms and emotional symptoms of social anxiety through talk therapy. However, I treat social anxiety by meeting you where you are; if you’d like to pursue medication, I can refer you to some professionals to ensure you get competent care throughout your treatment. However, your treatment for social anxiety does not have to include medication if you do not want to. Perhaps thinking of seeing a psychiatrist or your primary care feels daunting right now. I’ll meet you where you’re at and support you throughout each step. There is no judgment either way; I cannot prescribe medication as a Licensed Professional Counselor - Supervisor (#78075) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (#16238). Yet, many of the people I work with do seek medication to help in an ongoing effort or for specific stages of talk therapy.
For those ready for medication, here’s a handout with questions you can ask your doctor to help guide the conversation.
"What if our goal of having the "right" answer was replaced by the opportunity to be in an extended conversation with the other where new understanding - not agreement or validation - could be constructed? Can we value connection over certainty, relationships over answers? This is the difference of engaging with others to understand and build relationships."
-Sheila McNamee in Collaborative Consultation in Mental Health