5 Types of Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

A List of the Different Types of Therapy You Might Receive for Social Anxiety Disorder

Did you know that there are a number of different types of therapy for social anxiety disorder?

While most people have heard of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), it is not the only type of therapy for social anxiety disorder. The good thing is that many of the techniques used in different types of therapy for social anxiety disorder can also be applied as self-help strategies. So, it can be helpful to be aware of the different types of therapy for social anxiety disorder.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Let’s start with the most well-known and effective therapy for social anxiety disorder—CBT. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is just as it sounds: one part changing your thoughts, one part changing your behaviors.

Typically, a person will spend about 16 weeks working one-on-one with a therapist and a workbook. You will learn how to replace unhelpful thoughts related to your social anxiety and also how to gradually push yourself to face the social and performance situations that cause you anxiety and fear.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and commitment therapy for social anxiety disorder involves identifying your values in life and then working to accept your anxiety while adhering to what you see as important. Instead of trying to eliminate or reduce your negative thoughts, in ACT, you choose to accept them but not pay as much attention to them.

For example, you might be taught to view your thoughts as leaves floating down a river or as passengers on a bus: they are there but you don’t need to get caught up in them. Acceptance and commitment therapy is also a good candidate for self-help that you can practice on your own at home, and there are several books on the topic to help you with that.

Mindfulness-Based Techniques

These aren’t strictly considered to be a type of therapy for social anxiety disorder, but mindfulness-based techniques are also often used for social anxiety. The goal of mindfulness is to practice focused awareness.

This means, instead of being caught up in negative thoughts in your mind, you focus your attention on your surroundings. Each time you find yourself starting to panic, you would return yourself to mindful awareness, such as by using your senses (five things you can see, hear, touch, feel, smell).

Psychodynamic Therapy

Yes, I’m talking about the stuff Freud did! Well, kind of. Psychodynamic therapy is a shorter version of the psychoanalysis that Freud pioneered.

This type of therapy for social anxiety disorder might be applied by a therapist looking to uncover underlying causes such as harsh or critical parents, underlying conflicts such as a fear of success, and worries about making a perfect first impression. It isn’t likely that you could practice this type of therapy for social anxiety disorder on your own as a self-help technique.

Interpersonal Therapy

The focus of interpersonal therapy for social anxiety will be on the personal relationships in your life that need attention. Given the nature of social anxiety, this type of therapy may be very well suited to the problem.

Unfortunately, there is still not a lot of research evidence on the use of this type of therapy for social anxiety. It’s also not likely something that you can do on your own as self-help. However, if your main problem is anxiety in your relationships with others (as opposed to a public speaking fear or fear of leaving your house/being in a crowd), then this type of therapy may be helpful for you.

Self-Help Books

If you don’t have access to a therapist to receive one of these types of therapy for your social anxiety, I strongly recommend purchasing a self-help book—particularly one on cognitive-behavioral therapy or acceptance and commitment therapy methods.

A good choice for ACT is the Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness. If you prefer to try CBT, I suggest The Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook.

Free CBT Workbook Download

I also offer a downloadable CBT workbook for social anxiety that you can access by signing up for my weekly newsletter. This 30+ page workbook walks you through the steps you will need to take to apply cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques on your own at home. I strongly feel like this is an excellent option for you if seeing a therapist is too scary at this point or if you just can’t afford it.

I want to see you succeed in beating your social anxiety and that’s why I provided this workbook! I use the thought challenger exercise myself anytime I feel strong unwanted negative emotions. It’s a super simple way to stop those negative thoughts from spiraling out of control, which is so easy to let happen if you don’t keep on top of it.

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5 Types of Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder