Counseling and Therapy in Saratoga/San Jose for Teens with Social Anxiety
At the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, we offer cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for teenagers with Social Anxiety Disorder. Our approach with teenagers is practical, goal-oriented, compassionate, and scientifically-based while focusing on your teen’s individual needs. With our central location in Saratoga just a 1/2 mile (2 minute drive) from Hwy 85, we serve the Silicon Valley communities of San Jose, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Campbell, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Los Altos. If you think your teenager may be experiencing Social Anxiety, you can learn more about social anxiety and our treatment approach below.
What is Teen Social Anxiety?
Social Anxiety Disorder, or Social Phobia, involves an intense fear of social or performance situations, including having conversations, meeting new people, interacting with authority figures, public speaking, and going to parties or other social engagements. Teens with social anxiety may have panic attacks when confronted with the feared situation or avoid the feared situations all together.
Symptoms of social anxiety in teenagers include:
- Fear of being embarrassed or humiliated in social or performance situations
- Feelings of anxiety and discomfort in social situations
- Belief that they will be negatively judged by peers and/or authority figures
- Avoidance of school and social situations
- Difficulty making and keeping friends
- Extreme self-consciousness
Cognitive Behavioral Model of Social Anxiety for Adolescents
The cognitive behavioral model of social anxiety supposes that teens with the disorder place a high value on making a positive impression on others yet doubt their ability to do so. They are likely to believe that they are inadequate, uninteresting, and essentially different from others. Teens with social anxiety tend to overestimate the impact of their errors in social situations and assume that others are judging them negatively. They also engage in behaviors that relieve their anxiety in the short-term but prevent them from learning new coping strategies and challenging their beliefs, such as avoidance, alcohol use, and refusing to go places alone.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Teens with Social Anxiety
CBT for social anxiety seeks to modify the beliefs and behaviors that maintain your teen’s fear of social and performance situations. The first component of treatment is education about the nature of anxiety and how social anxiety is maintained by negative beliefs about oneself and safety behaviors that prevent new learning opportunities. After identifying your teen’s thoughts and behaviors that maintain their social anxiety, he/she will be taught new skills for dealing with social situations and coping with anxious feelings. Armed with new skills, they will then begin practicing engaging in the feared social situations with new ways to respond to the anxiety. The therapist will also work with them on modifying their beliefs about their ability to cope with anxiety and social situations.
Common Goals of Social Anxiety Therapy with Teenagers
- Learn about social anxiety and the thoughts and behaviors that maintain it.
- Confront negative beliefs about the self, the world and others and develop more helpful and realistic beliefs.
- Increase confidence to engage in social and performance situations, in spite of feeling nervous and self-conscious in the beginning.
- Develop healthy and age appropriate social skills.
- Become less self-focused and learn to direct attention outwards.
- Nurture positive and fulfilling peer relationships.
Getting Help for Your Teen’s Social Anxiety in Saratoga/San Jose
If your teen is willing to talk about his or her social anxiety, it is important to listen and be open-minded. Help your teen understand that self-consciousness is a normal part of adolescence and that their anxiety symptoms may not be as noticeable to others as they may think. Be supportive, encouraging, and remind your teen of what he or she does well. After talking with your teen, it may be time to get some professional help if the social anxiety symptoms persist.
The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley specializes in therapy and counseling for teenagers with social anxiety. With our central location in Saratoga just a 1/2 mile (2 minute drive) from Hwy 85, we serve the Silicon Valley communities of San Jose, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Cupertino, Campbell, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Los Altos. Contact us at (408) 384-8404 for more information on how we can help your teen manage their social anxiety.