Social Anxiety Therapy
Serving San Jose, Sacramento & all of California
Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety Therapy to Overcome Fear of Judgment
Social anxiety therapy can help when you have an excessive fear of judgment or humiliation. When you have social anxiety, you may avoid people or situations that make you anxious or participate with dread. Some ways social anxiety may show up for you can include:
- Worrying a lot about how others see you or what they think of you
- Avoiding social situations because you fear being embarrassed or judged
- Replaying conversations in your head, analyzing what you said or how you came across
- Everyday interactions—like speaking up in a meeting, making a phone call, or meeting new people—feel overwhelming or exhausting
If you recognize yourself in this, social anxiety therapy can help you break free from excessive fear of judgment and the cycle of avoidance.
Laura Johnson, LMFT, LPCC, is an expert in social anxiety therapy. I am the author of Social Anxiety For Dummies and a board member of the National Social Anxiety Center. I can provide you with social anxiety therapy if you live anywhere in California including San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Could I Have Social Anxiety?
If you’ve ever wondered whether your discomfort in social situations might be more than just shyness, ask yourself:
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Do you worry a lot about how others see you or what they think of you?
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Do you avoid certain social situations because you fear being embarrassed or judged?
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Do you replay conversations in your head, analyzing what you said or how you came across?
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Do everyday interactions—like speaking up in a meeting, making a phone call, or meeting new people—feel overwhelming or exhausting?
If you recognize yourself in these questions, it may be more than shyness or nervousnes. Social anxiety is common, and the good news is that with the right help, it can get better. As an expert in social anxiety, I’m the author of Social Anxiety For Dummies and a board member of the National Social Anxiety Center, I can help you using CBT and schema therapy to move from the fear of judgment and avoidance to living a full life with confidence.
What is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety disorder is an intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or rejected in social situations. People often feel like they don’t measure up, worry about how they’re coming across, and fear being seen as awkward, unlikable, or incompetent.
These fears can be overwhelming enough to disrupt work, school, or daily life. You might spend days worrying before an event, replay conversations long after they’re over, or avoid certain situations entirely.
Social anxiety can be very specific—like speaking in meetings, making phone calls, or introducing yourself—or it can affect almost every interaction. Common examples include attending social gatherings, talking to authority figures, giving presentations, or going on dates. No matter the form it takes, social anxiety erodes confidence and makes ordinary situations feel like high-stakes tests.
Types of Social Anxiety
Social anxiety doesn’t look the same for everyone. For some, it shows up in almost every interaction, while for others it’s tied to specific situations like speaking in front of a group or dating. I work with a wide range of social anxiety struggles, including:
I also help with related concerns that are often mistaken for social anxiety, such as shyness, introversion, high sensitivity and communication difficulties.
Common Symptoms of Social Anxiety
Living with social anxiety can feel exhausting, like you’re always under a spotlight. It’s more than just being shy—it can affect how you think, feel, and connect with others. You might recognize yourself in some of these symptoms:
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Feeling overwhelming fear of being judged, rejected, or criticized
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Feeling intensely self-conscious or embarrassed in social situations
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Struggling to think clearly or find words in conversations or groups
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Worrying excessively—sometimes for days or weeks—before or after social events
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Avoiding social situations altogether
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Having difficulty making or maintaining friendships
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Experiencing physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, trembling, or nausea
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Having severe anxiety or even panic in social settings
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Relying on “safety behaviors” that offer short-term relief such as avoidance, trying to hide symptoms, using substances, leaving early or arriving late, and many others
How Therapy Helps with Social Anxiety
Therapy gives you the tools to quiet self-criticism, face social fears, and build genuine confidence. Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) helps you challenge anxious thoughts and practice new skills, while Schema Therapy addresses the deeper patterns of shame and self-doubt that keep social anxiety stuck.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Anxiety
CBT focuses on the here and now—identifying the unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that keep your anxiety going. These patterns tend to be automatic, but they can be unlearned with practice and support.
Some of the most common thinking traps linked to social anxiety are:
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Catastrophizing: Expecting the worst (“If I stumble, everyone will think I’m incompetent.”)
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Mind Reading: Assuming you know what others think (“They must think I’m boring.”)
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Fortune Telling: Predicting failure without evidence (“This will definitely go badly.”)
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All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing situations in extremes (“If I’m not perfect, I’m a total failure.”)
CBT helps you spot these traps, challenge them, and gradually build more balanced ways of thinking. Through tools like social skills training, reducing safety behaviors, and guided exposure to feared situations, you gain the confidence to handle social interactions with greater ease.
Schema Therapy for Social Anxiety
Schema Therapy goes deeper by looking at lifelong patterns of self-beliefs that often underlie social anxiety. These schemas usually start in childhood and can silently shape how you feel and behave in social situations.
Some of the most common schemas linked to social anxiety are:
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Defectiveness & Shame: Feeling flawed, unworthy, or unlikeable.
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Failure: Believing you’re destined to fail or fall short compared to others.
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Social Isolation/Alienation: Believing you don’t fit in or belong.
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Unrelenting Standards: Putting pressure on yourself to be perfect in order to avoid criticism.
Schema Therapy helps you not only recognize these deep-rooted patterns but also begin to change them through techniques like imagery rescripting, limited reparenting, and behavioral change. Over time, this allows you to feel more secure, confident, and authentic in social situations.
Why Work with Me?
I’m one of the leading experts in social anxiety treatment in California and serve on the Board of the National Social Anxiety Center. As the author of Social Anxiety For Dummies—a practical, down-to-earth guide available on Amazon—I bring both deep expertise and strategies you can put into action right away.
I’m certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Advanced Certified in Schema Therapy (ST)—a rare dual specialty. CBT helps you reduce symptoms and build real-world confidence, while Schema Therapy addresses the deeper roots of shame, fear of judgment, and self-criticism that fuel social anxiety.
Frequently Asked Questions about Social Anxiety
How do I know if I have social anxiety or if I’m just shy?
Shyness is a personality trait, but social anxiety disorder is more intense. If fear of judgment or embarrassment regularly interferes with work, school, or relationships, it’s likely more than shyness.
What’s the difference between CBT and Schema Therapy for social anxiety?
CBT helps with present-day thinking traps and avoidance behaviors. Schema Therapy goes deeper, addressing lifelong self-beliefs like defectiveness or unworthiness that fuel social anxiety. Many clients benefit from using both.
What’s the difference between social anxiety and avoidant personality disorder?
Social anxiety usually focuses on specific fears, like public speaking or dating. Avoidant personality disorder is broader and more pervasive, involving a deep fear of rejection and feelings of defectiveness that affect nearly every relationship and situation.
Will therapy make me do things I’m not ready for, like public speaking right away?
No. Therapy is gradual and collaborative—you’ll never be pushed into something before you’re ready. Progress happens step by step so your confidence grows naturally.
Take the First Step to Get Help with Social Anxiety
I specialize in evidence-based therapy for social anxiety, combining CBT and Schema Therapy for both immediate relief and lasting change. Through secure video sessions, I work with clients across California—including San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego—so you can access expert-level care wherever you are.
Reach out today to start breaking free from the grip of social anxiety and building lasting confidence in yourself and your relationships.