Social anxiety therapy in London
What is social anxiety?
Social anxiety is a persistent fear of being judged or humiliated in social situations, kept going by self-focused attention and safety behaviours such as rehearsing, avoiding eye contact or staying quiet. CBT, using the Clark and Wells model, shifts attention outward and drops those behaviours. At The Lyceum, Sanah Younis, a BABCP-accredited CBT therapist, delivers this in Chiswick, Ealing and Richmond, or online. Social anxiety can make the inner commentary on how you are coming across feel more important than the conversation itself. The work examines self-focused attention, safety behaviours and the predictions attached to being seen. The work uses behavioural experiments and recalibration of attention. Video feedback can correct a distorted self-image, while safety behaviours are identified and reduced and attention is redirected outward to the conversation rather than inward to self-monitoring. Compassion-Focused work may be considered where self-criticism is central. Video feedback is confirmed in use. How we measure progress GAD-7 alongside SPIN (Social Phobia Inventory). A baseline anxiety measure is paired with a measure specific to the difficulty being treated, so a general distress score does not stand in for the specific fear. The person with social anxiety is running two conversations at once: the real one, and a merciless commentary on how they are coming across in it. They are certain their anxiety is visible and damning. The single most useful thing I can show them is themselves on video, because the gap between how exposed they feel and how they actually appear is enormous, and seeing it is more convincing than anything I could say. The fear is not of people; it is of being seen failing. The work is discovering the room was never watching as closely, or as unkindly, as the inner commentator insisted.
Practical questions
How long does CBT for social anxiety take?
The pace and scope are set through assessment. Where focused work or a formal review is appropriate, this is agreed collaboratively rather than assumed from a page.
How much does social anxiety therapy cost in London?
Published fees are £110 for online appointments and £140 for face-to-face sessions. Current availability, practical arrangements and funding options can be discussed before booking. View fees and funding information.
Frequently asked questions
Is social anxiety more than shyness?
Social anxiety can involve a persistent fear of negative evaluation that changes what a person does in conversations, meetings or social situations. Assessment looks at the cycle rather than applying a label from one feature alone.
What is video feedback in social anxiety CBT?
Video feedback is used to compare how exposed someone feels with how they appear to others. It can be part of behavioural experiments agreed collaboratively in therapy.
Can social anxiety be treated online?
Online CBT may be discussed alongside face-to-face appointments in Chiswick, Ealing and Richmond. An initial conversation can clarify the format and current availability.
What are the symptoms of social anxiety?
Social anxiety can involve fear of negative evaluation, rehearsal before conversations, replaying events afterwards, self-focused attention and safety behaviours such as avoiding eye contact or staying quiet. Assessment explores the cycle and its impact rather than applying a label from one feature.
What is the Clark and Wells model?
The Clark and Wells model is a CBT framework for social anxiety that considers self-focused attention, safety behaviours and beliefs about being judged. It can guide behavioural experiments, attention work and video feedback where those are clinically appropriate.
Can social anxiety be treated without medication?
CBT can be discussed as a psychological approach for social anxiety. The assessment considers the person’s current circumstances, safety behaviours and goals; it does not make medication decisions or promise that one format will be right for everyone.
How long does social anxiety therapy take?
The pace and duration are agreed through assessment rather than assumed from a page. The work may use behavioural experiments, attention recalibration, video feedback and safety-behaviour reduction according to the pattern that is most relevant.
Is social anxiety the same as shyness?
Shyness is simply a personality trait or a preference for quieter environments. Social anxiety is a pervasive, often paralysing fear of negative evaluation and judgment that actively restricts your life. If you find yourself relentlessly rehearsing conversations, avoiding eye contact, or replaying interactions for days afterward, we can use CBT to dismantle that internal spotlight and help you engage with the world comfortably.