Understanding Social Anxiety: How CBT and IFS Can Help

Social anxiety isn’t just shyness—it’s a persistent fear of being judged, embarrassed, or rejected in social situations. People struggling with it often experience intense worry before events, racing thoughts, blushing, sweating, or feeling frozen when speaking up. Over time, this fear can limit relationships, career growth, and overall quality of life.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps by identifying and challenging the negative thought patterns that fuel anxiety. Through gradual exposure and cognitive restructuring, clients learn to see social situations more realistically, reducing the power of fear over time.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a compassionate, deeper lens. It views anxiety not as a flaw, but as a protective part of the self trying to prevent pain or shame. By getting to know and gently unburdening these parts, clients often feel more confident, grounded, and self-accepting.

Both approaches—CBT’s practical tools and IFS’s inner compassion—can work beautifully together to create lasting change.

If you’re ready to feel more at ease in your own skin, therapy for social anxiety can help you reconnect with your authentic self and the world around you.