Dallas CBT has offered group therapy for social anxiety since our founding. Though this might sound counterintuitive (“I’m socially anxious and you want me to sit in a room full of strangers?!”), the group format is the gold standard for social anxiety treatment precisely because there is a social component to each session. Our goal is to help you overcome fear of social situations and offer the best social anxiety treatment in Dallas and the broader metroplex.
Here’s a look at the specialized social anxiety group therapy programs we offer:
Adult Social Anxiety Group
Who is this for?
This group is designed for adults who struggle with social anxiety and want to build confidence in social situations. It may be that you’re avoiding, feeling overwhelmed by, or second-guessing most interactions. You might only struggle with social anxiety in performance situations at work, where we may have to engage in high-pressure presentations, pitches, or other forms of public speaking as part of your career. If fear of other people’s negative evaluation is holding you back, this group is designed to help you move forward in a helpful way.
What can you expect?
- CBT and ACT-based interventions: You’ll practice techniques like cognitive restructuring and acceptance of uncertainty to help shift how you think and act in socially anxious settings
- Exposure!: Our goal is to help you reduce avoidance and learn by doing. We’ll start small, with exposure-work done within the group itself, but will progress to tailored exposure-work outside of the office as the group goes on.
- Skill-building: Learn conversational strategies, assertiveness skills, and relaxation techniques to ease social discomfort and improve your ability to engage in social or performance-based situations.
- Peer Support: Connect with others who understand your struggles and celebrate your progress.
Who leads the group?
Christopher DuFour runs Dallas CBT’s adult social anxiety group programming for the past 4 years. He works hard to help clients face their fears, consistently comes up with creative (and often fun!) ways to get everyone outside their comfort zones, and especially focuses on creating a supportive community within and around each group that he runs.
How does this group help?
We realize it can sound overwhelming to sit in a room full of strangers and talk about your experiences, whether or not you struggle with social anxiety. However, the group setting is so effective precisely because it provides a supportive social environment to work through these anxieties. In fact, exposure-based group therapies for social anxiety are considered the “gold-standard” in psychotherapeutic treatments for social anxiety.. We hope to help you be more engaged and confident in social situations, even if they are anxiety-provoking, by the end of treatment.
Teen Social Anxiety Group
Who is this for?
Teens face unique social challenges, and navigating these can be both difficult and crucial for their development into healthy young adults. This group is designed for teens who experience social anxiety and find it difficult to cope with the pressures of school, friendships, and extracurricular activities. Our group offers a supportive environment to build the confidence and skills necessary to approach these challenges more effectively.
What can you expect?
- Education: Teens will learn all about the anxiety system, what it’s built for, what it protects us from, and how it gets in the way of healthy functioning at times.
- Active skill-building: We’ll work with your teen to build healthy social skills in addition to CBT-based tools for managing their anxiety
- Exposure exercises: Our goal is to get your teens engaged, first in the group room and then “out in the wild.”
- Parental involvement (when appropriate!): We treat our teen clients with as much autonomy and independence as possible. However, when appropriate, caregivers may participate in group and/or individual consultations to learn how to best support their teens.
How does this group help?
Social anxiety group therapy can help teens to gain confidence, approach relationships differently, and improve their overall well-being.