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. Whether it’s avoiding, feeling overwhelmed by, or second-guessing most interactions, this group provides tools to help you overcome these challenges.
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 social 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.
- 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.
Professionals’ Social Anxiety Group
Who is this for?
Very few people enjoy public speaking, though many must engage in high-pressure presentations, pitches, and other forms of public speaking as part of their careers. While some will avoid these obligations outright, most will engage with extreme distress in the moment and/or significant anticipatory anxiety. This group focuses on addressing the specific needs and challenges faced by working professionals struggling with performance-based social anxiety.
What can you expect?
- CBT and ACT-based interventions: You’ll develop tools to manage your anxious thoughts and shift their effect your performance in your workplace setting
- Role-playing and practice: Similar to our generalized social anxiety group, you’ll engage in exposure-work throughout the program, starting small and building towards simulated public-speaking events tailored to your needs
- Support from like-minded peers: Share experiences and build connections with others who understand the intersection of anxiety and professional life.
Who leads the group?
After a few years running our general social anxiety group, Christopher DuFour felt there was a need to carve out a group for high-performers struggling with social anxiety in their professional lives. Here, he works hard to create impactful and relevant exposure opportunities mimicking what his clients face in their workplaces while bringing the same warm and supportive atmosphere he’s cultivated as a group therapist generally.
How does this group help?
Members often find that their participation in the program not only reduces their anxiety but also enhances their career satisfaction and performance. By focusing on workplace-specific scenarios, participants learn how to thrive in their specific professional environments.
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.