Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder

ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 3 October 2024

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD), which involves an intense fear of judgment or embarrassment in social settings.

CBT focuses on identifying and restructuring negative thought patterns and employs behavioral strategies, such as exposure therapy, to help individuals gradually face their social fears. It also provides practical skills like deep breathing and mindfulness to manage physiological anxiety symptoms.

Automatic Thoughts

Automatic thoughts significantly contribute to the maintenance of social anxiety. These thoughts are frequently negative and distorted, intensifying anxiety by acting as a mechanism that perpetuates it.

In cognitive behavioral therapy, various methods are employed to address these automatic thoughts. For instance, techniques such as journaling, restructuring, and replacing distorted thinking are utilized in counseling to treat these automatic thoughts.

Other Therapies

Gradual exposure is a behavioral technique in which individuals progressively confront social situations they fear, beginning with less intimidating ones and gradually advancing to more challenging scenarios. For example, a person might start by making small talk with a cashier before eventually delivering a presentation in class. This method of gradual exposure helps build confidence and reduces avoidance behaviors.

Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, often complement cognitive and behavioral strategies. These techniques help individuals stay calm and focused during anxiety-provoking situations, making it easier to confront their fears.

Person with clasped hands in therapy session, facing a therapist who gestures with hands, in a well-lit room.

When Sadness is Rooted in Past Pain, EMDR Can Help Lift the Weight (Depression)

by ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 8 January 2026

Have you tried everything to feel better - but the heaviness, the sell-doubt, or the hopelessness still lingers? Depression often connects back to unresolved pain: losses, failures, or childhood rejection. The brain tends to loop around these old experiences, reinforcing painful beliefs like "I'm not good enough" or "Nothing will ever change." EMDR interrupts these loops by targeting the painful memory and the negative beliefs tied to it. Instead of reliving the pain over and over, EMDR helps the brain reprocess the memory in a healthier way. As healing takes place, new, life-giving beliefs can take root-like "l am worthy" or "I can move forward." The burden lifts, and clients often feel more hopeful and alive again. You don't have to carry this weight forever. EMDR can help lift the burden and open the door to a lighter, freer life. Reach out today to begin.

Two people hold hands, offering support, likely in a therapy or counseling setting.

How EMDR Can Calm the Body's Overactive Alarm System (Anxiety Disorders)

by ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 8 January 2026

Do you feel like your mind is always racing-like there's a constant alarm bell going off that you just can't shut down? Anxiety isn't just "in your head." It's your body stuck in fight-or-flight mode, convinced that danger is always around the corner. Life events, chronic stress, or past trauma can all flip this switch and keep it stuck on high alert. While coping skills help in the moment, they don't always resolve the deeper triggers. EMDR goes further by targeting those root triggers and retraining your nervous system to stand down. Clients often describe feeling calmer, lighter, and more in control after EMDR. It's not about erasing who you are - it's about finally letting your mind and body rest. Imagine living with a calmer mind and body. EMDR can help restore balance. Contact me to see how we can work together.

Girl with head in hand sits, parents argue in background doorway.

Why Talk Therapy Alone Isn't Enough for Deep Childhood Wounds (Complex Trauma)

by ADG Marriage & Family Therapy • 8 January 2026

Have you ever wondered why, no matter how much insight you gain in therapy, the same old patterns keep showing up in your relationships? Complex trauma comes from repeated emotional wounds, often in childhood- neglect, criticism, emotional unavailability. These early experiences wire the nervous system to expect danger or rejection, leaving deep scars that shape how you see yourself and others. Traditional talk therapy builds awareness, but awareness alone doesn't always heal. That's because trauma lives not only in your thoughts, but also in your body and nervous system. EMDR works directly with those deep, unprocessed experiences so you can finally move beyond old scripts and live with more freedom. You don't have to keep repeating the past. Healing is possible. You don't have to live in the shadow of your past. EMDR offers a path to healing that goes deeper than words. Let's start that journey together.