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Overcoming Shyness & Social Anxiety . . . . . .
For more information on dates and locations for classes not presently scheduled, please email me. Preface . . . . .I feel compelled to write a brief introduction to these classes as I am, myself, a "recovering" shy person. As a "recovering" shy person, I have personal experience with the effects shyness can have on our lives--most notably with the discomfort and missed opportunities that almost always accompany shyness. Like many shy people, I wasn't shy in all areas of my life. I have never been particularly shy about doing psychotherapy or teaching guitar (my former occupation), nor did I lack the confidence to confront people when I felt I had been wronged, but ask me to go to a party, speak up in class or make a cold call and I would shrivel. Those of you who are shy, know what I mean--the times when you mustered the strength to speak only to find the moment has passed and the conversation moved on. It feels good not to be there anymore--at least not very often. To do and say what I feel in the moment without being burdened by internal dialogue that questioned my ability to participate in the things that happen around me. But don't let anyone kid you, shyness takes time to overcome. It's just that if you don't start somewhere--you guessed it--you'll never get anywhere. The classes listed below represent a start. They can be mixed and matched with the classes on the Social Skills page of this website or with any of the other social skills classes now taught by many adult education programs throughout the country. For people who feel too vulnerable to begin their work in a classroom setting, I encourage you to consider individual psychotherapy with someone like myself who has expertise in social anxiety and phobia related disorders. But ultimately, true growth comes when you try out your new skills out in a s. As part of my commitment to helping people overcome shyness, I also maintain a public service website, https://www.shakeyourshyness.com, which I update as time permits. It provides tips and basic information about shyness and is linked to some of the best shyness resources on the internet. I encourage you to take a look. Classes For Overcoming Shyness . . . . .
Shake Your Shyness:
Workshop
Series
A unique educational
program comprised of five intensive
skills-training sessions designed to
maximize your comfort in social situations, while developing the
skills you need to succeed. ------ Each week you'll be introduced to a new set of skills which you'll have the opportunity to practice and refine in the relative safety of a supportive classroom environment. Participants are encouraged to practice their new skills between sessions to the extent they are able. While you will be encouraged to try new things each week, you will not be expected to push yourself beyond what is reasonable for you to accomplish given your present skill level. ------ Skills included in the workshop have been selected for their ability to maximize your success in commonly encountered business and social situations. All skills are presented in small manageable steps that maximize your ability to succeed. ------ Participants are prescreened before being admitted to the workshop in an effort to insure that the workshop is a good fit for your needs. Some participants elect to schedule additional individual therapy or consultation sessions before or during the workshop series as a way of maximizing their learning experience. ------ Remember, shyness doesn't have to hold you back. It didn't stop Barbara Walters, Tom Hanks, Henry Fonda, Carol Burnett and former President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, and it doesn't have to stop you!
Shake Your Shyness: Intensive Weekend The Intensive Weekend Workshop covers much the same material as the Workshop Series (see above). It evolved to meet the needs of people who are unable to attend the Workshop Series due to distance and/or scheduling constraints. Like the Workshop Series, the Intensive Weekend strives to provide a safe supportive environment designed to help you learn and refine the basic skills you'll need to overcome your shyness. You will be expected to do homework assignments between classroom sessions, during the lunch hour, and evening break times, and should plan accordingly. Shy Parents, Shy Children - Parent Workshop Series In this workshop, designed specifically for shy parents of shy children, we'll cover many of the same topics presented in the Shake Your Shyness: Workshop Series (see above), but with the unique emphasis of teaching specific strategies for building your child's self-esteem and social comfort level, while at the same time building your own. Participants are prescreened before being admitted to the workshop to help insure that the workshop is a good fit for your needs. Some participants elect to schedule additional individual therapy or consultation sessions before or during the workshop series as a way of maximizing their learning experience.
Parenting The Shy Child Shyness is hard enough for adults to cope with, but imagine being a child---feeling like you don't fit in. Shy children need our help overcoming their fears. In this class, we'll cover the basics---the origins of shyness, strategies for zeroing in on the kind of shyness your child experiences, social skills you can teach in your home, tips for working with teachers to help your child fit in at school and, finally, the pros and cons of pushing your child to do things beyond his/her comfort zone.
Family Shyness Program Parents make the best teachers. But if you're shy yourself, it can be hard to provide the kind of support your child needs to become more outgoing. On the other hand, if you're not shy, your child's struggles with anxiety can be perplexing and leave you ill-equipped to help. In this variation on traditional family therapy, parents are first taught skills designed to help help them deal more effectively with their child(ren)'s shyness including: strategies for handling stress and anxiety, tips for shifting negative self-talk and the kinds of social skills we all need to interact comfortably with others. Parents are coached individually and then again with the family as a whole using entertaining exercises that can be practiced at home, at school and in the community. While the program was created to assist shy family members, the practical skills-training focus of the program makes it a great social skills tutorial for anyone that participates. --- For more information please email your inquiry or call (425) 455-5400.
Shyness Counseling Shyness keeps many of us from having the courage to take the classes like the ones listed on this site and, while there is no substitute for practicing your skills in a group setting, it is possible to start your program by doing individual work with a counselor skilled in the treatment of social anxiety and shyness and then later, as your comfort level grows, branch out into group therapy or social skills classes. To this end, I offer individual therapy for people struggling with a broad range of social anxiety. Like most of my approaches to therapy, shyness counseling sessions are structured with an emphasis on skills training, homework assignments, individually tailored programs designed to meet your needs. For more information please email your inquiry or call (425) 455-5400.
Overcoming Shyness: Skills-Training For Adolescents: Workshop This is a special class for adolescents designed to teach social skills all of us need, but shy people are afraid to use. We'll cover everything from how to strike up conversations with strangers to ways to calm your nerves when you do. You'll learn what makes some people more popular than others and simple things you can do to feel more like you fit it. So, if you dread going to parties, raising your hand in class or talking with friends at school, come join fellow shy people and learn to shake your shyness!
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