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NOTE: Our weekly Wednesday night low-fee therapy / support group for adults with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia currently has two openings. For more information, please call (310) 335-5443.
The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly, low-fee therapy group specifically for adults with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia. The goal of this group is to provide an inexpensive format in which individuals with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia can learn to more effectively challenge and manage their social fears within a safe, supportive environment.
Research has shown that group therapy can be particularly beneficial in the treatment of Social Anxiety /Social Phobia. Due to the nature of this condition, individuals with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia frequently isolate and avoid situations in which they will need to socially interact. As a result, they become more and more sensitized to these situations, and have fewer and fewer opportunities to socially engage. The mere act of regularly attending a therapy group provides participants with a opportunity to socially interact on a consistent basis, and to practice social skills that they are learning in the group. Group meetings allow individuals with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia to gently face their fears with the support of others who know just how difficult it is to confront years of social avoidance.
Our weekly group emphasizes Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has consistently been found by researchers to be the most effective treatment for Social Anxiety / Social Phobia. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques employed in the group include Cognitive Restructuring, Imaginal Exposure, Meta-Cognitive / Mindfulness Therapy, and Exposure Therapy. With the support of other group members, participants use these tools to directly challenge their Social Anxiety / Social Phobia symptoms, including fears related to:
- public speaking
- job interviews
- business meetings
- speaking to strangers
- speaking on the telephone
- eating or drinking in restaurants
- writing in public
- reading in public
- speaking with authority figures, such as
- teachers or supervisors
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- dating
- parties, weddings and other social gatherings
- large public venues (i.e., concerts, stadiums)
- shopping
- movie theaters
- class outings
- speaking in class
- public restrooms (paruesis)
- situations in which performance is observed, such as dancing or team sports
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Weekly meetings are held each Wednesday evening from 7:15 pm - 8:45 pm at our offices in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight members, and follows the same Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy protocol as our individual therapy program. The group is led by one of our licensed staff therapists, and requires a one-on-one assessment prior to participation.
The Social Anxiety / Social Phobia group currently has two (2) openings. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com. To learn more about Social Anxiety / Social Phobia, click here. To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of Social Anxiety, OCD and related conditions, click here.
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Please note that the above is not meant to replace a complete and thorough evaluation by a licensed Cognitive-Behavioral therapist or other qualified mental health professional. As with OCD, some individuals with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia may benefit from medication, and may therefore require a psychiatric evaluation. Likewise, a psychiatric assessment may be necessary to differentiate between Social Anxiety / Social Phobia and other psychological conditions. If a psychiatric evaluation is indicated, the OCD Center of Los Angeles can refer you to a qualified psychiatrist in our area. Furthermore, it is imperative to make the distinction between Social Anxiety / Social Phobia and other medical conditions. For this reason, a medical examination may be necessary.
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