At the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley, we offer cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for children with extreme shyness and social anxiety. Our counseling approach with children with social anxiety is practical, goal-oriented, compassionate, and scientifically-based while focusing on your child’s individual needs. If you think your child may be experiencing social anxiety, you can learn more about social anxiety and our treatment approach below.

What is Social Anxiety in Children?

Shyness is a normal temperament trait that differs from social anxiety. Social anxiety disorder may evolve out of extreme shyness. Unlike normal shyness, social anxiety is characterized by an intense fear of social and performance situations and activities such as being called on in class, meeting new people, interacting with authority figures, or starting a conversation with a peer. Children with social anxiety may have panic attacks or severe anxiety (which may look like crying or tantrums) when confronted with the feared situation or avoid the feared situations all together. This can significantly impair your child’s school performance and attendance, as well as his or her ability to socialize with peers and develop and maintain relationships.

Symptoms of Social Anxiety in Children

• Feelings of anxiety and discomfort in social situations.
• Hiding, avoiding eye contact or refusing to respond verbally when engaged by adults or peers.
• Hypersensitivity to criticism or perceived rejection from others.
• Avoidance of new activities and social situations.
• Difficulty making and keeping friends.
• Negative beliefs about self (e.g. self-disparaging remarks, beliefs that others are better than him/her, idea that others will not want to be friends with him/her).
• Extreme self-consciousness.

Cognitive Behavioral Model of Social Anxiety for Children

According to the cognitive behavioral model, social anxiety arises from a strong desire to make a positive impression on others, combined with low confidence of being able to do so. Children with social anxiety are likely to believe that they are “not good enough” and that others are more fun, intelligent, and capable. They tend to overestimate the impact of their errors in social situations and assume that others are judging them negatively. These children will engage in behaviors that relieve their anxiety in the short-term but prevent them from learning new coping strategies and challenging their beliefs, such as avoidance of new people and experiences and limiting social interactions to close family members.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Children with Social Anxiety

CBT for social anxiety seeks to modify the behaviors and beliefs that maintain your child’s fears of social and performance situations. You and your child will learn about the nature of anxiety and how negative beliefs about oneself and safety behaviors maintain your child’s anxiety and prevent new learning opportunities. After identifying the thoughts and behaviors that maintain your child’s social anxiety, he/she will be taught new skills for dealing with social situations and coping with anxious feelings. Your child will also develop more healthy and realistic beliefs about his/her ability to cope with anxiety and social situations. Your child and his/her therapist will teach you what he/she is learning so you will be able to support them in practicing these skills in the “real world.” Your therapist will also help you decide when to provide your child with support and reassurance and when to allow him/her to face new challenges using his/her own resources. As your child gets more practice coping with anxiety and successfully navigating social situations, he/she will become more confident and find him/herself less worried and fearful over time.

Common Goals of Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Social Anxiety in Children

• Engage in social and performance situations with less fear and anxiety.
• Respond to social prompts/overtures from new people.
• Develop healthy and age appropriate social skills, as well as positive and fulfilling peer relationships.
• Increase self-esteem and confidence in social or performance situations.

Getting Help for Your Child with Social Anxiety

It is important to listen to your child and allow him/her to openly express feelings in a safe place. Help your child understand that self-consciousness is a normal part of growing up and that their anxiety symptoms are not as noticeable to others as they may think. Be supportive, encouraging, and remind your child of what he or she does well. After talking with your child, it may be time to get some professional help.

The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley (San Jose/Los Gatos) specializes in anxiety and OCD therapy and counseling for children. Click to send an email for more information on how we can help your child overcome his/her anxiety-related problems.

Silicon Valley and Sacramento Valley Communities We Serve

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Silicon Valley offers evidence-based therapy for Child Anxiety and Child OCD near the following Silicon Valley/San Jose communities:

San Jose Therapy Counseling • Saratoga Therapy Counseling • Los Gatos Therapy Counseling • Monte Sereno Therapy Counseling • Cupertino Therapy Counseling • Campbell Therapy Counseling • Mountain View Therapy Counseling • Los Altos Therapy Counseling • Sunnyvale Therapy Counseling • Santa Clara Therapy Counseling

Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Sacramento Valley offers evidence-based therapy for Child Anxiety and Child OCD near the following Sacramento Valley and Sierra communities:

Sacramento Therapy Counseling • Roseville Therapy Counseling • Rocklin Therapy Counseling • Granite Bay Therapy Counseling • Lincoln Therapy Counseling • Folsom Therapy Counseling • Citrus Heights Therapy Counseling •  El Dorado Hills Therapy Counseling • Loomis Therapy Counseling • Grass Valley Therapy Counseling  • Auburn Therapy Counseling

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