Therapy & Counseling
Social Anxiety Therapy in the South Bay
Social anxiety is a persistent, intense fear of being judged, embarrassed, or scrutinized in social situations, strong enough to shape the choices you make and the things you avoid. Social anxiety therapy helps you understand the fear and build real confidence in the situations that matter to you. It is common, and it responds well to treatment.
- Licensed clinicians
- In person and virtual
- Free 15-minute consultation
- Accepting new clients
We see clients in person at our Hermosa Beach office and virtually across California.
Social anxiety disorder affects an estimated 7% of U.S. adults in a given year (National Institute of Mental Health). If you have been arranging your life around the fear of being watched or judged, you are not alone.
Source: National Institute of Mental Health.
What social anxiety can look like
- Intense fear of judgment in meetings, classes, dating, or social gatherings
- Avoiding situations, or enduring them with significant distress
- Worrying for days before an event, and replaying it afterward
- Physical symptoms: blushing, sweating, racing heart, shaky voice
- Holding back at work or in relationships to avoid attention
Our approach
We use the approaches with the strongest evidence for social anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and gradual exposure, and move at your pace. The work builds skills and confidence step by step, never by force. It sits within your wider anxiety care and individual therapy, and when medication would help, we coordinate with psychiatry.
As Jack Foley, LMFT, puts it:
"Social anxiety shrinks your world one avoided situation at a time. The work gently widens it back out, and confidence tends to follow action rather than wait for it."
What to expect
Care begins with a free 15-minute consultation. From there we match you with the right clinician and build a step-by-step plan that feels manageable, adjusting as your confidence grows.
Where we are
One South Bay office.
All of California.
Our office is in the heart of the South Bay. Warm, private, and a world away from the clinical waiting room. For clients throughout California who can't make it in, we deliver the same uncompromising standard of care virtually.
2200 Pacific Coast Hwy, Ste 308, Hermosa Beach · Telehealth statewide
How it works
Starting is simple.
Book a free consultation
A confidential 15-minute call to understand what you need.
Get matched
We pair you with the right clinician for your goals.
Begin care
Start in person or online, at a pace that feels right.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is social anxiety just shyness?
No. Shyness is a temperament; social anxiety is a persistent, intense fear of being judged or embarrassed that can disrupt work, relationships, and daily life. It is a recognized, treatable condition.
Can social anxiety be treated?
Yes, and well. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with gradual exposure has strong evidence for social anxiety, and most people see real improvement.
What therapy works best for social anxiety?
CBT and exposure-based approaches are the most effective. We move at your pace, building skills and confidence step by step rather than throwing you into the deep end.
Do I need medication for social anxiety?
Not necessarily. Many people do well with therapy alone. When medication would help, we coordinate with psychiatry. It is always a shared decision.
Do you offer social anxiety therapy online?
Yes, in person in the South Bay and via telehealth across California.
When you're ready, a conversation is the place to begin.
Book a complimentary 15-minute consultation, confidential, and without obligation.
Book a free consultation