Best Therapist For Social Anxiety in Lakeview Chicago
By: 2SC Staff
Looking for the best therapist for social anxiety in Lakeview? If so, you wouldn’t be alone. The Lakeview community of Chicago is home to nearly 100,000 people, according to research. That is a lot of people isn’t it? What’s even more interesting to consider is that Lakeview just encompasses a 3-4 mile area, depending upon estimates.
And if you live in this area of town, you already know that Lakeview is divided up into three specific areas: Lakeview East, West Lakeview and Wrigleyville. When you combine these neighborhoods together, you get Chicago’s second largest community!
FYI: In 2010, Money magazine named Lakeview one of the top 10 big city neighborhoods to live in.
Best Social Anxiety Therapist
So why are we mentioning all of this? Well, simply because we know that if you are looking to find a therapist to help you with issues related to social anxiety, you are likely trying to identify someone who has the requisite skills and experience to help you address work through your needs.
So beyond the person having a mental health background, what should you look for in your search for a social anxiety therapist? Before offering the answer to that question, let’s take a quick look at what social anxiety disorder actually is through a working definition and example.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Our non-clinical definition of social anxiety disorder is simply this: A person who holds strong fears that are often irrational regarding how they appear or perform in public. At the core of social anxiety is a deep concern or worry about being scrutinized, judged and/or embarrassed. Many times, these fears contain worries about not being able to escape or get away.
As a method of coping, a person with social anxiety will often avoid certain situations because the fear of embarrassment is overpowering.
Example:
Michael is a Lakeview East resident that attends DePaul University. One morning during late spring, he experienced a panic attack while on the Red Line heading to school. His body shook and trembled during the experience and he thought everyone on the train was watching him.
The problem was that the train was moving and he couldn’t get off. He became so panicked that he thought he was going to urinate on himself.
As a result, Michael has started to avoid taking CTA and instead uses Uber. The reason for this expensive alternative?
He’s afraid of being embarrassed again while on the train.
Therapist for Social Anxiety in Lakeview
All of this brings us to why you are here. If you are looking for the best therapist for social anxiety in Lakeview, you want to pick someone who “gets” what you are going through. Michael, as described in the scenario above, was an actual client of ours a few years back.
Using tenants of various forms of cognitive behavioral therapy, including mindfulness based counseling, Michael learned to work through his fears and arrive at a place of peace and calm.
It wasn’t easy for him because his social anxiety fears were deeply rooted in several cognitive distortions that were acting as barriers to positive change (see our cognitive distortions post here). But with time, focus and a commitment to the therapy process, change happened.
Find the best social anxiety therapist in Lakeview
If you can relate to Michael, you aren’t alone. Lots of people in Chicago struggle with different forms of anxiety. And so if you are looking for help, you are probably wondering what to look for in your quest for the best therapist.
Here are five suggestions:
1. Look for someone trained in CBT
Research shows time and again that one of the most effective approaches for working through social anxiety is CBT or cognitive behavioral therapy. This approach to counseling is very much focused on the here and now and offers concrete, measurable tools designed for positive change.
2. Consider someone with a mindful approach
Mindfulness is one of those 25-cent buzz words that sounds hip, but what does it really mean? Well, basically mindfulness is an awareness based approach to wellness that helps you stay focused in the moment.
If your therapist uses mindfulness exercises as part of their wellness approach, she or he can help you create distance from toxic thinking so that it doesn’t control you.
3. Get a conversational therapist
The world of therapy has changed a lot in recent years. There was a time when a counselor would just kind of sit there and listen to a client’s issues without really saying much in terms of feedback. To keep it real, that’s not our approach at 2SC.
We have found that people respond best when their helping professional is interactive and conversational. Regardless of who you chose for help with your anxiety issues, ask if the person is interactive as part of the therapy experience.
4. Experienced with anxiety issues
Most therapists will say they have experience working with anxiety – but what does that truly mean? Well, it’s like this – having experience with anxiety means knowing something about anxiety’s best friend – depression – which usually lurks somewhere in the shadows.
You can learn more about the interesting relationship that exists between the two by reading this post.
5. Insurance and Other Payment Issues
A final suggestion to consider is how you might pay for therapy. Do you use insurance? If so, is the therapist you are considering in your insurance network? Will you be paying out of pocket? Should this be the case, what is the counselor’s fee and can you afford it?
Lastly, will you be using your Health Care Savings Plan (HSA)? If the answer is “yes” – are their currently funds in the account available?
Final Thoughts
Social anxiety can be a scary life challenge to work through. If left unchecked, it can rob you of your ability to attend to basic activities, such as traveling, speaking in public or even using a public restroom. That’s why picking the best therapist in Lakeview for this issue is important.
If you are looking for more information on how to find the right therapist to fit your counseling needs, we encourage you to read this comprehensive “How to Find a Therapist in Chicago” guide.
If you would to work with one of our helping professionals to assist you with your anxiety related needs, we encourage you to click on this contact form link or call us directly at 773.528.1777. We’d like to be part of your solution.
Thanks for visiting the Lakeview offices of 2nd Story Counseling Chicago!
