Photo by Hudson Hintze on Unsplash
Social Anxiety.
Social anxiety affects more than 25 million adults in America. It hinders social activity and employment and can make it challenging to experience a full life. Social anxiety can look like:
- Feeling like others are judging you in social situations
- Experiencing panic before, during, and after events
- You can’t leave the house unless someone trusted is with you
- Making plans and then canceling them
- Coming up with excuses to avoid meetings
- Reliving social experiences with a negative internal dialogue
- Sweating, trembling, increase in heart rate, feeling awkward around people
What to Expect.
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Receive support from others who have social anxiety. You are NOT alone in this!
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Learn social skills and practice them in a supportive environment
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Learn helpful mindfulness techniques
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Change unhelpful or negative patterns of thinking
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Develop coping skills for social situations
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Develop self-confidence in social situations
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Identify social goals
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Participate in an experiential “field trip” as a group
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Where: Life Encounter Counseling Services, Tigard, OR
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When: TBD This group is consistently open.
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FEE: $70 per session (sliding scale available)
Defining Group Therapy.
There are essentially two different kinds of “Groups” in group therapy. They have different names, but suffice it to say there are Process Groups and Issue/Topic specific groups.
Issue-specific groups often have a predetermined number of fixed session meetings and clear beginning and end dates. However, they can also be done indefinitely with new people entering but with the common goal of completing a specific curriculum. They are focused on one type of issue, i.e. Anxiety, Depression, Anger, etc. A person could start a group after the start date, but that will be up to the Therapist(s) of the group.
Process Groups deal more specifically with the process of growth and making progress in general. Members in the group could vary in life issues, both those they have and those they struggle with; however, they have the common goal of getting through life more productively and healthily than their “norm.” An example would be a “communication group.” Someone in the group might be there to be less blunt, and someone might be there to be more assertive.
What To Expect.
These groups have clear start and entry dates but not end dates. The group's goals are support, safety, vulnerability, honesty, and growth. These groups are powerful because they allow you to encounter life in a caring setting with people who are health-forward-minded. Although the struggles are different, the shared experience of humanness unites us all. These groups do take on a life of their own. It is likely that a person could start a group after the start date and exit when they feel accomplished but that will be up to the Therapist(s) AND group members as to the appropriateness of entry/exit.
Check out the Shrink Think Podcast episode on group therapy to learn more!
Confidentiality in groups is taught and expected but cannot be guaranteed. As therapists, we will hold the group's confidence, but it can't be guaranteed because group members are just regular folks like yourself.
How Our Counseling Works.
Our family and marriage counselors/therapists practice side by side supporting one another as needed to offer an extensive range of counseling awareness and fields of knowledge.
We want to be an appropriate resource to you on your journey. We want you to feel heard, respected, cared for and understood. So often times it seems that is all we need. We want you to know that we have the experience to deal with the very hardest obstacles in life. We are honored to serve!
1 – Contact Us
Send us an email message or give us a call to connect. Get started by getting in touch with us and setting up an intro.
2 – Book Appointment
If you are new to Life Encounter, be sure to book a New Client Session by following the links.
3 – Explore
Check out our full description of what we do, that is, what areas of study our counselors/thereapists focus on. We work together to support each other in providing the best awareness and approach to resolving lines toughest difficulties.