Fear of public speaking and/or social anxiety - complimentary discussion session

Welcome to the Social Anxiety and Fear of Speaking Group!
This complimentary group is:
• A place to connect with others dealing with social anxiety and/or fear of public speaking
• A safe place to share our "fears and wins" and how to get out of your comfort zone to start gradually facing your fears

• Somewhere you can get support and offer support!
Group Guidelines:

• Confidentiality
• Respect
• Staying on topic of social/anxiety, fear of speaking, while many other topics overlap, we need to stay on track for time sakes
• Limit your turns to a few minutes each of sharing so that everyone has a chance to share equally
• Be yourself, be kind to yourself, give yourself credit just for showing up, even if you don’t speak much!

Confidentiality above all! We will be authentic, respectful, and gentle with ourselves and each other.

When we meet, we agree to say, "Hello" on audio, and possibly turn on the camera. (Your choice, it’s encouraged, but also know we understand how difficult it can be). We also want to make sure there aren’t any “bots” joining us, so we just need a simple hello!

Then, we will talk about the fear of speaking and/or social events. I will start by sharing a bit of my life story of anxiety, then invite others to share what they would like about their anxiety and how it effects daily living, including anticipatory anxiety before events.

Mainly topics like this:

• How long have you had this type of anxiety?
• How has it affected your life?
• What have you tried for it (therapy, support groups, Toastmasters, etc.)?

• What are some ideas for a hierarchy you can build to gradually face your fears and desensitize it?
We will share and talk for about 60 – 90 minutes depending how the flow of the meeting goes.
Some other topics to be covered aside from the above are:
• Cognitive Distortions and Eliminating Negative Automatic Thoughts
• Imposter Syndrome
• Compare and Despair
• Reframing self-talk and counteracting the negative “What Ifs”
• The Power of Shifting Perspective
• Communication Skills and Self-Esteem
• Overcoming the Stigma of Social and Public Speaking Anxiety

If there’s a specific topic you’re interested, listed here or not, please let me know in advance if possible.
Newcomers, please be assured that you do not have to say one word if you are not comfortable yet. You can simply observe. Many people do that and benefit from hearing discussions and not feeling alone any longer.
At each meeting, we talk about our experiences with social anxiety and public speaking fears, offering support and encouragement.
Warmly,

Marla

For more info and free resources: https://lnk.bio/MarlaGenova_SociallySpeakingLLC
Marla Genova, M.A., Certified Master Life Coach
[www.SociallySpeakingPlus.com](http://www.sociallyspeakingplus.com/ "http://www.SociallySpeakingPlus.com")
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