Understanding Emotional Intimacy
Sharing thoughts, feelings and needs is the best way to become emotionally close to someone. Asking questions casually while you spend time together is the best way to get to know someone but do not disclose a lot at a time especially in the beginning. Here are some helpful ideas: Use “I” statements: I feel sad that I won’t be seeing you until next month instead of.. It’s hard for one to wait a month to see someone they are interested in… . I am happy that you came… vs. You know it’s nice when others show up when they are expected… .Do not evade questions about yourself or joke about it or change the subject to something less personal.What are you doing…writing my biography?Is this psychotherapy 101? Being friends first is more than a cliche — enjoying someone’s company and becoming relaxed around someone are very important aspects of intimacy. Don’t disclose prematurely — sometimes women do this. Don’t make “confessions” about your job, your ex-wife, your kids, etc.“First strive to understand, then to be understood” – Stephen CoveyAvoid criticism whenever possible/offer support first and suggestions later if requested: Avoid advice unless it is asked for.Support: That must be awfully hard to do…Advice: Have you ever thought of re-doing the plumbing in your house. I know someone who does that type of work.
Handling Rejection
Most shy people are very afraid of situations where they may experience rejection by others. This is especially true of dating situations or situations involving meeting new people who may be potential friends. Common rejection avoidance strategies: SURVIVING IT — YES!
Group therapy support group for relationship issues
Nancy Wesson, Ph.D. has 25 years of experiencing leading psychotherapy groups and 15 years training other group psychotherapists. She was trained by Dr. Irvin Yalom and is the founder of Center for the Study of Group Psychotherapy. Please contact her if you are interested in joining a therapy group. Dr.nwesson@gmail.com.
How the group therapy support group can help you become less socially anxious
Group therapy support can help people who are socially anxious learn how to express themselves more easily and learn how to make better connections with other people. Group therapy suppport can help anxious people become more comfortable when meeting new people. Group therapy support can provide ongoing support, direction, and feedback to help build healthy friendships and partner relationships. Group therapy support can help socially anxious people change their behavior and improve communication skills through regular practice. In the group therapy support group self expression, healthy assertiveness, and connection is modeled by other people and there is the have the opportunity to learn about healthy relationships from others. HOW DOES the Therapy Support group WORK FOR PEOPLE WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY?© Nancy Wesson, Ph.D. Therapy SUPPORt group works best for people if they have been in or currently are in individual counseling. A group is made up of six or seven people who have joined the group in order to learn how to connect better with others. Some group members are socially anxious and some are not. JOINING THE THERAPY GROUP AS A Socially Anxious PERSON© Nancy Wesson, Ph.D. An anxious person typically listens more than participates at first. An anxious person little by little discloses information about themselves as the other group members (the group) get to know them. The therapy support group provides ongoing support and direction to help members become less critical of themselves and become emotionally involved with the other people. A person in a therapy support group learns about relationships by listening and helping other people in the group work on their relationships. This is an especially valuable learning experience for people who are anxious and have had little relationship experience. The group observes and points out when anyone is avoiding social contact with others and helps them understand why this is happening and to change this behavior. The therapy group support offers support as quiet anxious behavior is changed to contact that increases connection with others. The therapy support group offers support and direction as a socially anxious person enters and builds new, healthier relationships.
How Can Counseling Help Me Change My Social Anxiety?
Counseling can help you . . . Become more at ease in social situations. Become more comfortable meeting new people. Work through past experiences that may be interfering with new relationships. Learn about how relationships work and how to have a healthy relationship. Develop an internal support system to reduce stress in social situations. Develop an individually designed plan and set of steps for increasing social contact. There is Help Available If You Have Social Anxiety When I work with shy people in my counseling practice we work on becoming less shy with coaching and counseling. This effort involves learning to relax in social situations and developing more effective social skills. About Social Anxiety Being shy interferes with relating to people and having social relationships. Shy behavior can be replaced by more effective, less shy behavior and a shy person can learn to relax in social situations. Counseling and supportive coaching includes: Taking small steps toward improving social contact and practicing new social behavior. The steps need to be small enough to allow one to increase skills and confidence level. Learning to manage and eventually eliminate anxiety, tension, and nervousness. There are several skills that can be taught to reduce stress and tension around people. Learning how to meet people, how to date, and how to develop a satisfying relationship There is help available for people who are socially anxious. You can have the support and learn the skills you need to be less shy and be more comfortable around others.
Benefits of a Therapy Group for Relationship and Self-Esteem Issues
A psychotherapy group is a “learning lab” for intimacy and relationships. The group provides countless opportunities for personal growth and relationship enhancement. 1. In the group, relationship and intimacy issues are discussed such as how to develop and maintain healthy relationships with friends, co-workers, and partners. These issues are brought up as group members discuss their current relationships or attempts to develop relationships within the group, and outside of the group. Related issues such assertiveness, self-esteem, boundaries, compulsivity, codependency, Adult Children of Alcoholics issues, or social anxiety emerge as the discussion leads to deeper issues and feelings and dysfunctional family and/or relationship patterns. 2. The group is used to get feedback and valuable perspective from others on your relationship patterns. In the therapy group you will be encouraged to work on expressing your feelings and getting your needs met more effectively. This means you will be developing new healthier patterns and improving your communication skills.You can also work on patterns and issues related to dysfunctional family patterns for example: fear of getting close, feeling guilty around others, Adult Children of Alcoholic and codependency issues. 3. You will be expected to participate to the best of your ability to do so. This means you gain valuable experience with risk-taking in a supportive environment. Honesty with others and yourself, and trusting others make the group function effectively. The group is a caring, nurturing support system and an opportunity to learn about bonding with others. About our psychotherapy groups: Most group members have had some previous psychotherapy prior to joining a group or are in concurrent individual psychotherapy.