Overcoming Social Anxiety | WalkTheTalk | Conversations with Experts and Peers

Mark Vernon is a psychotherapist and writer, with a keen interest in ancient philosophy, as well as the illumination of inner life. He’s one of my favourite thinkers. Mark unpacks psychotherapy, opening the door to big questions: What’s the meaning of anxiety? Can it tell us anything? What are the benefits of engaging with our distress? I hope it’s as fruitful for you as it is me.

Dr Ruth Moyse helps us unpack the overlap and differences between social anxiety in autistic and non-autistic people. We learn: Whether what we’re experiencing might be social anxiety disorder or social anxiety in autism How anxiety management techniques change between autistic and non-autistic people Important reminders for breaking down communication barriers Much more!

Danny is a meditation teacher and author whose books have sold millions. He outlines mindfulness in simple terms and how you can adopt its transformational benefits. Danny: Gives ways to ground yourself and take control of your breathing when anxiety kicks in Explains more about different types of meditation and how to apply them Provides new perspectives on how you think you’re coming across to dealing with 24/7 news cycles And much more!

Psychologist Jo Rodriguez has worked with household names. She unpacks performance anxiety for us. In this episode we talk about: The difference between performance and social anxiety Helpful ways to respond to performance anxiety Approaches to everyday situations like job interviews or dating Embracing imperfection Building self-confidence and belief And much more!

Professor Paul Gilbert OBE is the founder of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and an bestselling author. In this enjoyable and varied conversation, Paul takes us through: What compassion is and how it helps social anxiety Self-criticism and how to deal with it How our physiological systems can be regulated with compassion An evolutionary psychology take on social anxiety And much more! We’re honoured to have him join us.

Leading researcher Emma Warnock-Parkes gives us an overview of cognitive therapy for social anxiety. She outlines: The difference between exposure therapy and cognitive therapy What the science says is the most effective method The Clark and Wells model How to find the right therapist How to sustain the gains you make in therapy What success can look like And much more!

Professor Lusia Stopa takes us on a tour of her pioneering research on the role of imagery on social anxiety. We discuss: What we mean by imagery How to change our negative imagery Healthier ways of comparing ourselves What science says about ‘positive thinking’ Lusia is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Southampton. She was a member of the NICE Guideline Development Group for social anxiety.