You Are Not Awkward: How to Tackle Social Anxiety

Title: You Are Not Awkward: How to Stop Social Anxiety
Speaker: Fraser Smith, Counselling Psychologist and Founder of MAPP psychology

Social anxiety doesn’t appear out of nowhere; it’s shaped by early experiences, learned patterns, and the ways we protect ourselves when situations feel overwhelming. In this session, Fraser, psychologist and founder of MAP Psychology, breaks down how social anxiety forms, why it intensifies over time, and the subtle mechanisms that keep people stuck. The talk moves beyond theory, offering grounded and genuinely workable strategies that help people loosen the grip of fear, rebuild confidence, and reconnect with others in a more authentic way. It’s a practical, compassionate exploration of what meaningful improvement in social anxiety actually looks like.

Key audience take aways:

· A clear understanding of what social anxiety actually is, beyond shyness and awkwardness, and the psychological mechanisms that drive it.

· Insight into the early experiences, beliefs, and reinforcement loops that cause social anxiety to form and strengthen over time.

· A breakdown of the “maintenance cycle” that keeps people stuck, including avoidance patterns, self-monitoring, and unhelpful predictions.

· Practical, evidence-based techniques for reducing fear in social situations, with an emphasis on skills people can start using immediately.

· A framework for gradual, sustainable change: how to challenge long-held assumptions, build tolerance, and create corrective experiences.

· A realistic picture of what improvement looks like, not perfection, but increased freedom, confidence, and choice in social situations.

Doors - 7:30pm - first come first served on seating

Intros - 7:50pm

Talk - 8pm

Q&A - 8:40pm