Social anxiety therapy for kids, teens, & young adults
Evidence-based therapy that helps kids connect with confidence.
Support for social phobia, fear of judgment, and social avoidance in children, teens, and young adults.
Insurance accepted. Appointments often available within days.
Social anxiety, at a glance
Social anxiety, at a glance
5-10%
of children and teens meet criteria for social anxiety disorder
Ages 8-15
is the typical age of onset for social anxiety
75%
of youth with social anxiety respond well to CBT
Understanding social anxiety
When shyness becomes something more.
Social anxiety disorder goes beyond ordinary shyness. It is a persistent fear of social situations where a child feels they will be judged, embarrassed, or humiliated. It can significantly limit friendships, school participation, and daily functioning.
A licensed clinician distinguishes between normal developmental shyness and clinical social anxiety by evaluating the severity, duration, and impact on your child's daily life.
Fear of judgment
Intense worry about being embarrassed, rejected, or negatively evaluated in social situations.
Social avoidance
Avoiding parties, group activities, or speaking in class to escape anxiety.
Physical symptoms
Blushing, sweating, trembling, nausea, or racing heart in social settings.
Common signs of social anxiety by age
Symptoms look different at every stage of development.
Young Children (4-7)
Refusing to speak to adults
Hiding behind parents
Crying before social events
Difficulty with unfamiliar children
School-Age (8–12)
Avoiding answering questions in class
Eating alone at lunch
Dreading group projects
Few or no close friendships
Teens (13-17)
Skipping school for social reasons
Refusing to attend parties
Intense fear of embarrassment
Physical symptoms: blushing, trembling
Young Adults (18-25)
Avoiding job interviews
Difficulty in college classes
Social isolation despite wanting connection
Using avoidance as primary coping strategy
Could it be social anxiety?
Take a quick, clinically validated screening to better understand your child's symptoms.
GAD-7 Anxiety Screening
The GAD-7 is a brief, clinically validated tool used by healthcare providers to screen for generalized anxiety disorder. It takes about 2 minutes and can help you understand whether your child's symptoms may benefit from professional support.
This screening is not a diagnosis. A licensed clinician reviews the results and recommends next steps.
How social anxiety therapy helps
Evidence-based strategies for building social confidence and reducing avoidance.
- Challenges negative thoughts about social situations
- Builds confidence through gradual social exposure
- Develops assertiveness and conversation skills
- Manages physical anxiety symptoms
- Supports healthy friendship development
Why families choose Emora
Specialized pediatric anxiety care vs. general providers.
Other providers
Licensed pediatric and young adult clinicians
Generalist providers
Evidence-based CBT and exposure therapy
One-size-fits-all approaches
Parent-inclusive therapy model
Limited parent involvement
Virtual sessions reduce initial social anxiety barriers
In-person visits that intensify social fear
Insurance accepted
Insurance not always accepted
Built-in screening and progress tracking
Limited progress visibility
Get started in minutes
Three simple steps to connect with the right clinician.
- 1
Share what's going on
Answer a few questions about symptoms and goals.
- 2
Verify coverage
See insurance estimates and available times.
- 3
Start sessions
Meet your clinician and begin building skills.
Frequently asked questions
What parents and young adults ask most about social anxiety therapy.
Real stories of growth
Every session is rated by parents. Our therapists maintain a 4.9+ average, because results matter.
Ann is an excellent therapist. She’s been helping my daughter through her anxiety and her thoughtful and insightful guidance has had a meaningful impact on my daughter and managing her anxiety.
Parent of an 11 year old
8 hours ago
Ann Marie Driver, LCMHC-A
She’s very charismatic and easy to talk to. My daughter told me she likes her
Parent of a 13 year old
9 hours ago
Katherine Vasquez Lugo, RMHCI
Catherine was warm and welcoming!
Parent of a 10 year old
13 hours ago
Catherine Campos, LCSW
My therapist was absolutely amazing I already can tell she is going to help me a lot!
An Adult client
16 hours ago
Laura Doocy, LPC-A
Milton is very understanding and listened to my son rattle on and on lol and they're was no rush.
Parent of an 11 year old
1 day ago
Milton Hernandez, LPC
JoeAnn Allen gave us key ways to handle some problems, we appreciate her very much
Parent of a 14 year old
1 day ago
JoeAnn Allen, RMHCI
Rating on behalf of my daughter. She's always in a better mood when she talks with Korina! ✨
Parent of a 14 year old
1 day ago
Korina Herrera, LMHC
My son connects so well with Nathalie. He was skeptical at first now he sets up 10 mind before the session in anticipation for their talk time.
Parent of a 10 year old
1 day ago
Nathalie Fernandez Mendez, LCMHC-A, LMHC
Richard was excellent during my child´s session today. He was very informative, attentive, and truly focused on our specific needs. You can tell he genuinely cares and takes the time to listen and understand. We’re looking forward to future appointments and seeing growth with his support.
Parent of a 6 year old
1 day ago
Richard Reyes, LPC-Associate
The coping mechanism you gave me felt extremely helpful
An Adult client
1 day ago
Marise Jimenez, RMHCI
Very attentive and caring. Took the time out to help us find the right therapist.
Parent of a 16 year old
1 day ago
Jennifer Guzman, LPC
great person easy to talk to. very attentive.
An Adult client
1 day ago
Dr. Joel Bell, PsyD
Sarah is incredible with my 7 year old. So great at building rapport and bringing in coping strategies.
Parent of a 7 year old
1 day ago
Sarah Newton, LMSW
Helped my child open up and feel more self confidence
Parent of a 6 year old
1 day ago
Korina Herrera, LMHC
Tips to help her calm down and positive self talk
Parent of a 6 year old
1 day ago
Korina Herrera, LMHC
Great session today. Love that my son felt like opening up about friendship issues and talk through options to conflict resolution
Parent of a 9 year old
2 days ago
Anita Plank, LCSW
Provider was very easy to talk to and my daughter felt safe speaking with her.
Parent of a 13 year old
2 days ago
Stephonia Llewellyn, LPC, LMHC,-QS
Ms. Williams was very thorough in her process and gave clear objectives of her style of therapy. I think her expertise and knowledge will be very beneficial for my daughter.
Parent of a 16 year old
2 days ago
Seairra Williams, LPC-A
Social anxiety does not define your child
Structured, developmentally informed therapy can help build skills that last.
Not sure where to start? Book a clinical matching session.
