Overcoming Social Anxiety

by Ellen Hendriksen (Author / Narrator)

Listening Length: 2 hours and 35 minutes

Social anxiety is the perception that something is wrong with us or that we’re deficient in some way in a group setting. And unless we work hard to conceal that perceived flaw, it will be revealed, and people will judge or reject us for it.

Most of us know what it’s like to have a socially anxious moment now and then. But for millions upon millions of people, at some point in life, social anxiety is so serious that it gets in the way of living the life we want to live. Social anxiety disorder is the third most diagnosed disorder. It shows up in our modern lives in all sorts of ways, from agonizing over how to word a text to deciding whether to go out with our friends versus bailing to stay in and watch TV.

Dr. Ellen Hendriksen has made it her mission to use cutting-edge clinical practices and evidence-based treatments to help hundreds of clients reduce their anxiety. In this Audible Original, Dr. Hendriksen provides tools for dealing with social anxiety in the real world, including confronting the problems of perfectionism and making and deepening friendships. You’ll come away with skills you can use anywhere so you can live the life you want to live, and in the process, realize how amazing you already are.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Psychology

Audible Audio

First published May 18, 2023

About the author

DR. ELLEN HENDRIKSEN is a clinical psychologist who will help you calm your anxiety and be your authentic self. She serves on the faculty at Boston University's Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) and is the author of HOW TO BE ENOUGH: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists and HOW TO BE YOURSELF: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety.

Ellen’s scientifically-based, zero-judgment approach has been featured in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, O: The Oprah Magazine, goop, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and many other media outlets.

Ellen earned her Ph.D. at UCLA and completed her training at Harvard Medical School. She lives in the Boston area with her family.

Join in at EllenHendriksen.com or follow on Substack or Instagram.

Reviews

[Helena]

I’m not a person with social anxiety, but I am a therapist with clients who have social anxiety! This was a great and quick listen. It was simple, and a great guide for adding tools to your emotional toolbox!

[A. gale]

I enjoyed this more then I thought I would. this is one of the better self help books/audiobooks 🎧💅

[Inga Grencberga]

[..] the fact, that you questioning yourself - means - you good [..]

[Jeff Brawner]

I cannot say enough about this lecture series. If I could give it six stars, I would. After depression, and panic attacks, social anxiety is the most common mental struggle in America.

From being able to evaluate your degree of anxiety through testing at the beginning of the lecture, followed by a discussion of how anxiety looks, ending with practical steps to alleviate the anxiety, this lecture sets out exactly what it was designed to do.

It also lectured in a way that confirms to the reader that this isn’t something that everyone has, but it does allow the listener to not feel foolish if it is something they struggle with. So many lectures and books present their case so vaguely you finish the work assuming that all 330 million Americans must struggle with that particular issue.

[Anna]

I really enjoyed this series and found it extremely helpful and for the most part insightful. However there were a couple of things that concerned me. For example how do you know what is a safety behaviours? And how do you then switch them off and on again? I don't think neurodiverse people were considered in this. But I do think the reflection tasks were good. And I the mix of written and practical tasks. The narration was also good. Parts that I found particularly helpful was the stuff on procrastination and well as the coaching mindsets. I loved the challenge list idea. Overall would recommend.

[Alannah Clarke]

Overcoming Social Anxiety is a compassionate, practical and highly accessible guide for anyone who struggles with social anxiety or self-consciousness. Ellen Hendriksen writes with warmth and understanding, blending psychological research with real-life examples in a way that feels encouraging rather than overwhelming.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its focus on gradual, realistic change instead of promising quick fixes. The exercises are straightforward and grounded in evidence-based techniques, making them easy to apply in everyday situations. I also appreciated how the author challenges many of the common misconceptions people with social anxiety hold about themselves, helping to reframe negative thought patterns with kindness rather than criticism.

At times, some of the concepts felt a little repetitive, and readers already familiar with cognitive behavioural therapy may not find much that is entirely new. However, the clear explanations and supportive tone make it an excellent resource, particularly for those beginning to understand or address their social anxiety.

Overall, this is an informative and reassuring read that offers practical tools alongside genuine empathy. While it didn't completely transform my perspective, it provided plenty of useful advice and left me feeling more optimistic about building confidence in social situations. A solid four-star read.

[Bethenny Scott]

As someone who was diagnosed with anxiety of one form or another over the years, I always look for publications that cover ways to deal/help with it. This short little audiobook covers simple lessons on how to overcome some of the most basic and there for some of the most challenging situations for anyone with not only Social anxiety but GAD.

[Fed]

Well I guess I have been in avoidance & denial this whole time, but this book brought it all up to the surface. This was very helpful. Especially with the examples and the 25 survey points at the beginning. It's time to expand and grow.
Great short book! Thank you Dr. Ellen!

[Ipsita Gochhayat]

Very detailed and convincing !

[Ginny]

3 stars - An informative and concise resource.

[Bradley White]

Fascinating

[Charles (the booktrovert)]

Short Book. Gave me several good tips on overcoming social anxiety. Well worth the read.

[Jen]

Easy listen and filled with nice reminders to help rebuild confidence. My anxiety hasn’t been great the last couple years and sometimes a reminder is appreciated.

[John]

3.75 out of 5 Stars

[《 Sk♡Mi 》]

4.8

[Nikki Edmonds]

4.25⭐️

[Gilbert Stack]

I didn’t think I suffered from Social Anxiety when I started reading this Great Courses book. I picked it up because we all know people who suffer from anxiety, and I thought it might be useful in helping them. I was a little surprised to learn that in the long list of things that are included in “social anxiety” I “suffer” from a few of them. My guess is that everyone does. Hopefully knowing this will create empathy for those who are afflicted by these issues to a greater degree than we are.

This book is essentially a self help guide to finding ways to lessen social anxiety. A lot of the solutions come down to understanding that social anxiety is often caused by unrealistically high expectations which a person has for him or herself. At the root of social anxiety is a lack of self-confidence and a plethora of low self-esteem. This is knowledge we can use to help those around us by giving positive esteem-building feedback and being very patient with their fears.

[JadeDakini]

4.5 ⭐️
I did not have high expectations, so it was a very pleasant surprise. I would recommend this book if you have anything around social anxiety (yourself or anyone around you) to get a deeper understanding and have some tools to deal with.