Social Skills

Some individuals long for friends, but have a hard time knowing what to do and when to do it. Others struggle with social anxiety, feel awkward and believe that others will see their awkwardness and won't like them. Past social traumas can negatively affect current social interactions. I process social interactions as they occur during age appropriate, therapeutic activities, games or conversation. I teach skills directly and experientially, process poor interactions in the moment while attending to emotional safety, model effective social interactions and reinforce progress. Improving self-esteem and normalizing challenges underscore everything. Learning while doing, understanding social cues and experiencing success are the goals. Social skills work can be done individually or in small groups and are tailored to the client's specific needs. They may include:

• practical strategies for dealing with bullies or mean girls

• personal space

• starting & maintaining a conversation

• coping with intense feelings, like anger

• knowing what to talk about

• manners

• having a two-way conversation

• projecting confidence without bragging

• relating appropriately to the opposite sex

• knowing when to stop talking about an interest

• code switching (using different voice tone for your audience; for example, you would talk differently to a policeman than to a puppy)