“Texting Has Replaced Talking As The Most Common Form Of Communication”
Having worked with over 10,ooo individuals of all ages with social and performance anxiety since 1978, the most common statements I’ve heard have been “I don’t have anything to say” and “I don’t know what to say”. The reality is that in most cases the individual’s internal critical script is censoring the risk of verbal […]
Socialization and The Learning Disabled
A Dynamic Profile of The Friendship Connection Bob, age 24, worked for the county parks department in a full time job. His learning disabilities impacted his overall maturation process to the point that his social skills were challenged and he had no quality peer relationships. Susan, age 32, had a civil service job but was […]
The Physiology of Performance
The Physiology of Performance: A Critical Dynamic for Social Anxiety Control Most people’s adrenaline flow increases before a “performance”—which can be anything from a conversation to a full-scale speech in front of an audience of hundreds, thousands, or more. How a person handles that adrenaline is the only difference between feeling anxiety and “going with […]
Jonathan Berent, L.C.S.W. Identifies “Emotional Agility” as the Key to Resolving Social Anxiety Disorder, Which Affects over 6.8 Percent of the U.S Population
GREAT NECK, NEW YORK, March 2017 A pioneering psychotherapist identifies emotional agility as the key to resolving social anxiety disorder, saying behavioral treatment methodologies trivialize the disorder. Social anxiety disorder occurs in 6.8 percent of Americans, and within that 6.8 percent, almost 30 percent of cases are considered severe. Avoidant personality disorder, which is a […]
A Child’s Silent Scream: Selective Mutism
Mikey age 7, an intellectually gifted child, never spoke in school. The school recommended speech therapy. This proved useless as the problem was selective mutism, which is a very specific form of social and performance anxiety. Ashley’s mother hoped that she would be able to overcome her shyness in kindergarten. When summoned to the school […]
Mental Health Issues for the Selective Mutism Child Within School Setting
This is a complex subject about which I can write extensively. My objective with this article is to identify, and begin to organize, mental health issues for the Selective Mutism child within academic environments. “My child is normal at home. It’s school that’s the problem!” When a teacher tells parents that a child doesn’t […]
Selective Mutism: Clinical Issues for School Personnel
This “tip of the month” is in response to the countless inquiries I receive from well-intentioned school personnel who contact me regarding their concerns about selectively mute students. The content here is based on my clinical experience since 1978 with individuals of all ages who suffered from social anxiety in general, as well as selective […]
Parenting the Adult Child with Pervasive Social Anxiety
Rob went to college for a week until his social anxiety got the best of him and he retreated home. At age 26 he worked sporadic jobs with no continuity, socialized occasionally with one friend, and spent most of his awake time playing computer games. Jadine, age 20, like Rob, dropped out of art school […]
Social Anxiety: Misunderstood No More
This training presentation provides clarity regarding a pervasive and grossly misunderstood anxiety disorder. [button width=”full” color=”blue2″ link=”http://goo.gl/azW8UA” size=”big” align=”center” target=”_blank”]Watch Now[/button]
“Funny Then Sad Now”: Selective Mutism to Performance Anxiety
Hopefully this short case story will provide insight into selective mutism and performance anxiety. “Debra”, age 30 ,works in the media field for a progressive television network. She entered treatment due to her public speaking performance anxiety. Her panic in speaking situations has created substantial anguish and a challenged mood. She has become overly dependent […]