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Digital Seminar

“I’m So Awkward!” Treatment Tips for Socially Anxious Youth

$129.99 Standard

While today’s youth are highly skilled in social technology, they struggle significantly with face-to-face, in-person interactions. Simple behaviors like asking for a soda in a restaurant or greeting an acquaintance in the mall can evoke debilitating self-consciousness, worry, even panic.  

 

Traditional therapeutic methods of engaging and treating social anxiety in today’s youth often miss the mark. How do we effectively connect with these tech-dependent teens and assist them in overcoming the obstacle of social anxiety? 

 

Join psychologist, author, and anxiety expert Dr. Steve O’Brien who will offer you practical tools for meeting the needs of kids and teens with social anxiety.  Dr. O’Brien will equip you with actionable treatment techniques ready for immediate integration into your clinical practice. You’ll discover: 

 

  • Youth-friendly psychoeducation as the first intervention 
  • Easing into therapy with “low demand” dialogue 
  • Functional mood analysis for social media distress 
  • And more! 

 

You’ll leave this workshop with a set of useful tools for equipping socially anxious youth to get out of their heads and into the world! 

Here's What You'll Learn

Factors Fueling Social Anxiety in Preteens and Teens 

  • Overreliance on social technologies and less time IRL (in real life) 
  • Societal preoccupation with safety and risk/discomfort avoidance 
  • Internalization of idealization-devaluation dynamics from social media 

 

Connecting with Socially Anxious Youth

  • Use of “visual-sequential description” BEFORE the first session 
  • Easing into therapy with “low-demand” dialogue 
  • Integrating devices into session for exploring their online life 

          

Mindfulness, CBT (And Humor!) For Building Social Competence

  • Youth-friendly psychoeducation as the first intervention 
  • Mindfully managing social anxiety symptoms 
  • Functional mood analysis for social media distress 
  • Association-to-dialogue technique to reduce over-thinking 
  • Combatting outcome certainty to promote social initiative 

Risks and limitations     

Everything You're Getting

  • More than 2 hours of video content
  • Up to 2.0 CE credits
  • Certificate of completion
  • Handouts and resources

Meet Your Experts

Steven O'Brien, PsyD

Toggle speaker biography

Steve O’Brien, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families in his Clearwater, Florida practice. He is a respected national consultant for mental health professionals seeking guidance on the treatment of anxiety and mood disorders, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and adjustment challenges in divorced and blended families.

 

Since 2017, Dr. O’Brien has provided continuing education and professional training for mental health clinicians, focusing on evidence-based interventions for anxiety, depression, and neurodevelopmental disorders in youth. He is the author of The Essential Guide to Treating Childhood and Adolescent Anxiety, a clinical manual designed to enhance treatment outcomes.

 

His integrative-systems approach combines CBT, interpersonal techniques, and exposure/desensitization strategies, all tailored to the developmental needs of young clients and their families. Intensive parent consultation—emphasizing psychoeducation, communication skills, and behavior modification—is a cornerstone of his therapeutic work.

 

Dr. O’Brien has worked in numerous healthcare environments, including community mental health, psychiatric, inpatient/residential, substance abuse, and medical facilities. He also served as associate professor of child-adolescent studies at the Florida School of Professional Psychology. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. O’Brien is an app developer (Life@Home by Psychtouch.com) and a frequent guest on local news outlets for his expertise on childhood anxiety. Visit obrienpsychology.com for more information.

 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Steven O'Brien maintains a private practice. He receives a speaking honorarium, recording and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Steven O’Brien is a member of the American Psychological Association and the Florida Psychological Association.

More taught by Steven O'Brien, PsyD

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Media Type:
Digital Seminar
Product Code:
POS059915
Duration:
2 hours, 3 minutes
Copyright:
Aug 08, 2024
Format:
Audio and Video

ADA Needs

We would be happy to accommodate your ADA needs; please call our Customer Service Department for more information at 1-800-844-8260.

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