Social anxiety disorder, also called social phobia, is an anxiety disorder in which a person has an excessive and unreasonable fear of social situations. Anxiety (intense nervousness) and self-consciousness arise from a fear of being closely watched, judged, and criticized by others. A person with social anxiety disorder is afraid that he or she will make mistakes, look bad, and be embarrassed or humiliated in front of others. The fear may be made worse by a lack of social skills or experience in social situations. The anxiety can build into a panic attack. As a result of the fear, the person endures certain social situations in extreme distress or may avoid them altogether. In addition, people with social anxiety disorder often suffer "anticipatory" anxiety -- the fear of a situation before it even happens -- for days or weeks before the event. In many cases, the person is aware that the fear is unreasonable, yet is unable to overcome it.  People with social anxiety disorder suffer from distorted thinking, including false beliefs about social situations and the negative opinions of others. Without treatment, social anxiety disorder can negatively interfere with the person's normal daily routine, including school, work, social activities, and relationships.

The Social Anxiety Group provides a safe place for students to explore feelings and fears related to social situations.  The group meets weekly, over 8 consecutive weeks during alternating periods.  The group provides a safe, educational and fun environment to explore and share feelings related to having anxiety. This group is less structured as the needs of the participants differ.  The group, as a whole, designates the issues to be addressed as a way of eliminating as much anxiety as possible.  A combination of open discussions, videos, educational handouts, role plays, and group activities are used to teach positive coping skills and self-regulation.   The groups focus on overcoming social anxiety through behavioral activities to decrease self-consciousness around other people, decrease fear of being the center of attention, and correct avoidance habits formed throughout life as a result of anxiety.

Email: ylopez@tvusd.us

Teenage years are a critical time when guys and girls make choices that affect the rest of their lives. The empowerment groups provide a safe place where teens can talk about what is really going on in their lives, and a community of mentors and peers who listen, believe in them and help them make better choices. This approach gives teens permission to tell the truth about the challenges all teens face, make their own decisions on how to deal with those challenges, and begin to take responsibility for their choices and the consequences of their actions. It also provided tools needed to navigate through the teen years and transition positively into adulthood.  

The Guy’s Empowerment Group is designed to teach guys how to effectively communicate with peers and adults. It explores self-respect and how this transfers into all relationships and a strong sense of self.  The group meets weekly, over 8 consecutive weeks during alternating periods.  The group provides a safe, educational and fun environment to explore and share feelings related to being a male.

The Girl's Empowerment Group is designed to teach girls how to effectively communicate with peers and adults. It explores the important dynamics of relationships to ensure a positive transition into an adult female through the development of a strong sense of self.  The group meets weekly, over 8 consecutive weeks during alternating periods.  The group provides a safe, educational and fun environment to explore and share feelings related to being a female.

The 8 week curriculum for both groups covers the same issues however the teaching and presenting of the information is specific to guys and girls consists of the following meetings. A combination of open discussions, videos, educational handouts, and group activities are used to complement the weekly topics.