How to Overcome Social Anxiety at Work (and How EMDR Therapy Can Help)

Do you dread speaking up in meetings? Find yourself replaying every workplace interaction in your head? Or avoid networking opportunities even though you know they could help your career?

If so, you’re not alone. Many professionals struggle with social anxiety at work, and it can quietly hold them back from promotions, leadership roles, and overall fulfillment.

But here’s something you might not know: sometimes workplace social anxiety is linked to earlier experiences, including trauma. The good news is, with the right support, it’s possible to rewire those patterns. One evidence-based therapy that’s especially effective is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

In this article, we’ll cover:

• What workplace social anxiety looks like

• Why it happens (and the hidden role of past experiences)

• How EMDR therapy can help you move past fear and thrive professionally

What Does Social Anxiety at Work Look Like?

Social anxiety can impact every stage of a career, from interviews to promotions. It might show up as:

• Fear of Judgment: People with social anxiety might worry excessively about how others perceive their work, their appearance, or their actions. As a result, they may over-prepare or spend an excessive amount of time perfecting their work, or on the flip side, they may procrastinate doing their work due to a fear of failure or fear of receiving criticism.

• Avoidance Behaviors: People with social anxiety may skip meetings, avoid phone calls, or stay silent during group discussions. Avoidance behaviors might also look like opting out of workplace gatherings or networking opportunities in order to avoid social interactions.

• Difficulty with Communication: People with social anxiety may struggle to initiate conversations, make small talk, or express their ideas confidently. This difficulty with conversation might also look like hesitating to seek clarification or ask for help due to fear of appearing incompetent.

• Self-Criticism: People with social anxiety may harshly evaluate their own work performance or replay social interactions that they had at work in their mind to search for mistakes.

• Physical Symptoms: People with social anxiety may experience sweating, shaking, a racing heart, or nausea at work. These physical symptoms are manifestations of their emotional experience.

Over time, these patterns can make you feel stuck, even if you’re successful on paper. You may meet deadlines and perform well, but anxiety keeps you from fully showing up, which can limit your professional growth.

Why Do I Feel This Way?

Workplace social anxiety can come from many places: fear of judgment, perfectionism, or difficult professional experiences. Sometimes, though, the root cause goes deeper.

For example, early experiences like being bullied, dismissed, or told you “weren’t good enough” can create negative core beliefs. In adulthood, these beliefs resurface in professional settings, fueling anxiety and self-doubt.

Questions to reflect on:

• What is it about work that makes me anxious?

• What does my anxiety say about me?

• Do I notice a negative belief underneath (e.g., “I’m not good enough”)?

Exploring these questions with a therapist can help uncover the roots of workplace anxiety.

Coping With Social Anxiety at Work

Coping strategies can help you manage symptoms day-to-day. Some you might try include:

• Preparing for meetings by rehearsing key points

• Using deep breathing or grounding techniques before stressful interactions

• Taking small steps, like greeting coworkers or contributing one idea in a meeting

These tools can help you feel more comfortable, but they don’t always address the underlying beliefs that fuel workplace social anxiety. That’s where EMDR therapy comes in.

How EMDR Helps With Workplace Social Anxiety

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories and experiences. It uses bilateral stimulation (like guided eye movements) to reduce the emotional intensity of negative beliefs and replace them with more adaptive ones.

Unlike coping strategies, which manage symptoms in the moment, EMDR targets the root causes of anxiety. Often these are earlier life experiences that still influence how you see yourself at work.

Over time, EMDR therapy can help you to:

• Reduce fear of judgment and rejection

• Feel more confident in meetings, networking, and leadership roles

• Develop new, positive beliefs about yourself (“I am capable,” “I belong here”)

• Approach career growth opportunities with greater ease

A Case Example

“Jane,” a 23-year-old analyst, excelled academically but struggled at work. She avoided speaking up in meetings, overprepared her assignments, and constantly worried about being judged. Despite meeting deadlines, she felt isolated and burned out.

Through EMDR therapy, Jane uncovered a core belief ("I’ll never be good enough in the workplace”) that stemmed from earlier experiences of being dismissed and excluded. By reprocessing those memories, Jane was able to shift toward a new belief: “I am good enough regardless.”

As her perspective changed, Jane grew more confident in meetings, built stronger relationships with colleagues, and began to see her workplace as a place where she could succeed.

Finding Support

If you’re struggling with social anxiety at work, you don’t have to keep pushing through on your own. With the right support, it’s possible to feel calmer, more confident, and more fulfilled in your career.

I offer trauma-informed therapy and EMDR in NYC, Brooklyn, and online, and I frequently work with professionals navigating high-stress workplaces. If you’d like to learn more about how EMDR can help you, I’d be glad to talk.

Schedule a consultation to explore whether therapy may be a good fit for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About Social Anxiety at Work and EMDR Therapy

1. What is workplace social anxiety?

Workplace social anxiety is when fear of judgment, criticism, or embarrassment shows up in professional settings. It can make meetings, networking, or even sending emails feel overwhelming. Over time, it can limit career growth and job satisfaction.

2. How does social anxiety affect career growth?

Social anxiety can hold people back from promotions, leadership roles, and networking opportunities. Even if you’re skilled and motivated, anxiety may keep you from speaking up, taking on new challenges, or showcasing your strengths.

3. Can EMDR therapy help with social anxiety at work?

Yes. EMDR therapy helps address the root causes of social anxiety by reprocessing earlier experiences that shaped negative self-beliefs. By reducing the intensity of these beliefs, EMDR can make it easier to feel confident, speak up, and thrive professionally.

4. What’s the difference between coping strategies and EMDR?

Coping strategies (like deep breathing or preparing notes before meetings) can help manage symptoms in the moment. EMDR therapy, on the other hand, goes deeper. It targets and reprocesses the past experiences fueling workplace anxiety, leading to more lasting change.

5. How do I find an EMDR therapist for workplace social anxiety?

You can start by searching therapy directories like Psychology Today and filtering for therapists trained in EMDR and experienced with anxiety. If you’re in NYC or open to online therapy, I offer EMDR and trauma-informed therapy for professionals navigating workplace challenges.