Social Anxiety Counseling in Fort Wayne, IN
Social anxiety is an intense, persistent fear of being judged, embarrassed, or negatively evaluated by others, and it is treatable.
At Unwilted Counseling, teens and young adults (ages 13–25) work one-on-one with a licensed, trauma-informed therapist to understand what drives their social anxiety and build lasting confidence in social situations, not temporary coping tricks.
Sessions are available in person in Fort Wayne, Indiana, or virtually across Indiana and eligible parts of Ohio.
Schedule your free 15-minute consultation to discuss what you're experiencing and find out if Unwilted Counseling is the right fit.
What Is Social Anxiety?
Social anxiety, sometimes called social anxiety disorder or social phobia, is more than nervousness before a presentation. It is a persistent, often exhausting fear that others are watching, judging, or waiting for a mistake, in the classroom, at work, at a social gathering, or even in a group text. For teens and young adults, this fear can quietly shape major decisions: which classes to take, whether to apply for a job that requires an interview, or whether to attend an event and risk being seen.
Left unaddressed, social anxiety tends to grow through avoidance. Each skipped event or unanswered message may feel like short-term relief, but it reinforces the belief that social situations are unsafe. Therapy interrupts that cycle at its root, rather than only managing surface-level symptoms.
Signs of Social Anxiety in Teens & Young Adults
Social anxiety can present differently depending on age, personality, and how long the pattern has been building. Common signs include:
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Avoiding class participation, group projects, or speaking up in meetings
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Intense dread in the days or hours leading up to a social event
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Physical symptoms - racing heart, blushing, sweating, nausea, a shaky voice
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Replaying conversations afterward and over-analyzing perceived mistakes
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Difficulty starting or maintaining friendships and romantic relationships
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Declining invitations, jobs, or opportunities to avoid being seen or evaluated
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Using substances, screens, or isolation to manage social discomfort
These patterns often overlap with, and are sometimes mistaken for, general anxiety and depression, low self-esteem, or difficulty with emotion regulation. Identifying what is actually driving the anxiety is the first step toward treatment that targets the cause, not just the symptoms.
Why Social Anxiety Develops
Social anxiety rarely stems from a single cause. It is typically a combination of temperament, learned patterns, and lived experience, a critical or unpredictable social environment growing up, a history of being teased, excluded, or bullied, a major life transition such as a new school or a move away from home, or unresolved trauma that makes vulnerability feel unsafe. For some clients, social anxiety is closely tied to specific past experiences that have not been fully processed, which is where trauma-informed therapy becomes especially relevant. Understanding why the anxiety developed, not only how to manage it in the moment, is central to how treatment is approached at Unwilted Counseling.
Our Approach to Social Anxiety Treatment
Unwilted Counseling treats social anxiety through a trauma-informed, relational lens, drawing on several evidence-based approaches selected to fit each client's needs:
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) - effective when social anxiety is connected to specific painful memories, such as a humiliating moment or a pattern of rejection, that still feel emotionally unresolved.
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IFS-informed work (Internal Family Systems) - identifies and works with the inner "parts" driving avoidance, self-criticism, or people-pleasing, building greater self-trust and internal calm.
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Emotion-focused therapy - builds the capacity to tolerate and move through the discomfort of being seen, rather than avoiding it.
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Psychodynamic therapy - explores the relational history and patterns that shaped why social situations came to feel unsafe.
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Cognitive and skills-based strategies - practical tools for managing anxious thoughts and physical symptoms in the moment, used alongside deeper work rather than in place of it.
The goal of treatment is not to eliminate all social discomfort, everyone experiences some. It is to help clients stop organizing their lives around avoiding it.
How Unwilted Counseling Can Help
Starting therapy for social anxiety can feel like one more room to walk into and one more person to be evaluated by. Unwilted Counseling is structured around that reality:
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Consistent, one-on-one care. Unwilted Counseling is a solo, private-pay practice, so clients work with the same licensed therapist at every session rather than a rotating group of clinicians.
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A pace that fits the client. Sessions build trust before moving into harder material, rather than pushing toward quick fixes.
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Treatment that targets the root cause. Skills-based tools are part of the process, but deeper work through EMDR, IFS-informed therapy, and emotion-focused approaches addresses what is driving the anxiety, so progress holds up outside the therapy room.
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Flexible formats. In-person sessions in Fort Wayne, virtual sessions from home or campus, or a combination of both, whichever supports consistent attendance.
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A low-pressure first step. A free 15-minute consultation allows prospective clients to ask questions and assess fit before committing to ongoing care.
Progress is measured not by the absence of nervousness, but by the ability to walk into the classroom, the interview, or the gathering, and stay.
About Your Therapist
Clients work directly with Destina Rekeweg, LMHC. Destina holds a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over three years of experience, trained in EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS), specializing in trauma, anxiety, and life transitions for teens and young adults.
Her approach to social anxiety is trauma-informed and relational, built for clients who appear capable and composed on the outside while feeling overwhelmed or on edge internally, particularly in social settings.
Because Unwilted Counseling is a solo practice, every client receives consistent, one-on-one care from the same therapist throughout treatment, rather than being reassigned between providers.
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In-Person Counseling and Virtual Counseling across Indiana and Ohio
Social anxiety counseling at Unwilted Counseling is designed for teens and young adults ages 13–25 and is available in whichever format best fits a client's comfort level and schedule.
In-Person Counseling in Fort Wayne
In-person sessions take place in a private, comfortable office at 3514 Stellhorn Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46815, serving clients throughout Fort Wayne and Allen County. For clients working through social anxiety, meeting face-to-face can itself become a supported, low-stakes setting to practice new skills.
Virtual Counseling Across Indiana and Ohio
For clients who prefer to begin from a familiar space, secure, HIPAA-compliant virtual therapy is available across Indiana, and, through the Counseling Compact, in eligible parts of Ohio. Sessions are not recorded and can be attended from home, campus, or another private location without adding a commute to an already demanding schedule.
Many clients combine both formats over the course of treatment. Consistency matters more than the setting in which a given session takes place. If social anxiety is showing up alongside a larger life change, starting college, a new job, or a move away from home, life transition counseling may also be relevant.
What to Expect: The Treatment Process
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Free 15-minute consultation - discuss what you're experiencing and ask questions, with no obligation to continue.
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Initial assessment (50 minutes) - explore history, specific triggers, goals, and readiness for treatment.
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Personalized treatment plan, an approach shaped around the client's specific patterns rather than a standardized protocol.
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Ongoing weekly sessions (50 minutes) - consistent, one-on-one care focused on lasting change rather than short-term relief.
Investing in Social Anxiety Treatment
Unwilted Counseling is a private-pay practice and does not bill insurance directly, which allows treatment to be guided by clinical need rather than what an insurance panel will authorize. Clients may use out-of-network benefits for possible reimbursement.
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Initial intake assessment (50 min): $160
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Ongoing sessions (50 min): $135
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Intensive sessions: $202.50 (75 min) / $270 (100 min) / $405 (150 min)
Consistent weekly therapy is an investment in outcomes that extend well beyond the therapy room, the ability to build relationships, pursue opportunities, and participate fully in school, work, and social life without anxiety dictating the terms. Full details are available on the fees and policies page.
Related Concerns We Treat
Social anxiety rarely occurs in isolation. Depending on individual circumstances, the following related services may also be relevant:
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Anxiety & Depression Therapy - for anxiety that extends beyond social situations
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Self-Esteem & Identity Counseling - for the self-doubt and shame that often underlie social fear
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Emotion Regulation Counseling - for managing the physical and emotional intensity anxiety brings
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Trauma Therapy - when social anxiety is rooted in past painful experiences
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Individual Therapy - for a broader, personalized approach to overall mental health
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Teens & Young Adults Counseling - the core age-specific care model behind every specialty at Unwilted Counseling
Frequently Asked Questions
Social anxiety is an intense, persistent fear of being watched, judged, or negatively evaluated by others in social or performance situations. It goes beyond shyness, it can involve physical symptoms like a racing heart or nausea, and it often leads someone to avoid school, work, friendships, or everyday interactions altogether.
Common signs include avoiding class participation or group settings, intense fear before social events, physical symptoms like blushing, sweating, or a racing heart, difficulty making or keeping friendships, over-preparing for or rehearsing conversations, and skipping school, work, or social plans to avoid being seen or judged.
Yes. Many people manage and reduce social anxiety through therapy alone, using approaches such as EMDR, IFS-informed work, emotion-focused therapy, and skills-based strategies. Some clients also work with a prescriber for medication, and therapy can complement that care, but medication is not required to see meaningful progress.
Timelines vary by person, but many clients begin noticing small shifts, more ease before social situations, less avoidance, within the first several sessions, with more significant, lasting change typically developing over a few months of consistent weekly therapy.
Yes. Unwilted Counseling specializes in social anxiety counseling for teens and young adults ages 13–25, offering both in-person sessions in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and secure virtual sessions across Indiana and eligible parts of Ohio.
Unwilted Counseling is a private-pay practice and does not accept insurance directly. Clients may use out-of-network benefits for possible reimbursement. Ongoing 50-minute sessions are $135, and the initial intake assessment is $160.
Good Faith Estimate: Clients paying privately have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining expected costs of care. You may request this prior to scheduling.
Start Social Anxiety Counseling in Fort Wayne Today
Managing social anxiety alone often means quietly opting out of opportunities, relationships, & experiences. A free 15-minute consultation is a low-pressure way to determine whether working together is the right fit. Call or text (260) 255-6432 or request your free consultation.
