Our social skills are a determining factor both in the search for happiness and in our possibilities of enjoying a good lifestyle. That is why having problems in this aspect can cause a lot of discomfort.
Fortunately, Social skills can be enhanced through psychological intervention Let’s see how it’s done.
How are social skills improved in the psychologist’s office?
Beyond attention to possible psychopathologies associated with problems when relating to others (for example, Autism Spectrum Disorders, borderline personality disorder, etc.), the main pillars of improving social skills in the psychologist’s office are the following.
1. Detection of trap thoughts
Many people who experience problems with their social skills see moments of interaction with others as a source of discomfort or anxiety, especially if they do not know their interlocutor. It is because of that, At the prospect of going to exchange a few words, they can become scared and to try to prevent a conversation from occurring.
As a result, they continue to remain in a state of lack of experience speaking with others, and they also feed the idea that they should avoid exposing themselves to social interaction because these are a source of fear from which they can only withdraw.
In psychotherapy, we work so that those who usually go through this type of experiences are able to quickly identify those trap thoughts that tempt them with the idea of throwing in the towel prematurely and lead to self-sabotage. In this way, their influence is very limited and the person is able to leave their comfort zone.
2. Anxiety management
The anxiety that sometimes arises before and during the first minutes of a conversation (or any other complex communicative exchange) must be managed and channeled appropriately In therapy, an emotional management training plan is proposed adapted to each case, and in cases like these it is usually focused on the control of the physiological processes associated with anxiety and the conscious management of the attention focus.
3. Practice of assertiveness
Assertiveness is the ability to communicate everything necessary or important and do so honestly despite knowing that certain information or opinions may be painful, always with respect and taking into account the emotions of others. It is essential to avoid generating communication blocks that can cause bigger problems than the discomfort that might have been caused by saying those things.
4. Coping with intrusive thoughts
The unpleasant experiences linked to social relationships accumulated by those who do not interact well with others can lead them to tend towards isolation, generate blockages in conversations due to nerves, etc.
This also occurs because painful memories about past conversations can become intrusive thoughts which return to consciousness again and again and generate emotions such as guilt, shame, etc.
This aspect is closely related to the previous one, and involves stopping being extremely afraid of the possibility of being rejected by others This allows, on the one hand, to get more involved in social interactions, and on the other, to know exactly which of our actions are not liked, who is not liked, and why, which allows us to learn.
6. Adaptation to the rhythms and attitudes of others
Non-verbal communication is key and to take advantage of it you have to pay attention to these kinds of signals and adapt to the psychological state of the person in front of you.
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7. Enhancement of self-motivation skills
All forms of social skills learning must be followed consistently over a period of time so that we internalize them and apply them on a daily basis. For this reason, we also work to enhance self-motivation to follow the program.
Are you looking for psychotherapy services to better relate to others?
If you notice that on a daily basis you find it difficult to interact with others, either because you feel bad during those interactions or because the results you obtain do not satisfy you, we invite you to contact our team of professionals. In Psychology For We have been helping all types of people for more than two decades and accumulating experience in the field of psychotherapy applied to cases of poor management of emotions, lack of social or communication skills, etc. We offer sessions both in person at our center located in Madrid, and online via video call.
