All About Glossophobia, the Fear of Public Speaking,​ and How to Overcome it with Psychological Therapy & Counselling

What Is Glossophobia?  |  Glossophobia Symptoms  |  Therapy for Glossophobia

What is Glossophobia?

Glossophobia is the Fear of Public Speaking and, like all other fears and phobias, can be a cause of significant anxiety and stress if you suffer from it.

It has been cited as one of the most common phobias that you might experience, especially in management-type careers.

There may be a number of reasons why you developed Glossophobia, for example:

• Negative experiences associated with Public Speaking in the past such as a disastrous business presentation.
• You may have underlying social anxiety.
• You may be fearful of making a mistake under such public scrutiny – Atelophobia.

However, there is no scientific evidence that Glossophobia is the result of any kind of biological fault or chemical imbalance in spite of the traction that biomedical models of mental illness are given in the media.

On the contrary, Glossophobia is much more likely to be the result of your own, subjective evaluation (meaning-making) of what happened to you and is therefore better described as a psychosocial phenomenon.

Glossophobia Symptoms & Behaviours

All phobias, including Glossophobia, create feelings of anxiety because phobic objects or situations are always perceived as a threat.

Consequently, the symptoms of Glossophobia are both specific and generic and may include:

• Avoidance of jobs or promotions that might involve Public Speaking.
• An elevated heart rate.
• A sense of dread about what might happen.
• Worrying that you might pass out.
• Feeling dizzy or disoriented.
• Heart palpitations.
• Having a dry or sticky mouth.
• Hot sweats.
• Feeling Stressed.
• Difficulty breathing easily.
• Feelings of panic.

You may have all, some or even different symptoms to these listed here and this is due to the subjective nature of Glossophobia.

However, you should also be aware that many of these somatic symptoms (symptoms felt in the body) WILL subside over time and rarely last for more than 20 to 30 minutes.

What Causes Glossophobia?

It’s possible that your Glossophobia may be the result of traumatic events or adverse situations that you experienced at some point in your life.

If, for example, you suffer from blushing problems you might avoid public speaking because you fear you will inevitably turn red once you start talking.

However, because a Fear of Public Speaking is by no means universal, the most likely explanation for your Glossophobia is the way you understood and made sense of your earlier experiences around which you have built a set of beliefs.

Counselling and Therapy for Glossophobia

We offer a number of different types of therapy and counselling for Glossophobia the Fear of Public Speaking.

Choosing the most suitable therapy depends on a number of different considerations including factors such as:

• How long you have had your phobia.
• Your personal preferences.
• How your phobia is affecting you today.

You can read more about the different types of therapy for Glossophobia on the following links:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Glossophobia
• Counselling for Glossophobia
• Pluralistic Therapy for the Fear of Public Speaking

Although all forms of psychotherapy use slightly different approaches, the one thing they all have in common is the relationship that is formed between the client and therapist.

Furthermore, research also suggests that the therapy relationship may be the most important factor in achieving a good therapy outcome.

Could Reality Therapy Be Right For You?

Reality Therapy is an approach which argues that your Glossophobia, the fear of public speaking, is a product of the way that you think internally and not the result of any kind of external influencer such as an audience.

It also argues that any past experiences which you may believe are the cause of your phobia, are no longer influential because those situations are no longer happening and therefore do not exist.

By teaching you how to take responsibility for the way that you feel, Reality Therapy can help you to stop creating the anxiety and stress associated with your phobia as well as significantly improve the sense of control you have over the trajectory of your life going forward.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about overcoming Glossophobia or recovering from related mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular phobia and the different types of mental health counselling we offer without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.