The NHS does offer help for social anxiety and recognises some of the unique challenges that those with social anxiety face when seeking help. This includes the difficulties of interacting with GP Practice staff or attending appointments – see the “considering you needs” section within the NICE Social Anxiety Public Guidance.

The NHS NICE guidance states that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), via NHS Talking Therapy, is “the first treatment you should be offered”. It should be a type of CBT that has been specifically designed to treat social anxiety disorder. One-to-one sessions are typically 12-16 sessions of 60-90 minutes each with a trained NHS Talking Therapist. The exact number of sessions and their length can vary depending on need and your local Talking therapy service. Sessions can be face-to-face or remote via online video call. Both the type of support available and how you access it will depend on local availability.

The NHS website social anxiety page also states “CBT is generally considered the best treatment” but also references Other NHS treatment options and the following NHS self-help guide for social anxiety.

NHS CBT is delivered by the NHS Talking Therapy service and accessed via your GP or self-referral.

We know many with social anxiety find talking to their GP about their mental health difficult but what most people don’t realise is that GPs talk about mental health every day. Approximately a third of all GP appointments involve a discussion about mental well-being  – please see our page Talking to your GP.

NHS 2026 campaign for Talking Therapies – including for Social Anxiety Disorder – Click Here

Self-refer for NHS Social Anxiety CBT via the NHS Talking Therapy Search Page