Vent: My therapist insisted on eye contact practice for months

She kept saying it was a key social skill and had me do drills for 15 minutes each session, but it just made me more anxious and I started avoiding conversations. After reading a post here from someone in Seattle who said forcing it made them shut down, I stopped the practice cold turkey about two weeks ago. Has anyone found a better way to handle this pressure without feeling overwhelmed?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_elizabeth9d ago

Seriously, avoiding the practice just lets the anxiety win in the long run.

robin_wright9d ago

What did your therapist say when you told them it was making things worse?

the_mary4d ago

My old therapist in Austin kept pushing mindfulness, but it just made me hyper aware of every bad feeling. I had to switch to someone who understood that approach wasn't for me. It took a few tries to find a better fit.