Understanding Fear – What are Phobias and How Common Are They? by Kyle MacDonald in Fear, Phobias What are phobias? Well, in a psychological context, they are a persistent fear of objects, animals or situations, which a person will go to great lengths to avoid. While some of us dislike spiders, some affected by arachnophobia…

Comfortable silence.  Awkward silence. Thoughtful silence. Angry silence. It might be a myth, but I’ve heard it said that the Native Aleutian people (Eskimos) have 400 words to describe snow.  As a therapist we probably have 200 words to describe silence. Generally though, for those who are struggling to cope with social anxiety every day, there…

My New Column: Ask Me Your Questions! by Kyle MacDonald in PR I’m pretty excited about having been invited to be a regular weekly columnist for New Zealand’s biggest daily newspaper, the New Zealand Herald. This week I was interviewed and talked my views about therapy and what I hope to acheive with the column…

Is Inferiority Complex Linked to Social Anxiety? 19 February 2015 Inferiority Complex / Kyle MacDonald Whether it’s about Greece’s economic woes or the Socceroos winning football’s Asian Cup, journalists love to bandy around the phrase “inferiority complex” as if it’s catch-all statement to imply doubt and uncertainty. But the term has its origins in the…

How To Have a Frightfully Good Time At a Party (When You’re Anxious) by Kyle MacDonald in in Public When fear becomes part of your daily routine it might seem strange that a festival based on being frightened can actually help. Halloween has its roots in pagan and religious festivals – but for all intents…

Who is Kyle? Hi, I’m Kyle, and I’m here to help people like you on their path to Overcoming Social Anxiety, and you’ve just taken your first step! If you have Social Anxiety, or feel that your Shyness gets in the way of you achieving what you want in life, then you’re in the right place….