Home - WalkTheTalk

We combine a proven process with the power of peer support. Free, for as long as you need it and with no wait times.

We combine peer support with a proven process

Proven process

Based on the most effective form of therapy for social anxiety, adapted for peer groups, distilled and simplified for ease of adoption.

Discover the process

Peer support

Surrounded by peers who get how you’re feeling, motivate you and keep you accountable, celebrate your wins and challenge you in a safe space.

What is peer support?

MEET OTHERS WITH SOCIAL ANXIETY

Join a friendly and supportive community

1,442

MEMBERS

4.8/5

AVERAGE RATING

147

REVIEWS

How it works

1. Find a group

Online or offline, local to you. Introduce yourself or just listen in.

2. Challenge yourself

We’ll give you the tools and playbook to try new things.

3. Keep attending to build confidence

Celebrate your wins with the group and tap into their wisdom to help you through struggling moments.

How it works

“The best thing I do for anxiety.”

“I felt empowered after speaking today.”

“In many respects it’s more beneficial than the therapy”

“I felt like I’d accomplished something.”

Is this for me?

Take our quick assessment to see if WalkTheTalk is right for you and learn more about how you can use it alongside, before or after 1-1 therapy.

Learn more

What’s the ‘process’?

Discover what a typical journey to overcoming social anxiety with WalkTheTalk looks like and what to expect at group sessions.

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

How is WalkTheTalk free?

As it’s peer-led, there are very few operating costs. Our members ‘graduating’ WalkTheTalk often choose to give back to help others. Facilitating sessions is a social anxiety challenge.

What is the ‘process’ behind WalkTheTalk?

We follow Cognitive Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder (CT-SAD) as closely as possible. This is the gold standard treatment developed by the team at OxCADAT (Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma) and what would be ‘prescribed’ on the NHS. While we follow it as closely as possible we deviate in some areas that are tricky to replicate outside of a 1-1 therapy environment and we enrich it in other areas, such as the emphasis on continual behavioural experiments or ‘challenges’ and the peer support group you’ll get.

Learn more about what to expect.

The process we follow is modelled on and adapted from the gold standard treatment used for Social Anxiety Disorder. This is shown to be highly effective in treating social anxiety. However, we we’ve adapted the process as much as is possible in a group setting, it would be misleading to draw comparisons. We aspire to soon record outcome measures of members and allow researchers to understand WalkTheTalk’s efficacy compared with 1-1 therapies. Meanwhile, we encourage you to try WalkTheTalk alongside or after 1-1 therapy if needed.

What if I feel anxious about joining a group of strangers?

By nature, many of our members are nervous the first time they join or it takes multiple attempts and significant energy to muster to join. You’re not alone and it’s fine to feel that way and to go at your own pace. Many of us started that way. Our groups are safe spaces made up of people in the same position.

When you make contact with your group you’ll be introduced on email to the facilitator. Let them know how you feel and your expectations and they’ll explain everything and how they can accommodate you. There is no pressure to ‘do’ anything when you’re at your group. You don’t have to speak at first, you can just listen in, and if you join an online group, you can even start with your camera off.

As scary as it may seem the first time, there’s natural power to overcoming social anxiety with the help of a supportive and safe social group.

Our guide on what to expect at a group meeting might be helpful so there are no surprises.

Are groups online or in-person?

We aim to make WalkTheTalk accessible to everyone with social anxiety in the UK, by offering at least one group meeting in each local area each month. We know that in-person meetings are more effective than online meetings, but we realise that it will take time to establish in-person meetings everywhere. Therefore, we offer a mix of online and in-person meetings, with the number of in-person meetings increasing over time.

Find your group.

Enter your email address below to subscribe to our newsletter

Overcome Social Anxiety