Improve social skills and build confidence. Social skills training helps reduce social anxiety, enhance communication, and support better social interactions.
At Upstream Counselling, we believe that social skills training (SST) is a transformative process that empowers individuals to improve the way they interact with others and navigate different social environments with greater ease. Our program incorporates a blend of behaviour therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, behavioural rehearsal, and role-playing to address skills deficits and enhance appropriate social behaviour.
These interventions are carefully crafted to help you better recognize social cues, use verbal and nonverbal behaviours effectively, and respond to social situations with increased social intelligence. Whether you struggle with anxiety about social situations, are lacking social skills, or experience challenges due to ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or mood disorders, our evidence-based approach is tailored to support your unique journey.
Through practical activities, you’ll strengthen interpersonal skills, including eye contact, active listening, and assertiveness, which are key elements of effective social communication. The goal is to reduce avoidance of social interactions and build confidence in your ability to form connections across a variety of social settings. We offer social skills training for those who want to enhance their social performance and achieve more fulfilling relationships. Each session is designed to be inclusive and grounded in clinical psychology practices.
Our approach to social skills therapy supports clients in building self-awareness, social intelligence, and emotional resilience. The impact of social skills training can be life-changing, facilitated by professionals who understand the complexities of social communication and interpersonal skills.
Participants gain a stronger sense of self when navigating common social interactions. With tailored treatment for social anxiety and a focus on developing social competence, clients learn to approach new encounters without fear or hesitation.
Learning to manage emotional triggers helps clients stay grounded during conversations. By enhancing emotional regulation and communication strategies, individuals can express themselves more clearly, which are key to improving both personal and professional conversation skills.
Through SST, clients strengthen conversation skills, listen more effectively, and engage in assertiveness without aggression. These improvements help create healthier bonds with peers, coworkers, and family members.
Our approach supports individuals on the autism spectrum or with communication disorders by addressing specific target areas of difficulty, such as nonverbal communication, eye contact, and understanding social cues in a safe and respectful environment.
Using methods like exposure therapy, group CBT, and role-playing, we target the avoidance of social situations. Over time, clients develop resilience and feel more comfortable engaging in various social activities.
Children with social skills deficits or social challenges linked to ADHD, autism, or personality disorder benefit from age-appropriate interventions for social growth. These include behavioural rehearsal, practical activities, and real-time feedback in group or individual therapy settings.
Take control of the process.
Beginning therapy can feel daunting but the truth is you decide what (and when) to share. Our diverse team specializes in a range of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship issues. No matter your situation, we're here to support your journey to empowerment and mental wellness.
Your therapist is your guide.
Finding the right therapist is key to achieving your goals. Dip your toes into the therapy experience by booking a free consultation with one of our registered psychotherapists. These appointments are an opportunity to address your questions and explore your challenges, needs, and aspirations.
Commit to the experience.
To maximize the benefits of counselling it’s important you attend sessions consistently. When in session, we encourage you to lead the agenda. (Remember, this is YOUR therapy!) Between sessions, we hope you will strive to apply new insights, practice new skills, and develop new habits that support personal growth.
Want to connect better, speak up easier, and feel more like yourself in social moments?
Social skills are an important foundation for successful interactions with others, yet many people experience barriers, whether due to developmental challenges, attention-deficit disorders, or past negative social encounters. Our comprehensive treatment program is crafted to support both children and adults in overcoming severe social difficulties and building lasting confidence.
“The goal of social skills training is not to change who you are, but to help you feel empowered while being yourself around others.”
At Upstream Counselling, we believe that social skills training involves more than learning behaviours, it’s about rediscovering the confidence to step out, speak up, and truly connect.
Our expert team uses evidence-based strategies like social effectiveness therapy, exposure therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy to target skills deficits. Through behavioural rehearsal, role-play, and real-world practice, we encourage growth in social development and reduce anxiety disorders tied to social interactions.
We tailor our social skills therapy to help clients engage more comfortably in social settings they once avoided. For clients dealing with social communication disorder, personality disorder, or autism spectrum, our neurodiversity-affirming approach honours each individual’s strengths while supporting the development of effective social responses.
Each session helps you decode social cues, understand verbal and nonverbal behaviours, and apply them during actual social situations. Over time, you'll be able to approach social environments with authenticity, warmth, and resilience.
At Upstream Counselling, we want you to feel comfortable with the counselling process. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about talking to a therapist about this type of therapy.
Struggling with social communication can affect personal, academic, and professional relationships. At Upstream Counselling, our targeted approach helps clients strengthen meaningful connections by addressing both verbal and nonverbal aspects of interaction.
Decode Nonverbal Cues: Understanding body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice is vital in improving communication. Through practical exercises and observation, clients learn to read others more accurately and respond in socially appropriate ways.
Build Confidence in Social Settings: Clients are gradually introduced to diverse and manageable social situations that previously caused discomfort or anxiety. This consistent real-life practice helps reduce avoidance patterns and reinforces confidence in handling various interactions with calm, clarity, and greater ease.
Practice Conversational Flow: Using role-play, clients learn how to initiate, maintain, and end conversations naturally. This includes learning to ask questions, show interest, and use turn-taking, which are essential for smooth communication.
Strengthen Listening Skills: We help clients become more present and engaged listeners by using intentional strategies like active listening and reflective responses. These listening techniques create space for more reciprocal, validating, and fulfilling conversations with others.
Promote Assertive Expression: Our sessions encourage clients to speak up respectfully and express their thoughts, opinions, and needs without aggression or fear. Practicing assertiveness fosters self-respect, trust, and emotional safety, making social communication more effective, direct, and authentic.
While many assume social skills support is for children, social skills training for adults is a growing need. At Upstream Counselling, we tailor each program to the adult experience, addressing professional, romantic, and everyday social challenges.
Real-Life Social Scenarios: Adults practice in contextually relevant settings, such as workplace meetings, dating, or group discussions. We simulate these moments in therapy and review them to refine techniques and responses.
Cognitive-Behavioural Interventions: Our methods incorporate CBT to explore and challenge beliefs that hold adults back in social settings. Clients gain clarity on thoughts, regulate emotional responses, and break patterns of avoidance or self-doubt.
Behavioural Rehearsal: We use behavioural rehearsal to build muscle memory for appropriate social behaviours. Repeated exposure to specific scenarios strengthens social competence and reduces performance anxiety.
Skills for Emotional Regulation: Clients learn how to manage strong emotions like frustration or nervousness before they interfere with social interactions. These strategies lead to more composed and constructive engagements with others.
Identity-Affirming Support: Our adult clients come from all walks of life. We honour neurodiverse identities, cultural values, and unique life experiences while offering evidence-based tools that support personal growth and social mastery.
Social interactions can be difficult for many people, especially when common social obstacles like anxiety, poor boundaries, or misreading cues come into play. At Upstream Counselling, social skills training involves practical solutions to these daily challenges.
Avoidance of Interaction: Many clients avoid eye contact, public speaking, or initiating conversations due to past negative experiences. We address this by using gradual exposure therapy to reframe fears and reduce avoidance.
Misinterpreting Social Cues: Clients often misread sarcasm, tone, or body language, leading to confusion or conflict. Through role-play and video feedback, we help improve cue recognition and response accuracy.
Poor Conflict Resolution: Navigating disagreement respectfully is a core part of building relationships. Our training emphasizes how to assert your point of view, de-escalate tension, and reach a compromise without feeling overwhelmed.
Struggles with Assertiveness: Many people either suppress their needs or express them aggressively. We teach balanced assertiveness, helping clients express themselves clearly and respectfully while maintaining healthy boundaries.
Difficulty Joining Groups: Whether at work, school, or social events, joining a group can feel intimidating. We rehearse how to enter conversations, respond to invitations, and find common interests, skills known as social entry strategies.
At Upstream Counselling, our social skills coaching approach affirms neurodiversity and recognizes the unique strengths and needs of each individual. Our goal is to support authentic social growth without compromising identity.
Safe Environment for Skill Building: We create a supportive space where clients can try new behaviours without judgment. This encourages experimentation and growth in a way that feels respectful and secure.
Targeted Communication Tools: We focus on tools like scripting, visual cues, and step-by-step conversation guides to support those who process social information differently. These tools empower clearer expression and comprehension.
Emphasis on Predictability: By making social rules and structures more predictable, we help reduce stress during social interactions. This is especially helpful for individuals who struggle with sudden changes or ambiguity in communication.
Personalized Coaching Plans: Our therapists assess the client’s baseline and tailor goals accordingly, whether it's understanding humour or navigating group dynamics. This ensures progress is measurable and meaningful.
Encouragement of Self-Advocacy: Social skills coaching emphasizes not just “fitting in,” but advocating for personal boundaries and needs. This builds self-confidence and empowers clients to engage socially on their own terms.
Many people assume they should naturally “just know” how to navigate social situations. At Upstream Counselling, we emphasize that certain social skills are learned behaviours and can be improved with structured support.
Learning through Experience: Social understanding grows when clients are exposed to practice-based learning. We offer structured exercises that simulate real-world interactions so clients can develop skills through doing, not just theory.
Positive Reinforcement of New Behaviours: With encouragement and guided feedback, clients are more likely to adopt and retain new social habits. Each successful interaction builds trust in one’s ability to navigate future encounters.
Addressing Underlying Barriers: For those with conditions like ADHD or social anxiety, difficulty with social interaction often stems from cognitive or emotional roadblocks. Recognizing this opens the door for skill-focused strategies that remove shame from the process.
Tailored Skill Development: Not everyone needs the same skills at the same time. We personalize the training to focus on the most important gaps for each individual, whether it’s initiating conversation or managing group dynamics.
Supported by Research: Social skills training may sound intuitive, but its effectiveness is supported by rigorous studies, including those using a randomized controlled trial method. We rely on this research to inform our evidence-based practice.
Our team at Upstream Counselling is here to help you explore issues, gain insights, begin your journey towards healing, and work towards the goals you identify during the counselling process.
Personalized therapy designed to address specific mental health issues while also nurturing personal growth and well-being.
A counselling program focusing on fostering effective communication, resolving conflicts, and nurturing healthy relationships.
A program designed to support clinical growth, whether you’re a student or a seasoned professional.
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Disclaimer: Content on this website is for informational purposes only. Visiting this website does not establish any type of therapist-client relationship with Upstream Counselling or its staff. Information obtained from this site does not substitute for a thorough medical and/or psychiatric evaluation by an appropriately credentialed and licensed professional.
