The Gift Inside Social Anxiety
Social Anxiety and the Fear of Being Seen In many careers, the ability to speak in front of others—confidently, fluently, as though you belong there—is the difference between visibility and invisibility. You don’t get promoted for thinking well in silence. You...
The Ogre Complex: What Shrek Teaches Us About the Hell Realm
Last weekend, watching my daughter perform in her school’s production of Shrek, I found myself unexpectedly undone. In the pivotal scene, Shrek—a massive green ogre who has spent his life as a feared outcast—overhears what he believes to be Princess Fiona...
Anxiety Therapist in NYC: When Your Worry Goes Deeper Than Deadlines
When Anxiety Isn’t About the Presentation You lie awake at night. But not because of tomorrow’s meeting. You’re successful. Your relationships are stable. Your life looks good on paper. Yet something feels persistently off. Maybe you wonder if this is really what you...
Being Authentic at Work or Faking It?
At work, can you be authentic or do you always have to fake it? Defining authenticity or being “real” can be an entire philosophical dissertation. A Buddhist may even say there is no true self. So to avoid obfuscation, I will use the following psychological definition found in research to define authenticity: authenticity is being aware of desires, objectively assessing strengths and weaknesses, engaging in behavior consistent with values and goals and being interpersonally honest. Studies indicate that greater authenticity can enhance self-esteem and overall wellbeing (Goldman & Kernis, 2002). Many people come to therapy because they want to live more authentically and discover their genuine feelings and motivations. However, what happens when one is at a job where being authentic can cause problems? Telling your boss off, or your client how you really feel about them could mean filing for unemployment. Do you fake it? The following are tips on how to cope when being authentic at work can be problematic.