The Authentic Speaking Club: Find Your Voice Without Anxiety. Led by a specialist therapist and coach.
This group is about letting go of perfection and discovering that you can be fully yourself, even with anxiety, when speaking in front of others.
This isn’t only about public speaking — it’s about practicing being seen. When you can show up in your vulnerability and still feel safe, that ripples out into every area of your life: relationships, work, self-confidence.
Public speaking is not just the stage.
When most people hear “public speaking,” they picture someone on a stage giving a big presentation. It includes this, but in reality, public speaking is much more everyday than that. It’s speaking up in a meeting. Introducing yourself in a group. Being vulnerable. Sharing an idea in class. Saying your name when it’s your turn. Disagreeing with your colleagues in a group.
For people with anxiety, even these everyday moments can feel just as daunting as a spotlight. That’s why this group isn’t about learning to give a TED Talk — it’s about practicing those real-life situations where anxiety shows up and learning you can handle them.
When you feel comfortable to just be yourself when speaking, not editing yourself, not stopping yourself from speaking, not overthinking it, you are able to be magnetic, confident, and speak well. You don’t need to learn how to do it. You can already do it, it’s just underneath anxiety.
What Makes This Group Different?
Think of the best speaker you’ve ever seen — on a stage, in a meeting, or just in a group.
Were they perfect?
Or were they real?
Chances are, what made them memorable wasn’t flawless hand gestures or rehearsed eye contact. It was that they were being themselves — maybe they laughed, maybe they forgot their words for a moment, maybe they spoke with quirks. And that’s what drew you in.
That’s what this group is about. Not performance. Not “getting it right.” But finding ease in being authentically you when you speak.
‘Performance’ Focus
❌ Teaches technique (hand placement, eye contact, tone) — but these often feel forced or awkward when anxiety is still present.
❌ Exposure-based, but not always grounded in current research — practicing performance over and over without addressing the root of fear.
❌ Aims for a “good speaker” norm — polished, scripted, and often inauthentic.
❌ Success = performing without mistakes.
❌ Emphasis on impressing an audience.
❌ Working towards a good public speaking ‘norm’ rather than what is authentic to you and harnessing your unique traits and skills.
Authenticity & Anxiety Focus
✅ Focuses on anxiety reduction first — when you feel calm, natural eye contact, gestures, and flow happen on their own.
✅ Research-based: exposure to anxiety itself and to the vulnerability of being authentic. Confidence grows from meeting fear, not bypassing it.
✅ No “norm”: the goal is your most authentic, magnetic self — speaking comfortably and genuinely, in your own way.
✅ Success = speaking without overthinking, editing yourself, or holding back.
✅ Emphasis on connection: showing up as yourself, being heard, and feeling at ease.
The Just Be Speaking Method
This group isn’t about mastering presentation skills or learning tricks to “hide” your anxiety. It’s about practicing speaking with anxiety, in a safe and structured way, until it no longer controls you, with a therapist who ensures the space is one of safe growth.
The truth is, the best speakers aren’t the ones who memorise every word — they’re the ones who can show up, feel their nerves, and still find their voice. That’s exactly what we’ll practice together. Your voice.
What to Expect
This is a therapist-led, trauma-informed, online group (maximum 10 participants) designed for people who feel held back by public speaking anxiety.
Led by Sophia, each session is structured to give you real speaking practice in a safe, supportive setting. You’ll be pushed, but never pressured — the aim is to take you just far enough outside your comfort zone that growth becomes possible, without ever forcing you into something you don’t feel ready for. Your comfort zone isn’t just anxiety, it’s also vulnerability.
Every participant chooses their own pace. Some people are at the very beginning of their journey. Others are ready to try bigger challenges. Wherever you are, the group will meet you there.
For your first session you can arrive 10 min early so we can meet! :)
Who will you be with? Our group is a mixed bunch. Some are professionals trying to hone their skills, others care less about work but want to improve their confidence. All are welcome here. This is a safe place for growth. I reserve the right to remove anyone from the group, at any time, no questions asked, as a result.
A Little Bit* of The Science That Inspires My Approach
(yes I am a nerd — but I think that’s what makes my approach work).
*because there’s a lot more and you’ll learn it in the group!
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When we’re outside our “window,” the nervous system tips into fight/flight (panic, racing heart) or freeze (shut down, blank mind). Learning to notice and return to your window helps you stay present when speaking.
Reference: Siegel, D. (1999). The Developing Mind. -
Anxiety is a body-based response. Specific tools that work with the body (not the mind), help the nervous system come to safety, so a shaky voice, sweaty palms, and breathlessness ease naturally.
Reference: Ogden, P., & Fisher, J. (2015). Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. -
Studies consistently show that authentic, imperfect communication creates trust and influence more than polished performance. People connect most with realness, not perfection.
Reference: Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. (2006). A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity. -
Our brains are wired for connection. Speaking anxiety often comes from fearing judgment, but neuroscience shows that safety and belonging regulate our nervous systems. We work for you to feel safe in ANY group.
Reference: Cacioppo, J., & Patrick, W. (2008). Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. -
When we feel safe, our bodies, voices, and even heart rhythms naturally sync with others. This synchrony fosters connection and reduces anxiety. It’s why authenticity feels magnetic.
Reference: Feldman, R. (2012). Parent–infant synchrony: A biobehavioral model.
Each Session Includes:
Anxiety and somatic education
A mini-lesson at the beginning of each group to help you understand anxiety and somatic sensations when speaking and to implement skills.
Speaking Practice
Every session gives multiple opportunities for everyone to speak, with the group capped at 10 people so each voice is heard.
You won’t receive feedbak like “try holding your hands here” or “you should have said it this way.” That kind of critique often fuels overthinking — and it’s not what builds confidence.
Instead, you’ll reflect on your own experience: How authentic did I feel? And the group will give you just one piece of feedback: How connected did they feel to you on a scale of 0-10?
Over time, you’ll start to notice something powerful: the moments you feel most like yourself are the moments people feel most connected. And often, the more “polished” the performance, the less connection others feel.
This way, you gradually learn and come to BELIEVE (even if you don’t right now) that showing up as your real self is not only safe — it’s magnetic.
Tailored Exposure Exercises
Exposure Exercises: Gradually working with situations that trigger anxiety once you feel ok to do so (not at the beginning normally), such as:
Speaking to a silent audience.
Being interrupted mid-flow.
Having your ideas challenged.
Speaking to an audience of expressionless people.
Having to talk about yourself for 5 minutes straight.
Hi, I'm Sophia!
I'm a specialist therapist, in all things social anxiety, confidence, and being seen. You’re in the right place!
Many of my clients want to practice speaking up, but public speaking groups are often not therapeutically led, instead focusing on ‘skills’ and ‘tips’.
What use is a tip if you feel sick with anxiety or frozen in fear? I get it. I’ve had panic attack before. I know what it’s like to feel frozen in that moment, even though logically you know it’s fine to speak.
This is a safe space, to get confident in public speaking, led by a qualified specialist therapist who gets it.
Pricing
Drop-In Session £14
A safe way to “test the waters.”
Experience what it feels like to speak while anxious in a supportive setting.
Low cost, low commitment — but one session alone won’t create lasting change, but it will get you going!
6-Week Block
£78 (Best Value)
Commit to the full program.
Six weeks of repeated exposure — the only real way to see progress.
Works out at just £13 per session.
Supportive stable group
Recommended if you truly want to see progress.
Why the block matters:
Let’s be real — anxiety often whispers: “Just try one, and if you don’t like it, you don’t have to go back.” That’s how anxiety works to protect you. It’s understandable. And that’s why you can try one or book drop in.
But your logical brain already knows you want to do this and that you need the outcome. Paying for the 6-week block helps your logical brain take the lead: “I’ve already paid, so I may as well go… I guess.” Yep, I get it!
That structure is part of the therapy. One session can give you a glimpse of what’s possible. Six sessions build the tolerance and confidence that make real change happen.
Join Our Safe Community!
Book your preferred class below. Join from any timezone. Newcomers can attend 10 minutes early so I can meet you and explain how it all works! I look forward to seeing you there!! Can’t make the times? Do drop me an email at hello@sociallyfearless.com telling me what times would work. As I get demand I will open new times.