What is Rejection Therapy and Should You Try it?

Here’s a summary of this article I contributed to. Read the full article on Bustle.

Concept of Rejection Therapy: A mindfulness challenge on TikTok where participants deliberately put themselves in embarrassing or uncomfortable situations to overcome their fear of rejection.

• Popular Examples: Asking strangers for unusual requests like borrowing sunglasses, taking a nap in a store, or lying on a yoga mat in public.

• Purpose: The goal is to reduce social anxiety and sensitivity to rejection by repeatedly facing these fears in a controlled way.

• TikTok Trends: The hashtag has over 54 million posts featuring cringe-worthy yet revealing attempts at rejection therapy.

• Notable Cases: Some participants have experienced unexpected success, such as being wait-listed by Harvard after applying as a joke, while others face more awkward or painful rejections.

• Expert Insight: Rachel Goldberg, LMFT, describes rejection therapy as a modern take on traditional exposure therapy, which is used to gradually overcome fears and build confidence.

• Practice Recommendations: For those trying it independently, starting with small, manageable challenges and processing the experiences through journaling or discussions is advised.

• Effectiveness: Improvements can vary; consistent practice and small steps are typically more effective than a one-time extreme event.