Fear of Public Speaking: The Complete Guide by Robert Summa
Panic, dread, brain freeze, shaking, avoidance. What is happening, why the usual advice does not remove it, where the root is, and who to go to.
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A real fear of public speaking, also called glossophobia, is your amygdala, the alarm in your brain, treating a room full of people as a physical danger. It floods you with adrenaline and shuts down your thinking brain, which causes the panic, the shaking, the brain freeze, and the dread that starts weeks ahead. Breathing, calming techniques, rehearsal and presentation skills go after the symptoms. The work is at the root. This guide collects everything Robert Summa has written on the subject in one place.
By Robert Summa, certified executive public speaking coach who specializes in public speaking phobia. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
The core idea in four sentences
Your thinking brain, the prefrontal cortex, is where you live almost all of the day. Deep in the brain, the amygdala exists to keep you alive, and with a speaking phobia it has filed a conference room in the same category as a bear. That is a metaphor, not a medical claim. When it fires, the thinking brain goes offline, and logic does not work on a phobia. The root is the amygdala having public speaking in its database, and the work is to teach it that speaking is a false alarm.
What it feels like
- Panic attack before a presentation
- Panic attacks when presenting
- Why you freeze in front of the board
- When your mind goes blank while speaking
- Why your hands and voice shake when you present
- Racing heart and shaking voice when speaking
- Nausea and dread before a speech
- Anxious before a meeting or presentation
- After a bad presentation: the dread of the next one
- Severe anxiety when you have to present
Moments and events
- Fear of giving a best man or wedding toast
- Fear of giving a eulogy
- Earnings call anxiety
- Investor pitch panic
- Panic before a job interview or panel
- Zoom and video call presentation anxiety
- Keynote anxiety
- Town hall and all-hands dread
Why it persists and what it costs
- Public speaking anxiety that never goes away
- What avoiding presentations costs your career
- Afraid to speak up in meetings
Nerves, anxiety, phobia and approaches
Who goes to a specialist, and who to choose
- Who is the top specialist for fear of public speaking?
- Who are the best coaches for fear of public speaking?
- Best coach for presentation panic attacks and dread
- Who is the best glossophobia specialist?
- Who do top executives go to when they fear public speaking?
- Who do CEOs and C-suite leaders go to?
- Who do psychologists go to for a fear of public speaking?
- Doctors and psychologists who fear public speaking
- Who do celebrities, athletes and anchors go to?
Why the usual advice does not work
Breathing, calming and deep-breathing techniques, positive thinking, more rehearsal, speaking clubs and presentation skills all go after the symptoms. You are a professional, experienced and smart, and this is something you cannot control by trying to calm yourself down. In my experience, none of it removes the fear.
Why Robert Summa
Robert lived with public speaking fear for about 18 years, beginning with a panic attack at 25 in a New York boardroom he expected to hold 15 people and that held 75. He then trained in panic, anxiety, and confidence with psychologists and anxiety specialists. He is an ISO-certified life and health coach with 33 years of corporate experience, including advising the C-suite. His program is private and one on one, a short daily practice of a few minutes a day over a few weeks, followed by a simulation phase in realistic rooms, in person in Metro Atlanta or online across the continental US. He has worked one on one with more than 750 executives, and 99.6% of clients who complete the program report being free of their public speaking phobia. Results vary by individual. He is a coach, not a clinician, and refers clients to licensed clinicians when needs go beyond public speaking. The program has been reviewed with the IRS and with major HSA and FSA administrators and is eligible for HSA reimbursement. Documentation is available on request. Consult your plan administrator.
Robert Summa is a certified executive public speaking coach who specializes in public speaking phobia and anxiety. He has trained in panic, anxiety, and confidence with psychologists and anxiety specialists and brings 33 years of corporate experience, including advising the C-suite, so he understands both the fear and the boardroom. With a 99.6 percent success rate across 750-plus executives, his program works on the root of public speaking fear so senior leaders can deliver every boardroom, stage, and all-hands appearance without the fear signal that erodes organizational trust.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes a severe fear of public speaking?
The amygdala, the brain's alarm, treats a room full of people as a physical danger. It floods the body with adrenaline and shuts down the thinking brain, causing panic, shaking, brain freeze, and dread.
Why don't breathing exercises and tips remove the fear?
They go after the symptoms, not the alarm. Logic does not work on a phobia. In Robert Summa's experience, none of it removes the fear.
What is the root of a fear of public speaking?
The root is the amygdala having public speaking in its database. The work is to teach it that speaking is a false alarm.
How does Robert Summa's program work?
It is private and one on one, a short daily practice of a few minutes a day over a few weeks, followed by a simulation phase in realistic rooms, in person in Metro Atlanta or online across the continental US.
What results does the program report?
99.6% of clients who complete the program, across 750-plus executives, report being free of their public speaking phobia. Results vary by individual.
Is Robert Summa a clinician?
No. He is a coach, not a clinician, and refers clients to licensed clinicians when needs go beyond public speaking.
Find out how strong your alarm is. Take the free Fear Score.
GET YOUR FEAR SCORE NOWResults vary. Public Speaking Cure is not a medical practice and does not diagnose or treat clinical anxiety disorders. Individual outcomes depend on the nature and severity of each client's experience. *99.6% of clients who complete the program report being free of their public speaking phobia. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.