Rejection Therapy: The viral mental health trend that's making people braver

Khaleej Times

27-03-2025

Alexa Thompson* came across Sophie Jones' viral TikTok account — sophie_jones111 — after moving to Dubai in late 2024. She was overcome with secondhand embarrassement for the outragous content creator.
'Sophie Jones' account is mortifying for someone like me. She goes around purposely looking for ways to get rejected or feel embarrassed,' said the 31-year-old Briton trailing her spouse. 'She does things like clapping after a flight lands or asking strangers to play games with her on her train ride home. I thought it was so cringey.'
But as the algorithm sent similar content her way, Thompson learned Jones was practising rejection therapy.
The concept behind rejection therapy is simple but unconventional: confront the fear of rejection by intentionally seeking it out. To practice it, individuals create situations where they face likely rejection every single day.
Ask for free food at a restaurant. Ask for a discount at your favourite clothing store. Ask to be bumped up to first class on your next flight. Ask a stranger for a high-five on your run.
Do the thing that scares YOU.
While the exercise may sound silly, it's been popularised through social media. Influencer or not, people are creating uplifiting content that documents their experiences.
It's believed that if individuals face fears in a controlled environment, they can overcome the fear of rejection and build resilience. Then, when they face rejection in scenarios outside their control, they experience reduced emotional impact because they're used to it.
Rejection therapy shares similarities with established psychological methods, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy. Both methods are used to treat anxiety disorders like social phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and are conducted under professional supervision.
But does rejection therapy work? 'The idea behind it is sound in theory,' Dr Nidhi Kumar, specialist psychiatry at Aster Clinic in Al Muteena (Deira) said. 'Facing fears, especially social ones, can be beneficial for emotional growth. The key difference is that rejection therapy is unstructured and self-guided, unlike formal therapies which are managed by trained professionals. And it's not recognised as an evidence-based therapy because there's no clinical research to support its effectiveness.'
While facing rejection might reduce its power over time, it comes with risks. Dr Kumar cautions that for individuals dealing with anxiety or depression, intentionally seeking rejection could backfire. 'Not everyone is equipped to handle the emotional fallout of rejection therapy. For individuals with severe anxiety or depression, seeking rejection without professional guidance could be psychologically detrimental. It could worsen feelings of inadequacy or contribute to negative thought patterns.'
According to him, CBT or exposure therapy conducted under the supervision of a therapist are far more effective and safer.
But, that didn't stop Thompson from embracing a 30-Day Rejection Therapy Challenge she found on Instagram.
'I figured, I'm in a new country. No one knows me, and I'm not doing this for social media. I'll give it a go,' she rationalised with herself. 'Worst-case scenario was that some strangers would think I was weird but I'd never see them again.'
The early stages of her experiment were challenging. 'The first time I asked for a free drink at a café, I was shaking. I knew the barista would say no. It wasn't the rejection that stung. It was the fact that I was making myself vulnerable to something that felt out of my control.'
Thompson kept pushing her boundaries.
'One of the boldest things I did was sit beside a stranger on the metro and strike up a conversation,' said the mother of two. 'She gave me a weird look but she did answer a few of my questions awkwardly. I took the hint that she wasn't interested in conversation when she made a show of taking out her headphones to cut the interaction short.
'And you know what happened next? Nothing. It was awkward, but liberating at the same time. It made me realise that rejection wasn't going to ruin my day. Life went on.'
Overall, Thompson felt her experiences were empowering: 'We've moved around a lot for my husband's work. I encourage my kids to put themselves out there and try new things. This experiment helped me get myself into that mindset as well.'
While Thompson's experience may have been positive, content creators and influencers may not fully understand the various pitfalls of practicing rejection therapy.
For one, cultural understanding is key before attempting rejection therapy. In the Gulf region, known for its conservative social norms for instance, accosting and/or filming strangers can be viewed as extremely disrespectful or inappropriate, particularly in more traditional settings. Sure, this will get you the desired result of rejection, but it could also have unwanted social or even legal consequences in certain circumstances as well.
Safety is another concern. In any context, approaching strangers with bold requests can result in unpredictable responses. It could lead to harassment or unwanted attention, especially for women in public spaces.
As social media continues to fuel unconventional practices like rejection therapy, it's important to approach them with caution. Social media is great for raising awareness and driving conversations, but it should never be used to diagnose or treat health issues — either mental or physical.
'Diagnosing or treating yourself from content you see on social media is not the most effective path to wellness,' Dr Kumar said. 'One must not experiment with mental health. Before attempting something like rejection therapy on your own, it's essential to assess whether you're emotionally ready. If you have any concerns about your mental health, seeking guidance from professionals is the best course of action.'
Despite the potential risks, many people, like Thompson, have found rejection therapy to be a worthwhile experiment. 'I've learned that rejection doesn't define me,' she said. 'It's just a part of life. It's uncomfortable, but it's not the end of the world.'