Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Social Anxiety
In the most recent scientific articles and systematic reviews of treatment research for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) was considered the most effective in terms of symptom reduction, treatment gains, relapse prevention and duration of treatment gains. Cognitive behaviour therapy is a collaborative form of psychotherapy or psychological treatment, where the psychologist and patient work together on a series of treatment goals. The course of CBT treatment is also usually time limited. With regards to social anxiety disorder CBT concerns examining thinking patterns that are sustaining the social anxiety disorder, as well as providing strategies and skills to improve social interaction and performance. Another important feature and very important component of CBT is exposure. In brief, exposure concerns confronting by entering/approaching difficult situation, and at the same time reducing avoidance strategies (that are maintaining the social anxiety). Exposures are generally graded, where the therapist and patient work on situations that produce less anxiety towards those that produce more intense anxiety. For more information on CBT for SAD visit:
http://www.bu.edu/card/
http://www.socialanxietyinstitute.org/ccbtherapy.html
