4 - Social anxiety disorder

Summary

This chapter provides a combination of empirical evidence along with an emphasis on clinical skills and techniques for the treatment of social anxiety disorder. Individuals with social anxiety disorder may experience anxiety and/or avoidance of a variety of social situations, including parties, and public speaking. Although there have been a multitude of studies of the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapies and pharmacotherapies for social anxiety disorder, this chapter focuses on the combination of exposure and cognitive techniques. Social anxiety disorder is a debilitating disorder that follows a chronic course. Inclusion of a clinical case gives a flavor for the types of clients with social anxiety disorder treated in clinic, although these clients cover a wide spectrum of severity and impairment. The chapter highlights certain key areas in the treatment protocol in which the therapist makes decisions based on empirical evidence and to a great extent on their clinical skills and experience.