CBT Therapies for Social Anxiety Disorder: An Integrative Strategy

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies for Social Anxiety Disorder: An Integrative Strategy (Two-Part Webinar Series) 

Part 1:

Part 2:

On-demand registration includes access to Part I and Part II of this webinar series.

This intensive workshop provides an in-depth discussion of five evidence-based cognitive-behavioral strategies for the treatment of social anxiety disorder: behavioral experiments/exposure; cognitive restructuring; external mindfulness plus thought defusion; assertion training; and core belief change work. Attendees will learn the basics of how to apply, combine, and adapt these strategies to the needs of socially anxious individuals. Several of the strategies are demonstrated during the session through role plays.

There is a discussion on how to design and implement exposures as experiments to test and modify automatic thoughts, underlying assumptions and core beliefs for the purpose of decreasing social anxiety and shame, and building self-confidence.

Client worksheets, instructional handouts, and questionnaires are provided for use and adaptation in your own practices - emails [email protected] to receive these materials.

Attendees become familiarized with the major debates among the three waves of cognitive-behavioral therapies as to the most effective strategies for treating social anxiety disorder, and how to integrate the best of each of these variant approaches:

• Exposures for habituation v. behavioral experiments to change thoughts and beliefs (aka violating expectancy)
• Cognitive restructuring v. thought defusion plus mindful focus
• Cognitive restructuring before or after experiments
• Teaching mindfulness as meditation v. teaching EXTERNAL mindfulness (aka curiosity training) during interactions
• In-session v. homework experiments
• In vivo v. role-played v. imaginal v. virtual reality experiments
• Paradoxical (aka social mishap / shame-attacking / decatastrophizing) experiments v. straightforward experiments; –using fear hierarchies v. cognition to choose exposures
• Eliminating safety behaviors v. the judicious use of safety behaviors during experiments
• Whether it is important to work on changing core beliefs or only automatic thoughts
• Group v. individual CBT; –social skills training v. CBT
• The pros and cons of medications

Learning Objectives:

1. Integrate the most effective strategies from all three waves of cognitive and behavioral therapies to improve the treatment of social anxiety disorder.
2. Design and implement exposures as behavioral experiments to test and modify automatic thoughts, underlying assumptions and core beliefs for the purpose of decreasing social anxiety and shame, and building self-confidence.
3. Train socially anxious persons in the use of external mindfulness and thought delusion (vs. meditation), and how to convey the rationale for this strategy to socially anxious clients.

This webinar was recorded. If you registered and missed the live webinar, please contact [email protected].