Cognitive behavioral group therapy for social phobia. I. Description of Treatment At the University at Albany's Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders, cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy have been integrated into a highly structured package for the treatment of social phobia.
Sessions conclude with assignment of homework for each group member.
For each targeted client, a period of cognitive restructuring precedes a simulated exposure to a feared situation. Finally, concrete behavioral goals are established for the client in the exposure situation. Thus, goals often take the form of number of comments made or questions asked by the client during an interaction or ideas discussed in the case of public speaking. While goals like these may appear mundane, goal setting of this sort is a critical skill in the treatment of social phobics who often harbor vague, unrealistic, and sometimes perfectionistic goals for themselves in social situations. Measurable goals allow for immediate feedback at the conclusion of the exposure, making judgment of success or failure a relatively straightforward process.