- Basic premise: thoughts, feelings and behaviors are inter-related, so altering one can help to alleviate problems in another
- Essence of therapy: Cognitive therapy techniques focus on modifying the catastrophic thinking patterns and beliefs that social failure and rejection are likely; exposure therapies are designed to gradually encourage the individual to enter feared social situations and try to remain in those situations.
- Length: approx. 12 sessions
Other Treatment Resources
- Cognitive-behavioral treatment of social phobia: new advances (Huppert, Roth, & Foa, 2003)
- Cognitive factors that maintain social anxiety disorder (Hofmann, 2007)
- Social mishap exposures for social anxiety disorder (Fang et al., 2013)
- Cognitive behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: Evidence-based and disorder-specific treatment techniques (Hofmann & Otto, 2008)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: Applying the approach (Rowa, Milosevic, & Antony)
Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews
- Psychological and pharmacological interventions for social anxiety disorder in adults: A systematic review and network meta-analysis (Mayo-Wilson et al., 2014)
- Cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatment for social phobia: A meta-analysis (Gould et al., 1997)
- Psychological treatment of social anxiety disorder: A meta-analysis (Acarturk et al., 2009)
- Meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral treatments for social phobia (Taylor, 1996)
- Cognitive and behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders: A review of meta-analytic findings (Deacon & Abramowitz, 2005)
- The treatment of social anxiety disorder (Rodebaugh, Holaway, & Heimberg, 2004)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: Current status and future directions (Heimberg, 2002)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety disorder: The state of the science (Gordon, Wong, & Heimberg)
Clinical Trials
- Cognitive therapy versus fluoxetine in generalized social phobia (Clark et al., 2003)
- Cognitive—behavioral therapy versus supportive therapy in social phobia (Cottraux et al., 2000)
- Fluoxetine, comprehensive cognitive behavioral therapy, and placebo in generalized social phobia (Davidson et al., 2004)
- Cognitive—behavioral group treatment for social phobia: Effectiveness at five-year followup (Heimberg et al., 1993)
- Treatment of social phobia in cognitive-behavioral groups (Heimberg et al., 1994)
- Cognitive behavioral group therapy versus phenelzine therapy for social phobia (Heimberg et al., 1998)
- Cognitive mediation of treatment change in social phobia (Hofmann, 2004)
- Cognitive therapy for social phobia: individual versus group treatment (Stangier et al., 2003)
Video Repository
- The National Social Anxiety Center has posted 34 free self-help videos related to CBT for social anxiety created by cognitive-behavioral therapists certified by the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies. Some videos include free worksheets and other handouts for download.
Smartphone Apps
- iCBT (Bonfire Development Advisors)
- AnxietyCoach (Mayo Clinic)
Important Note: The apps listed above are based on empirically-supported in-person treatments. They have not necessarily been evaluated empirically either by themselves or in conjunction with in-person treatment. We list them as a resource for clinicians who assign them as an adjunct to conducting in-person treatment.
Books Available for Purchase Through External Sites
- Managing Social Anxiety Workbook (Hope, Heimberg & Turk)
- Shyness and Social Anxiety Workbook (Antony & Swinson)
Measures, Handouts and Worksheets
- Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale
- Social Phobia Inventory
- Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale
- Record of Weekly Self-Report Measures
- Blank Model of Social Phobia
- Annotated Model of Social Phobia
- Social Behaviour Questionnaire
- Video Feedback Recording Form (Safety Behaviors Experiment)
- Subjective Units of Distress Scale
- Fear Hierarchy (of Social Situations)
- Worksheet for Exposures
- Imaginal Exposure Recording Form
- Cognitive Distortions
- Dispute Questions
- Automatic Thought Record
- Attention and Safety Behaviors Monitoring Form
Training Materials and Workshops
Related Diagnosis
Social Anxiety Disorder and Public Speaking Anxiety
EST Status
N/A
2015 EST Status
Treatment pending re-evaluation
1998 EST Status
Strong