Treating Social Anxiety - the Essentials

This webinar provides an introduction to the main features of social anxiety ('social phobia') and its treatment from a psychotherapeutic perspective. Social anxiety is more than just everyday discomfort at meeting new people or making small talk, or everyday shyness - it can be a debilitating psychology condition for anyone from any walk of life. This webinar will look at how social anxiety can be treated - as well as the issue of social anxiety in counsellors and therapists.

Key ideas (indicative)

• What is Social Anxiety Disorder?
• Psychotherapy as a treatment option - Practical Techniques
• Measuring Social Anxiety - Liebowitz SAS, SIAS and SMSAD
• Treatment strategies, plans and techniques
• Relaxation - Breathing / PMR
• Formulation and treatment models [Clark and Wells, Hoffman]
• Breaking the maintenance cycle.
• Tackling Unhelpful Thinking Styles and Behaviours in Social Anxiety
• Key skills required by therapists for delivering therapy
• Preventing Relapse

Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder include:

1. worry about everyday activities, such as meeting strangers, starting conversations, speaking on the phone, working or shopping
2. avoid or worry a lot about social activities, such as group conversations, eating with company and parties
3. always worry about doing something you think is embarrassing, such as blushing, sweating or appearing incompetent
4. find it difficult to do things when others are watching – you may feel like you're being watched and judged all the time
5. fear being criticised, avoid eye contact or have low self-esteem
6. often have symptoms like feeling sick, sweating, trembling or a pounding heartbeat (palpitations)
7. have panic attacks, where you have an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety, usually only for a few minutes [Source NHS}

What have previous delegates said about this workshop?

• Useful to update on current research and discuss gaps in treatment models! Good discussions to make treatment practical. Thanks!
• Very informative, useful info for my therapy practice
• The overall models of Social Anxiety helpful - will def use with some clients to help them 'put it all together'
• I am a practicing therapist and I found this webinar very enjoyable and educational- Thank you

Who is leading this webinar?

Professor Patrick McGhee is a CBT therapist, psychologist and UK National Teaching Fellow. Educated at the universities of Glasgow and Oxford, he has completed CPD programmes at Harvard Business School and Ashridge. In 2017 he was a Visiting Fellow/Scholar at the universities of Cornell, Yale and MIT in the USA. He has taught, researched or practised in psychology and therapy for 30 years. His first post was a Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Psychology at St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London. He is the author of Thinking Psychologically (Palgrave) and co-editor of Accounting for Relationships (Methuen). He is an occasional columnist for the Guardian, the BBC and the Times Higher. He currently works in private practice in Greater Manchester. He has full accreditation from the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies.

[Photo credit: Priscialla Du Preez]