Group therapy for social anxiety

Group work for therapeutic purposes

Regarded as an extremely beneficial and effective method for treating and successfully curing numerous ailments psychological in nature is the approach known as the group therapy. Having this in mind, when it comes to treating such disorders as anxiety, this specific therapeutic method is deemed to be quite result yielding and beneficial. Many will, of course, oppose to this particular approach given the fact that such conditions as social anxiety presuppose resentment of any social contact. However, one should not be all that quick to dismiss this treatment method, at least not until all the benefits it offers are taken into account. In addition, this approach has proven to be much less obtrusive and frightening than many people affected with social anxiety think of in the first place.

Anti-social anxiety therapy – specifics

The basic setting for this specific therapeutic approach includes groups (approximately 5 to 9 persons, not more) of people who all have some “unsettled” issues with the condition in question, monitored by at least two therapists. Entire session is conducted in an environment which is unobtrusive and does not bring about any stress or threats, in order for anxiety to be easily brought under complete control and decreased, as well as paving the way for “acquisition” of genuine and most proper social skills. Important to mention also is that the group sessions take place every week and they last up to 24 weeks in total. As far as the duration of individual sessions is concerned, it needs to be pointed out that they last anywhere from one to two and a half hours, at the most.

The predominant idea behind these sessions is that each participant is given a chance to do a role-play of a variety of social scenarios. Essential is that all these role plays take place in an environment which is controlled and completely harmless, unobtrusive and safe. These are, of course, the main prerequisites that contribute to the general effectiveness of the sessions, as well as promote the proper stances to be taken by the group members in order for them to transcend their anti-social and anti-anxiety issues. By acting out all sorts of different social situations, one will quite soon get into the habit of spending time with different people and get accustomed to being a significant part of different, and yet regular everyday situations.

This way a person will reach that state of mind that will enable him/her to not only defeat his/her fearsome enemy – social anxiety, but also enjoy the newly self-recreated social reality.