Social fears are among the most common forms of anxiety in our society. Social phobia, the clinical syndrome, can seriously impact a person's life, increasing the risk of depression, substance abuse, and suicide, and reducing opportunities for social interaction, sustained relationships, and careers. The good news is that empirical evidence shows treatment for social phobia can be highly effective in producing change, and treatment that emphasizes the learning of new skills produces more change than simple education and/or medication. Rapee and Sanderson furnish a practical treatment program whose components are based on empirically validated techniques.
