Yeah, I've been doing CBT for SA for about 15 years now. I guess
you'd say I'm a slow learner :-). Actually, I spend most my time
avoiding exposures; if I did them every week I'd be further ahead.
I'm around your age.

It sounds like your therapist is very good, and understands the value
of getting out of the office and doing exposures.

This group is very old, dating back to my association with the
Stanford Shyness Clinic. I don't know much about the other online
groups. But do check into meetup.com for in-person groups.

--Bob


On Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 6:38 PM, spatler1 <spatler1@...> wrote:
>
>
> In the ASDI group I don't know if there will even be a workbook. Same goes for
the DC group, although I expect he will use one. The Havre de Grace group will
follow along with Dr. R's tapes and workbook. He is not a professional and
operates by mimicing Dr. R's methods.
>
> I have found what Dr. R says about the lack of effective treatment to be very
true. I had no problem finding a therapist who understood SA and CBT. My guy is
a very well educated PhD (Yale then PhD at Berkley). On the cognitive side his
understanding of SA is in lock step with what Dr. R teaches. However, he is
quite ineffective at coming up with behavioral experiments. He has no planned
approach and he started me off by taking me to a mall and doing stuff that I now
realize was WAY too advanced for me...it flooded me.
>
> In the last 6 weeks I basically GUIDED HIM into doing very small bits, as that
is what Dr. R said was important...things I didn't want to do, but could and
would do. Repetition of these was also a key. I am now on "level 4" of this
hierarchy. 1, 2, and 3 are now anxiety-less behavior for me. My life has become
a "behavioral experiment world" where I constantly take advantage of situations
as they arise to keep repeating these few experiments. The power of these
seemingly small steps has been much greater than I ever would have thought. My
therapist is very good at breaking down the experiments each week. I consider
myself still a novice of SA, but I now have a taste of the power of CBT done
right.
>
> You seem to go back a ways in SA and know a lot. I hope it has worked out well
for you. I noticed there is an entire SA section here on Yahoo, yet this group
is in the "Advice" section. Are you a member of any of the SA groups? Could you
recommend a good one?
>
> --- In SocialFitnessForum@yahoogroups.com, Bob Mayo <soc-yg2@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi. I hope your local SA group goes well. What workbook will you be
> > using? I highly recommend Managing Social Anxiety: A
> > Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Approach Client Workbook by Debra A.
> > Hope, Richard G. Heimberg, Harlan A. Juster, and Cynthia L. Turk.
> > There's an associated therapist's workbook, too, which is interesting
> > for both patient and therapist alike.
> >
> > Dr Richards does his own form of CBT. The Cognitive portion is quite
> > different from the CBT that most therapists do, as you can tell from
> > his tapes. As you point out, he's definitely a man on a mission to
> > cure SA. He also has a large amount of clinical experience, judgment,
> > and techniques that are lacking in the normal forms of CBT. Too bad
> > there is no grad student out there that wants to take one of his
> > techniques and write a thesis comparing it to normal CBT; such a study
> > would be a valuable contribution and also provide additional tools to
> > therapists.
> >
> > The big lesson I got from the 3-week program is that avoidance is the
> > thing that prevents progress, and the cure is to make your exposures
> > really small. By small I mean really small. As long as you are
> > avoiding it, make it smaller and do it. For instance, if you are
> > avoiding reading a handout out loud just read the first sentence out
> > loud. If you are avoiding reading the first sentence out loud then
> > just read the first 3 words out loud. Whatever it is has to be
> > active, though, not passive like just listening.
> >
> > Sounds like you are really going after this with great thoroughness!
> >
> > --Bob
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 3:54 PM, spatler1 <spatler1@...> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Bob, Thanks for the welcoming greeting. I'm very glad to hear your high
opinion of the 3 week group. I have tried twice to take it, this past spring and
this summer. Unfortunately, it was cancelled both times due to not enough
people. I am chomping at the bit to get into a good group, and I eventually
will, but I have had to be patient.
> > >
> > > Next month ASDI in Towson, MD, where my therapist is, is starting an SA
group. They don't have experience with SA groups, but it is a start and I am
grateful. Then in October I really get rolling. I am signed up for Larry Cohen's
20-week group in DC. I don't know as much about him, but my therapist knows him
and says he is very good and he is listed on Dr. R's mailing list, which I take
as an endorsement. His website also gives me reason for optimism as he seems to
be all business about SA (socialanxietyhelp.com).
> > >
> > > There is also a grad of the Phoenix 3-week intensive in Havre De Grace, MD
who will also be running an all-day Saturday 20-week group starting in the Fall.
By the time the next 3-week intensive rolls around I may not need it, although I
have listened to the tapes so many times I feel like I know Dr. R, and would be
temped to go to meet him and experience his group! My impression is he is the
best of very few options. It seems he is "on a mission" against SA...would you
agree?
> > >
> > > I've never heard of meetup.com, but will definately check it out. Many
thanks for that info. Sorry for the long post.
> > >
> > > --- In SocialFitnessForum@yahoogroups.com, Bob Mayo <soc-yg2@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Welcome. I took Dr Richards' 3-week intensive in Arizona, which was
> > > > amazing. Having a like-minded group can really accelerate your
> > > > progress. Have you checked meetup.com for a local "shyness" group?
> > > > Or perhaps you would consider organizing one.
> > > >
> > > > The group support can add a lot of momentum to your exposures.
> > > >
> > > > --Bob
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 7:47 PM, spatler1<spatler1@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I just found this group too. I am 52 and have had SA my entire life,
> > > > > although it was not until 9 months ago that I found that out. I just
thought
> > > > > it was the way I was and that I was depressed. Since then I have been
using
> > > > > Dr. Richards tape series (very helpful) and seeing a CBT psych
one-on-one
> > > > > (because I can't find a local group). I have made progress, with a lot
of
> > > > > work, but I really need an SA group.
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In SocialFitnessForum@yahoogroups.com, "videodrone323"
<stomoxys23@>
> > > > > wrote:
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I've been dealing with social anxiety for a while now. I am making
> > > > >> progress, albeit rather slowly. I've been looking around for
> > > > >> resources, and happened upon this forum. I've perused the posts, and
> > > > >> you all seem like a friendly group, I hope to share what I know, and
> > > > >> learn from others.
> > > > >>
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>