Treatment of social phobia in cognitive-behavioral groups

Interest in social phobia has increased dramatically since its inclusion in DSM-III, and several approaches to its treatment have been developed. In this paper, we focus on one specific treatment package known as Cognitive-Behavioral Group Treatment for Social Phobia (CBGT), which has been developed at the University at Albany's Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders over the last several years. An overview of the techniques of CBGT is provided, and empirical studies that provide support for its effectiveness are reviewed. The paper is concluded with the detailed presentation of a patient who was treated with CBGT.