New Therapy Group for Social Anxiety

NEW THERAPY GROUP FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH

GROUP FOCUS: Imagery-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Social Anxiety Disorder

TIME and DURATION:  Tuesdays @ 5-7 pm; 13 total sessions

DATES:  Oct 14, 2013 to Feb 11, 2014, with a 3-week break in December for the holidays

PLACE:  University of Waterloo Centre for Mental Health Research (UW CMHR), PAS 1401

GROUP LEADERS:  Senior Doctoral Students and Residents in Clinical Psychology

SUPERVISOR:  David A. Moscovitch, Ph.D., C. Psych.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CLIENTS: 8-10

DESCRIPTION:  CBT is a time-limited, empirically-supported treatment that educates and empowers clients to identify and change maladaptive interactions between their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours that sustain and perpetuate their problematic symptoms. Therapeutic content in this group will focus in particular on the central role of mental imagery in the development and persistence of social anxiety symptoms. Therapy will consist of a combination of weekly group sessions and individualized homework assignments. The group structure is designed to enable clients to share common challenges and assist one another in the acquisition of new skills. Group members will learn to confront anxiety-provoking situations within a safe and supportive environment. Clients most likely to experience meaningful, long-lasting changes in their lives as a result of therapy are those dedicated and committed to prioritizing their treatment and to working on assigned homework tasks between sessions.

WHOM TO REFER: Individuals who present with social anxiety symptoms or who experience disruption in functioning due to social anxiety and who would be amenable to group therapy.   Group therapy participants must be able to commit to therapy that will span two consecutive academic semesters.

HOW TO REFER:  Interested clients should contact Maureen Stafford at the UW CMHR at 519-888-4567 x33842 and should say explicitly that they are interested in the Social Anxiety Group.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:  Clients who express interest in participating will be contacted by UW CMHR staff to arrange a more detailed assessment to determine their eligibility for the group. Non-eligible clients will be referred to the individual waitlist at the UW CMHR. Upon entrance to the group, clients will be asked to enter a research study approved by UW Ethics in which they will complete self-report questionnaires on their symptoms each week (with all identifying information kept strictly confidential). This group treatment will be provided free-of-charge to any UW students.