The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety & Shyness

Shyness is a common problem that comes with a high price. People with shyness or social anxiety tend to avoid social situations and may have trouble connecting with others due to their extreme fear of humiliation, rejection, and judgment. Shy people may also experience panic attacks that make them even more likely to avoid social situations. With The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness, the authors' acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) program for overcoming shyness has become available to the public for the first time. This program has been found to be highly effective in research studies for the treatment of social anxiety disorder and related subclinical levels of shyness. In the first section, readers confront performance fears, test anxiety, shy bladder, and interpersonal fears-fundamental symptoms of social anxiety. The second part helps readers learn psychological flexibility to improve their ability to accept the feelings, thoughts, and behavior that may arise as they learn to work past their anxiety. By keeping their values front and center, readers gradually learn to move beyond their fears and toward greater social confidence. The book also includes a companion CD featuring additional guided mindfulness exercises and worksheets.