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The therapy groups are active, structured cognitive-behavioral
groups. Everyone in the groups has social anxiety and is working to
overcome it. Participating in the group is much easier than people expect.
There is never any rational reason to be anxious about the therapy group.
People fit in quickly and make acquaintances and friends easily.
Needed for admission: Progress on the
cognitive audio therapy sessions, motivation to overcome social anxiety, a
commitment to the group, and a willingness to cooperate in your own and everyone else's
progress.
A diagnostic appointment and two individual appointments with Dr. Richards
are needed.
These three appointments are necessary for assessment purposes to insure you meet the
clinical definition of social anxiety disorder according to the DSM-IV, and to
make sure you understand what a cognitive-behavioral group for social anxiety
involves.
(Three individual appointments are the minimum necessary for group
participation. Some people may need more individual help before joining
the group.)
During these three sessions, we also talk about the therapy, the group, and anything else you may have
questions about. You can
make an individual appointment with Dr. Richards by calling the
office at 602.230.7316.
During the group sessions, individual appointments with Dr.
Richards are scheduled, if needed.
Insurance may be used for individual appointments and a sliding fee
scale exists for current group members.
Note on fees: We want to help everyone we can, regardless of financial
constraints, while at the same time remaining financially solvent.
To make it easier for anyone with social anxiety to participate
in therapy, you may use (a) the regular fee schedule or (b) the sliding fee
schedule, according to financial need. Depending upon your mental health
care insurance, you may be entitled to benefits.
If you use insurance, the
regular fee schedule must be used.
Finances should not get in the way of anyone receiving adequate treatment for
social anxiety. A plan, based on your finances, can be worked out with the
office.
Please note: These groups are for people who
are functional, in the sense that they are currently working or going to
school/college. Being out of the house every day is crucial to using
the cognitive strategies we learn and practice in the group.
Dr. Richards will see people individually if they have a more
avoidant case of social anxiety (e.g., are not currently working or going to
school/college), to prepare them eventually for entrance into the CBT group.
For times and specific dates, go
here
The all-day session includes: cognitive review, questions, and
reinforcement. Behavioral activities are also included,
in which we gently move up your anxiety hierarchy, at your own pace.
You will be using the cognitive audio therapy series on a daily basis and
reviewing it in the Saturday group with Dr. Richards.
Returning People: Once you have finished
your first group, and you wish to return to keep working on your behavioral
activities, we encourage you to keep attending until you feel you have overcome
social anxiety altogether. At present, the returning fee schedule is
low, and can still be paid by insurance or sliding fee.
Contract for the sessions: To insure
that we maintain a motivated group of people throughout the length of the group,
we will ask you to sign a contract that you will participate in these sessions.
This is to remind you that we need a
GROUP of motivated people to keep running. Please also notice the
low fee schedule is a result of several generous donations.
Donors and Sponsors: To introduce and
continue to keep this low therapeutic rate, we are dependent upon generous
donors and sponsors. At present, these people wish to remain anonymous,
but we want to thank them for their generosity in pushing therapy rates down.
We can only guarantee therapy fees will remain this low for the current
sessions.
International Groups: Each year, we are very
happy to sponsor intensive therapy groups for people, all around the world, who
want to overcome social anxiety. These usually occur in the spring and
summer, and add a great deal to our Saturday groups.
To receive information or an application for these groups,
please call the office at 602.230.7316
Or you can email the program at
saturdaygroup at socialanxietyinstitute.org
Thinking about
moving to Phoenix to attend the therapy groups?
Read
more about
the local social anxiety therapy group
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