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Cognitive Behavioral Model of Social Phobia (Clark & Wells, 1995)
A licensed copy of Clark and Wells (1995) cognitive behavioral model of social phobia (also known as social anxiety disorder).
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Overview
People suffering from social anxiety disorder (SAD; previously known as social phobia) experience persistent fear or anxiety concerning social or performance situations that is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the situation or context. They fear negative evaluation and worry excessively about social events and outcomes, both before social situations and afterwards. Common fears include speaking or acting in ways that they think will be embarrassing or humiliating, such as shaking, sweating, blushing, freezing, appearing stupid or incompetent, or looking anxious. They fear that other people will judge them negatively, for example that they appear anxious, stupid, crazy, boring, dirty, or unlikable. They therefore make efforts to ensure that their fears do not materialize, resulting in clinically significant distress and impairment, often across multiple domains of their life. This information handout describes the original Clark and Wells (1995) cognitive model of social phobia.
Why Use This Resource?
Understanding the underpinnings of social anxiety is important for effective intervention.
- Understand the maintenance mechanisms of social anxiety disorder (SAD)
- Explain key aspects of SAD, such as perceived social danger and negative self-related mental imagery.
- Develop appropriate case formulation for clients struggling with SAD.
Key Benefits
Insight
Deepens understanding of how social anxiety disorder (SAD) is maintained.
Education
Acts as an informative client handout.
Discussion
Promotes exploration of key factors in SAD.
Learning
Supports clinician knowledge and supervision.
Who is this for?
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
Ideal for clinicians working with individuals affected by SAD.
Integrating it into your practice
01
Learn
Understand more about the cognitive behavioral model of social anxiety.
02
Organize
Use the model as a template to organize your case formulations.
03
Educate
Use your knowledge of the model to explain maintenance processes to clients.
04
Discuss
Engage clients in discussions about their beliefs and behaviors.
05
Tailor
Customize interventions based on individual maintenance mechanisms.
06
Reflect
Use in supervision to discuss case conceptualizations and treatment plans.
Theoretical Background & Therapist Guidance
Individuals suffering from social anxiety disorder (previously known as social phobia) experience persistent fear or anxiety concerning social or performance situations that is out of proportion to the actual threat posed by the situation or context. Situations that can provoke anxiety include talking in groups, meeting people, going to school or work, going shopping, eating or drinking in public, or public performances such as public speaking.
Clark and Wells’ model of social phobia, published in 1995, provides a cognitive behavioral formulation of social anxiety. Clark (2001) describes how the model attempts to solve the ‘puzzle’ of why social anxiety persists despite regular exposure to feared social situations.
The model proposes that entering a feared situation activates a set of beliefs and assumptions that have been shaped by one’s earlier experiences. These beliefs and assumptions concern both the individual, and how they think they should behave in social situations. Holding these assumptions predisposes socially anxious individuals to appraise particular social situations as dangerous, and to make predictions that they will not meet their own (often high) standards for performance.
Once a situation has been appraised in this manner, Clark and Wells propose that an ‘anxiety program’ is activated automatically. This program leads to automatic changes in affective, attentional, behavioral, cognitive, and somatic processing which are intended to protect the individual from harm, but which are accompanied by unintended consequences that serve to maintain the social anxiety.
What's inside
- A graphical depiction of the model.
- Insights into key maintenance mechanisms.
- Guidelines for using the resource with clients.
FAQs
SAD is a common anxiety disorder characterized by a marked and persistent fear of social or performance situations where the individual fears being negatively evaluated by others.
Clinicians use it to guide their case formulation, helping them to effectively target their interventions.
How This Resource Improves Clinical Outcomes
By applying the model, therapists and clients benefit from:
- Targeted interventions focusing on key maintenance mechanisms.
- Enhanced client engagement through increased understanding of their difficulties.
- Improved treatment outcomes by addressing core psychological features.
Clinicians Who Use This Resource Also Use
References And Further Reading
- Clark, D. M. (1997). Panic disorder and social phobia. In D. M. Clark & C. G. Fairburn (Eds), Science and practice of cognitive behaviour therapy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Clark, D. M. (2001). A cognitive perspective on social phobia: In W. R. Crozier, L. E. Alden (Eds) International handbook of social anxiety: Concepts, research and interventions relating to the self and shyness. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
- Clark, D. M., Wells, A. (1995). A cognitive model of social phobia. In R. Heimberg, M. Liebowitz, D. A. Hope, & F. R. Schneier (Eds.), Social phobia: Diagnosis, assessment, and treatment. New York: Guilford Press.
- Warnock-Parkes, E., Wild, J., Thew, G. R., Kerr, A., Grey, N., Stott, R., ... & Clark, D. M. (2020). Treating social anxiety disorder remotely with cognitive therapy. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 13.
- Wells, A. (1997). Cognitive therapy of anxiety disorders: a practice manual and conceptual guide. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
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