This book provides a clear guide to help in managing social anxiety. There is an emphasis on exposure therapy, where you push yourself to face the fear you have been avoiding. The more you avoid something the bigger the fear grows, by putting yourself into uncomfortable situations like public speaking, the fear lessens as you start to realise its not as scary as you thought.
This is a helpful guide for someone struggling with mild social anxiety but exposure can be difficult to do on your own.
I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Introduction:
"CBT for Social Anxiety" is a beacon of hope for individuals who grapple with the paralyzing grip of social anxiety. Written by esteemed authors Robert L. Leahy and Stefan G. Hofmann, this book offers a lifeline to those navigating the treacherous waters of social interactions. Whether you're an introvert seeking to emerge from your shell or someone who dreads public speaking, this book provides practical tools to transform your experience.

Key Takeaways:

Understanding Social Anxiety:
Leahy and Hofmann delve into the heart of social anxiety, unraveling its intricate threads. They demystify the fear of judgment, the sweaty palms, and the racing heart. Through relatable anecdotes and scientific insights, they illuminate the path toward understanding and acceptance.

Cognitive-Behavioral Techniques:
The authors equip readers with a toolbox of evidence-based techniques. From cognitive restructuring to exposure therapy, they guide you step-by-step. The beauty lies in their simplicity—these skills are accessible even to those new to therapy.

Challenging Negative Thoughts:
"CBT for Social Anxiety" teaches us to challenge our inner critic. The book provides practical exercises to identify distorted thoughts and replace them with empowering beliefs. Suddenly, that crowded room doesn't seem so daunting.

Gradual Exposure:
Fear thrives in the shadows. Leahy and Hofmann encourage gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking situations. Their approach is compassionate; they recognize that progress is nonlinear. Whether it's attending a party or giving a presentation, the book gently nudges you forward.

Self-Compassion and Confidence:
The authors emphasize self-compassion. You'll learn to befriend your anxiety rather than fight it. As you build confidence, social situations become opportunities for growth. The book's exercises foster self-awareness and resilience.

Why You Should Read It:

- Practical Wisdom: "CBT for Social Anxiety" isn't just theory—it's a roadmap. The authors hold your hand as you navigate social landscapes.

- Empathy: Leahy and Hofmann understand the nuances of anxiety. Their empathy shines through every page.

- Hope: If social anxiety has held you captive, this book offers hope. It whispers, "You're not alone, and change is possible."

Final Thoughts:

"CBT for Social Anxiety" is more than a book; it's a lifeline. Whether you read it cover to cover or dip into specific chapters, you'll find solace and actionable steps. Leahy and Hofmann's compassionate approach invites you to rewrite your social narrative. So, dear reader, take a deep breath, turn the page, and embark on a journey toward confidence and connection. 🌟

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

So helpful, highly recommend it.

Very informative with good examples. However, at times it is difficult to get through. Academic language can be engaging, but that was not the case for this.

There is a lot of great information provided and several good exercises for working through social anxiety. They even provide free worksheets through the website.

Don’t let social anxiety rule your life! Overcome your fears using proven-effective skills grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Do you avoid social situations? Do you dread public speaking? Would you rather stay in a job you hate than go through the interview process? If so, you may have social anxiety—and you aren’t alone. People who struggle with social anxiety have an overwhelming fear of social situations. And as a result, could end up missing out on life’s opportunities—such as getting their dream job, meeting new friends, or finding the perfect mate. If you’re tired of social anxiety holding you back, this book can help. In CBT for Social Anxiety , you’ll learn how to conquer your fears using research-proven skills from one of the world’s leading CBT experts. In addition to overcoming avoidance of social situations through understanding how your social anxiety works, you’ll also learn how to engage in “social mishap exposures”—humorous social scenarios that you practice on your own terms, as you learn to see how well you’re able to cope with your anxiety in the moment. As you gradually realize that your worst fears are unfounded, you’ll gain the self-confidence needed to start really enjoying social interactions. Avoidance may lessen your social anxiety in the short-term, but it can actually make anxiety worse in the long run. Using the skills outlined in this book, you’ll learn how to face your social anxiety head on—so you can get on with your life.

This book gave me the swift kick in the behind that I needed. I suffer terribly from social anxiety. I am not saying I am cured but this did give great tips and survival methods.

The content is actionable, but generally high-level and predictable. I’d only recommend this for folks unfamiliar with CBT or who haven’t begun to address social anxiety whatsoever.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I read this book as if it were homework from the therapist. I must say, it was a nice refresher on all things CBT with anxiety. I think it's a great way to introduce people to the concept and work through the exercises. I would recommend this book to anyone with social anxiety.

5 *****

This seems to me an excellent starting point (and for some, enough in itself) for anyone looking for actionable tools to reduce their social anxiety.

This was much faster reading than most self-help books I’ve read. It was well organized and tightly focused. Its clearly defined scope and very clear outline in the introduction made it easy to retain and link the information as presented. (For me, very often, 300+ pages of dense academic / technical / medical terminology and structure means I read these things about 30 pages at a time. This little volume, conversely, clearly defined and very well organized, was consumed in just two reading sessions.)

The information presented is relevant, clear, and actionable. Honestly, I felt better just reading it, because it made the problem seem approachable, rather than overwhelming and inevitable. And because some suggestions prompted the proverbial headslap when I thought, “Of course!”

I particularly appreciated the reminders to challenge our own assumptions, and reframe what we perceive as our choices, or our standards against which we assess our performance.

My thanks to NetGalley for a free preview copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was not anything groundbreaking, especially as someone who has experienced CBT as a patient and enjoys reading books centred around mental health. However, I see the value for someone who is at the start of their journey. Whilst I found the book a bit repetitive/ hard to get through, it is organised well and is easy to follow. The repetitiveness may be helpful to those new to the theories and learning. Overall, I would recommend for anyone as a beginners / entry text!

As a person who has an experience with issues and CBT therapy, I'd say that from a patient point of view this is a very useful book to guide a person through certain experiences. I liked the practical approach, where one needs to do not only read about it. Also, their layout was very clear and easy to follow and understand. I appreciate the opportunity to review it and I will definitely incorporate some of this techniques IRL.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read CBT for Social Anxiety. I found this book to be insightful in the sense of bringing self-awareness to habits and tendencies we tend to have as we walk the world with a certain degree of social anxiety. However, I did find it boring to get through some of the material and found it a bit repetitive throughout the chapters. Ultimately, it was not groundbreaking information/coping strategies.

3.5/5 stars!

Coming out of Covid, I found this book to be helpful. I appreciated that there were real-life tools and scenarios that reader's could implement (although I didn't agree with all of them). The most important part to me in a self-help book is that it is solution orientated and reader's are left with a clear action plan/next steps. This book had that (although it won't work for everyone, but I think that's a given since we are all unique). The book did not feel patronizing or condescending, which I find self-help books suffer from.

Similar to most self-help books, this is something I plan to come back to, and re-read certain chapters.


Thank you for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Having read a book that used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for treating depression, I was curios about this book on CBT for social anxiety.

This book dealt a lot with fear of public speaking. I have always thought of social anxiety as the reason I’m afraid to use the phone and get nervous before parties. So, the public speaking sections didn’t really “speak” to me.

The other topics though, like eliminating negative self talk, were very helpful. I think a lot of people could benefit from those lessons.

Some of the exercises on facing your fears I found troubling. Standing on a street corner singing or approaching random people in a restaurant are not things I’d ever be able to do. I’m not sure annoying people in restaurants would be a positive experience for anyone.

Anyway, this book was helpful and easy to read. I love when self help books have lots of quizzes & concrete action plans. So have a pencil ready when you grab this book!

Fear and avoidance, in a never-ending loop. Anyone with social anxiety will recognize this pattern.

“CBT for Social Anxiety” by Stefan G Hofmann is another helpful book from wonderful New Harbinger Publications (I own several of their books). Hofmann is a world-renowned expert in this field and writes in a clear, empathetic manner. This book covers the physiological and societal background of social anxiety, and gives the reader a toolbox of exercises that have been scientifically tested and proven to help. Get out a highlighter, because he covers a LOT of material so you really need to take your time and take notes and plan on spending a lot of energy doing the work. I think the support of a therapist would be beneficial for many while doing this, since exposure therapy is a key to succeeding, and just thinking of doing that on your own could be too daunting for many people.

Hofmann uses three fictional characters to help describe how social anxiety can be experienced, as well as how the exercises can work in different cases. We follow them as they use the different cognitive worksheets and behavioral practices that are designed to break the cycle of social anxiety.

My only qualm is that the text is quite often very dense, so more subtitles in the chapters would be very helpful, otherwise it can be a bit overwhelming.

I have struggled with social anxiety for years and overall this book is pretty helpful. Some parts of this book can be a little boring to get through though. I think some of the things I learned in this book might help me in the future so I’m hopeful.

As someone who suffers from social anxiety, this book didn’t speak to me. It felt informal enough to feel like somewhat of a conversation with a friend but also lacking that fact based knowledge. It was full of example of people that suffer from social anxiety but didn’t do much to really relate that to me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

I liked the way the book provided a lot of tips for helping to overcome social anxiety. A big point is that avoidance is anxiety’s best friend. This book gives easy-to-follow tips that I believe could be helpful for all types of anxiety and not just social anxiety.

“Safety behaviors” are also discussed and the light bulb went off connecting that these don’t help with anxiety in the long run (unfortunately).

An approachable book that gives evidence-based findings and is definitely worth your time.