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From: Klaas Bakker, Springfield MO
Date: 02 Oct 2008
Time: 22:10:15 -0500
Remote Name: 12.206.99.39
It looks like your client needs to learn to control the anxiety in individual sessions with you first. You could do relaxation exercises and learn what it feels like to be relaxed. Then try to maintain those feelings while imagining being in a group of people and having to talk. You could build that imagination up in steps from nonthreatening to more threatening configurations. If relaxation is maintained during this (which is a skill to be learned) we can to make steps in the direction of facing one, then several, others again while maintaining a relaxed feeling. If this works maybe we are ready to face the whole group. This is systematic desensitisation and has been an affective approach for many years. Another approach could be cognitive therapy and try to controle fear provoking thoughts by more realistic and positive thoughts about the group situation that is so hard. Just some ideas! Hope this is helpful.