CHAPTER 4
Making a Plan for Change
This chapter will help you to consider the range of factors that are important for devel -
oping a treatment plan. These factors include deciding whether this is the best time for 
you to work on your social anxiety, addressing the issue of motivation and readiness for 
change, selecting treatment goals, trying to understand why treatment may or may not 
have worked in the past, and understanding your current options for treatment.
IS NOW THE BEST TIME TO START  
THIS PROGRAM?
In some ways, it may seem as if there is never a good time to begin a new project. 
There are almost always competing demands that make it difﬁcult to ﬁnd free time or 
extra energy to start something new. Work may be unusually busy, you may be getting 
over a cold, or your children may be a handful right now. Although the time may not 
be perfect, you will need to decide whether it is even a possibility for you to start this 
program given your current life circumstances. Your chances of getting the most out of 
this book will depend on your answering yes to the following questions:
UÊAre you motivated to become less shy or to decrease your social anxiety? 
Is this something you really care about?
UÊAre you willing to feel even more anxious in the short term in order to feel 
more comfortable in social and performance situations in the future?