The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook
82APPLIED RELAXATION TRAINING
Applied relaxation involves the combination of learning to relax the muscles of the 
body with exposure to increasingly challenging situations. A few studies suggest that 
applied muscle relaxation may be useful for social anxiety (Jerremalm, Johansson, and 
Öst, 1980; Osberg 1981). However, it is difﬁcult to know whether this approach is effec -
tive because of the relaxation component, the exposure to feared situations, or both. 
There are no studies investigating whether relaxation training adds any beneﬁt over and 
above the effects of exposure alone.
INTERPERSONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY (IPT)
IPT is a brief therapy that focuses exclusively on interpersonal aspects of a person’s 
problem, such as problems in the individual’s relationships with others. IPT has been 
studied primarily in people who are depressed, and it’s been shown in a number of well-
controlled studies to be an effective treatment for depression, as well as certain other 
problems (Weissman, Markowitz, and Klerman 2007). Because of the interpersonal focus 
of IPT, some researchers have wondered whether it might also be effective for treating 
social anxiety. A preliminary, uncontrolled study (Lipsitz et al. 1999) suggests that IPT 
may be useful for treating social anxiety, though more research is needed.
CHOOSING AMONG TREATMENT OPTIONS
If you decide to try medications, you will probably need to get a prescription from a 
physician—usually your family doctor or a psychiatrist. However, note that in some 
states other professionals (for example, nurse practitioners) may be able to prescribe 
medications. In fact, two states (New Mexico and Louisiana) now allow psychologists