Making a Plan for Change
87UÊThe frequency of sessions. Weekly sessions are typical.
UÊThe cost per session and preferred method of payment. Are the fees 
ﬂexible?
UÊThe location and setting. For example, is the treatment conducted in 
a private ofﬁce? A hospital? A university clinic? A community clinic? A 
research center?
UÊThe availability of group vs. individual treatments for social anxiety. Either 
approach is likely to help.
UÊWho provides the treatment? A psychologist? Psychiatrist? Psychology 
student or psychiatric resident? How experienced is the person? Where 
was he or she trained? If it is a student therapist, how closely is he or she 
supervised? How experienced is the supervisor? Can you meet with the 
supervisor if you wish?
Types of Professionals
If you are interested in receiving a psychological therapy, like CBT, your therapist 
can be a psychologist, physician, nurse, social worker, or professional from any of a 
number of other backgrounds. However, keep in mind that most practicing clinicians, 
regardless of their background, do not have extensive experience in providing CBT 
for anxiety-related problems. It is much more important that you ﬁnd someone who is 
familiar with treating social anxiety using cognitive and exposure-based treatments than 
what degree the person has. Currently, psychologists are the most likely to have this 
background, but other professionals are increasingly being trained in providing cognitive 
and behavioral treatments.
Understanding the differences between types of therapists often can be confusing. 
A brief description of some of the main professionals who often provide CBT and related 
treatments follows:
Psychologist.  In most places, psychologists who specialize in treating psychological dis -