Exposure to Social Situations
189UÊPlan your exposure practices on a week-by-week basis. At the start of each 
week, you should have a good idea of the types of practices that you will 
conduct over the coming week, as well as the dates and times you’ll conduct 
these practices.
UÊDevelop a long-term exposure plan.  You should have an idea of the types 
of situations in which you are likely to conduct exposure practices over 
the coming months. Of course, this plan probably will change frequently, 
depending on the results of your practices each week.
UÊStart with exposure to situations that are near the bottom or middle of 
your hierarchy.  If a situation is too difﬁcult, try something easier. If a prac -
tice doesn’t create anxiety, try something more difﬁcult.
UÊGradually increase the difﬁculty level of practices.  As exposures to par -
ticular situations become easier, begin practicing exposure in situations that 
are more anxiety-provoking.
INTEGRATING SITUATIONAL EXPOSURE 
STRATEGIES INTO YOUR TREATMENT PLAN
Although exposure to feared situations is perhaps the most important technique for 
overcoming your fear, the exposure methods described in this chapter (and in chapter 7) 
are often most effective when they are used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. 
In addition to situational exposure, your treatment should include the cognitive strate -
gies described in chapter 6, which will help you to reinterpret your experiences during 
exposure to feared situations. As we reviewed earlier in this book, we recommend that 
you ﬁrst practice the cognitive techniques for several weeks before formally beginning 
exposure practices.
Also, your treatment program may include medication (chapter 5), exposure to