Social Anxiety Treatment Programs

Welcome to our treatment page! 

We have therapy programs for everyone who wants to overcome social anxiety.  The Social Anxiety Institute is the foremost institution in the world for treating social anxiety.  The Institute Director, Dr. Richards, has specialized in social anxiety since the early 1990s and the Social Anxiety Institute has had many thousands of patients.  Dr. Richards suffered from social anxiety himself until he was about 40, and is the world's leading clinical authority on the subject.  We can help you. 

Dr. Richards and the treatment program at the Social Anxiety Institute has been written about in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Time, Newsweek, The San Diego Union, the Salt Lake City Tribune, and U.S. News among other sources. He has been interviewed by 20/20, and appeared in short interview segments on several television programs. 

The program at SAI is recognized as the leading treatment program in the world, with people from almost every country coming to SAI for treatment. Dr. Richards has run continuously operating cognitive behavioral therapy groups since 1994.  These therapy groups are an integral part of the program, and are the most active, inclusive therapy groups in the world.  Our treatment is focused solely on helping people overcome social anxiety.

We have a variety of treatment options available for social anxiety disorder.  We run cognitive-behavioral therapy groups for overcoming social anxiety continuously throughout the year.    Our groups consist only of people with social anxiety.  The groups are friendly and proactive, and highly therapeutic.  Working together with other people like you adds a tremendous amount of proactivity to the program.  You will always have the encouragement and support from Dr. Richards and staff, plus you will always be surrounded by your group members, who will also proactively help you when needed -- just as you will help them.   Our international program has had people from almost every country in the world.

Please read about all our programs:

Audio Therapy Series            

We highly recommend in-person group therapy,  but we realize not everyone can find an operating therapy group program where they live, or travel to the Social Anxiety Institute.  For people unable to attend the group therapy in person, Dr. Richards has written and recorded twenty CD-length audio sessions where he goes through all of the therapy used here at the Social Anxiety Institute.  We have received thousands of responses from people using the series, and the amount of cognitive progress made has been tremendous.  These twenty sessions, plus accompanying handouts, and a 200 page guide to the series (online) is cheaper than two visits to a therapist, who may not even understand social anxiety.  This is the leading therapeutic series in the world, and is being used by tens of thousands of people right now.

A complete audio series (twenty sessions), composed of comprehensive cognitive-behavioral therapy -- specifically designed and structured to help overcome social anxiety disorder. Now available as a digital download in mp3 format, with the accompanying workbook/handouts in pdf format. A 200 page Guide to the Series comes with this and is online.

Weekly Therapy Groups at the Social Anxiety Institute

New Social Anxiety Group at SAI:  May 11 - August 10th.  This is an all-day Saturday group, and includes activities all through the week -- so that group members learn to be comfortable around other people and feel comfortable in public places and social situations.  Behavioral experiments are also done (with the group) when new group members feel ready.  Our programs do not force or make you do anything.  You work at your own pace and volunteer to do things as you are ready.   You work up your anxiety hierarchy through volunteering when you are ready.  

Our therapy groups are active, structured cognitive-behavioral groups.  Everyone in the groups has social anxiety and is working to overcome it.  Our current weekly group is running and ends on April 27th.

The Tuesday evening social anxiety therapy group is currently running from 7:00-9:00.

International Therapy Groups at the Social Anxiety Institute

Summer International Therapy Group at SAI:  July 22nd - August 10th.  We have had people from all over the world in our international groups.  

This is an active, structured therapy program for people with social anxiety disorder only.  International groups run for three consecutive weeks, six days per week.  Knowing, understanding, and using the cognitive methods and strategies BEFORE you come to the program is essential.  All programs are run by Dr. Richards.

Additional Treating Social Anxiety Disorder Information

For more information about treating social anxiety, please click the link on the right hand side of the page for an additional list of social anxiety articles.  You can also read about other people who have been though the therapy program at the Social Anxiety Institute.  Some are linked from the treatment pages and many can be found in the "Success Stories" section.