In clear, teen-friendly language, Bridget Flynn Walker’s Social Anxiety Relief for Teens walks the socially anxious teen step-by-step down a cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) path toward more successful social engagement. As soon as I read it, I thought of several kids to whom I must get this book!”—Margo Thienemann, MD, clinical professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, and cofounder and lead psychiatrist at the Immune Behavioral Health Clinic at Stanford Children’s Health
Social anxiety is very common, and it can really hold you back. This can be a really big problem when you are teenager. Fortunately, there are very effective skills to deal with this problem. This book is a step-by-step guide to manage and overcome this problem. Don’t suffer in silence. There is a way out. This book will help you.”—Stefan G. Hofmann, PhD, professor at Boston University, and author of The Anxiety Skills Workbook
Just in time, in a world awash in overwhelming worries, here is a clear and straightforward guide on how to master social phobias. Bridget Flynn Walker’s prescriptive, step-by-step instructions provide the tools to successfully navigate stressful social situations. If you or your teen is struggling with anxiety and you are ready to take it on, this is the book for you.”—Laurel Schultz, MD, MPH, community pediatrician at Golden Gate Pediatrics in San Francisco, CA
In Social Anxiety Relief for Teens, Bridget Flynn Walker provides all the tools kids need to start recognizing, challenging, and overcoming their social anxiety. If your life feels limited or miserable because of social anxiety, give this book a try. If you know a young person who is struggling with social anxiety, encourage them to follow the clear, simple, and easy-to-understand steps laid out in this excellent volume.”—Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD, director of the Yale Child Study Center Program for Anxiety Disorders, and author of Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD
Both pithy and thorough, Bridget Flynn Walker carefully explains what social anxiety is, how avoidance and safety behaviors maintain social anxiety, and how teens can cope with and overcome social anxiety. While covering typical and more taboo aspects of social anxiety, Walker never blames or shames teens for being anxious. This amazing book talks directly to socially anxious teens in a way that is clear, direct, and relatable.”—Daniela Owen, PhD, assistant director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy; and author of Right Now, I Am Fine
This workbook is an excellent tool for teenagers struggling with social anxiety. Bridget Flynn Walker provides a stepwise and structured plan, rooted in scientific evidence, to help teens guide themselves through the process of understanding the nature of their social anxiety. The vignettes and FAQs really make the content of the book come to life. The content around exposures, which are the heart of the book, is well explained and easy to understand. I am going to definitely use this book with patients.”—Rachel Busman, PsyD, ABPP, clinical psychologist, and senior director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety & Related Disorders Center at Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants
In clear, direct, relatable language, Bridget Flynn Walker has followed up her acclaimed book for parents of anxious kids with an indispensable guide for teens with social anxiety. The practical, step-by-step approach is grounded in the most current research and reads like your wisest relative encouraging you along the way. I hope my pediatrician colleagues place copies in their waiting rooms!”—David Becker, MD, LMFT, clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco
Now more than ever, this accessible and practical guide is a must-read for any adolescent suffering from social anxiety, as well as any adult in their life. It simultaneously honors the whole person and their experience, all while giving concrete and achievable steps toward healing. Bridget Flynn Walker is gifted at reaching teenagers where they’re at, and this text is a reflection of her gifts.”—Katie Blaesing, counselor and anti-bias education coordinator at The Hamlin School
02/01/2022
Gr 8 Up—Through scenarios and step-by-step lists, licensed clinical psychologist Walker provides an accessible guide to teens struggling with social anxiety disorder. While some of the scenarios may feel a bit out of touch to a teenager, the cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) guidelines are solid and offer actionable steps for young people. This title reads differently than other books currently available on the topic of anxiety because it introduces readers to techniques and scenarios in an effort to begin the conversation about mental health. One caveat to the book is that there did not appear to be any notes encouraging teens experiencing anxiety to seek out a trusted adult or a therapist to work with; the tools within this book are a great jumping-off point, but it is important to note that CBT is usually done in a therapeutic setting to ensure there are not larger issues that may require one-on-one counseling or even medication. VERDICT An accessible and actionable guide for teenagers struggling with anxiety that provides tools as well as clinical resources. A welcome addition to any library that serves teenagers, especially those in which access to mental health resources are lacking.—Katherine Forsman
2021-08-18
Many teens suffer from social anxiety, sometimes leading to an almost paralyzing fear of interacting with their peers.
This volume offers detailed instructions for developing a self-help cognitive behavior therapy program for coping with these issues. Walker provides brief descriptions of a few teens who are afflicted with social anxiety and presents their results as they navigate their way through the steps of the therapy. Readers are prompted to assess their levels of anxiety, recognize their current avoidance and safety behaviors, identify all of the situations that typically distress them, and rate the level of anxiety associated with each type of situation. This involves creating detailed paper or online index cards that will provide guidance for their behavior therapy. Armed with all of this new information, teens are encouraged to regard their target encounters as rungs on a ladder, tackling the least stressful ones first by making predictions of outcomes and then deliberately exposing themselves to the feared situations and tracking outcomes. The somewhat complex steps are not always provided in order. Sometimes concepts are briefly introduced but only fully explained in following chapters. Troublingly, even though the teens portrayed often display extreme levels of anxiety resulting in alienation from peers, there’s no information offered on suicidal ideation or specific resources for those experiencing such desperation.
Could at least jump-start needed conversations. (resources, references) (Nonfiction. 12-18)
