Social Phobia: An Interpersonal Approach by Stravynski, Ariel

ISBN: 9781316617939

Cambridge University Press, 01 September 2016

Paperback, 342 pages

Social phobia is a disorder involving an intense fear of being judged by others and it affects the lives of many people. This book takes a critical stance towards the received view of social phobia as a disease of sorts, characterized by abnormal anxiety and caused by an inner mental or physical defective mechanism. Ariel Stravynski adopts an alternative approach to social phobia - as a purposeful interpersonal pattern protective against public humiliation or private rebuff. In this conception, fearfulness is the emotional facet of the socially phobic interpersonal pattern, rather than its driving force. This theoretical framework emphasizing dynamic transactions is articulated in terms of an anthropological psychology and Stravynski argues that social phobia can only be formulated and understood in interpersonal terms. He integrates all available knowledge on social phobia into his proposed framework and exemplifies its application by extending it to the assessment and treatment of the disorder.

Editorial Reviews

Review
'This book provides both beneficial and questionable information to the reader. ... Stravynski provides a comprehensive analysis of social phobia that has future implications in a multitude of fields.' Scott Sainato, Social Work

Book Description
This book presents an alternative approach to social phobia, arguing that it can only be formulated and understood in interpersonal terms.

About the Author
Ariel Stravynski is Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Montr�al and has been researching social phobia for more than thirty years. He is the author of Fearing Others: The Nature and Treatment of Social Phobia (Cambridge, 2007).