Fear of People

Abstract

Chapter 6 describes exposure therapy for the fear of people (fear of negative evaluation). Successful treatment shifts the perception of seeing other’s evaluations as harmful to viewing these evaluations as lacking true danger. The chapter includes the steps to plan, deliver, and process exposures to alleviate fears of people. Patients with these fears tend to overestimate the likelihood and cost of bad outcomes when they are the center of attention. Thus, different exposures are needed to address these two concerns. Example exposures are presented such as presentations, interactions, being observed, and inconveniencing others. Case examples are provided to demonstrate how to use exposure for fears of people along with modifications to address traps, contexts, and safety behaviors.