The second edition of Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Group Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Treatment Manual is a revision of the treatment protocol used in the following two studies:

Kocovski, N. L., Fleming, J. E., Hawley, L. L., Huta V., Antony, M. M. Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Group Therapy versus traditional Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2013, 51, 889-898.

Kocovski, N. L., Fleming, J. E., Rector, N. A. Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Group Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: An Open Trial. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 2009, 16, 276-289.

We revised the manual in order to incorporate new terminology and exercises from our self-help book, The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness, published by New Harbinger in 2013. For example, we introduced the acronym VITAL as a handy way to remember to: V- base actions on your Values and goals; I - remain In the present moment; T- Take notice of your feelings, thoughts, and urges (from your observer perspective); and AL -Allow your experience to be exactly as it is. Accordingly, the term used for willingness/exposure exercises is Taking VITAL Action.

We have been using the revised manual with our therapy groups since September 2013 and have received positive feedback from clients. Therapists have found it to be more “user friendly” than the original protocol.

The second edition of the treatment manual includes a detailed therapist manual, all client handouts, and is used in conjunction with The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Social Anxiety and Shyness and the downloadable mindfulness exercises which accompany that book.
 

The manual is also available on request from the authors in a Word document.

If you use the manual please let us know - we are tracking its use. We also welcome any type of feedback.