“I avoided social situations; especially ones where I had to walk in by myself. More and more I made excuses to avoid. I had problems with my relationship. I was depressed”. “Vicki” discusses the process of healing.

Anger and rage occur at different levels of consciousness. Anger is energy. Unresolved; it recycles and drives obsessive worry , anxiety, and a myriad of problems from substance dependence to pain. Internalized anger causes depression. While it may sound a bit weird, repressed anger is the core emotion which drives panic. “Eric” describes the “energy” of his anger as it relates to anxiety and depression with insight into the social “pecking order”.

Kirk Rueter was a pitcher in the major leagues for 13 years. He won the most games as a lefthander for the San Francisco Giants. He and his wife Karla had two wonderful children. One had selective mutism. In this stimulating, realistic, and frank interview, the Rueters describe, in detail, their treatment experience. After non-productive encounters with previous therapists, which is very common, therapy with Jonathan was initiated via telephone as the Rueters lived in the Midwest and Jonathan is on Long Island, New York. Their process included parenting team work, implementing non-enabling strategies, helping the child identify thoughts and feelings, and implementing the therapeutic strategy within the school setting. Especially important is the process of parents managing their own emotions and anxieties in order to facilitate healing.

“Mike” a corporate vice president describes his long term suffering; “I never had the possibility of finding a girlfriend. I was petrifies about finding a real relationship. Now I can let loose and socialize”. This interview includes dramatic insight into the cognitive distortions and self-esteem challenge that drive intimacy anxiety and phobia.

In this rare interview patient "Z" describes how she overcame debilitating perfectionism and performance anxiety. The average teen suffering with social anxiety does not have initiative for their mental health which requires therapeutic parenting concurrent to individual work. In her year before college "Z" beat the odds and accomplished therapeutic success without involving her parents therapeutically.

With special insight into the avoidance-dependence dynamics of a close knit and loving family, “David” describes his struggle with learning disabilities, social anxiety, phobic avoidance, and eventual success. David’s healing journey evolved from hiding in his dorm room in college; not going to classes, alone and depressed, and avoiding all social interaction to obtaining an advanced degree, becoming an administrator in a mental health agency, and creating an active and rich social life.

The older the child, the more that selective mutism becomes ingrained into the personality and lifestyle. It can evolve into a developmental challenge as many aspects of maturation are impacted. In this case avoidant personality disorder was in full swing concurrent with an underlying depression. This was driven by social anxiety. In this case, the teenager was a B student who was on the high school golf team. He was an excellent golfer! He never talked in school until his sophomore year. The parents describe, in very productive and empowering detail, the intensity and complexity of a successful treatment experience.

The last thing 16 yr. old “Arthur” wanted was to go to therapy when he was in the midst of his school phobia. This social anxiety-driven problem had persisted since elementary school. He spent his days depressed; in his room playing computer baseball. His only friend was his cousin. His parents “didn’t know what to do”, but they learned how to enlist him in treatment. In this interview Arthur describes his metamorphosis into a “social butterfly”.