Although the LSAS is the first and premiere assessment for measuring social anxiety severity, some take liberties when administering the assessment. Although it was designed as a clinician-administer measure, some use it as a self-report measure. Even more advanced clinicians may struggle to explain the difference between fear and avoidance when administering the assessment. This webinar will explain the importance of the nuances and why it was designed as it was as well as the difference it makes in accurately assessing patient's social anxiety severity. Most master's level clinicians take one course in assessments to earn their degree. As these professors aren't anxiety specialists, they cannot differentiate the nuance of avoidance as a values or interest preference vs a compulsive behavior. As a result, when administering the LSAS these clinicians do not realize the importance of explaining the thinking behind avoidant behaviors, which can vastly alter the scores.

Learning Objectives

1. Differentiate between performance anxiety and social interaction anxiety. 
2. Manage the basic techniques for administering the scale. 
3. Explain the difference between fear and avoidance.