Find Your Fierce: How to Put Social Anxiety in Its Place

by Jacqueline Sperling PhD, Anya Kuvarzina (Illustrator)

Overview

Teens will become their bravest and fiercest selves and overcome social anxiety disorder with this helpful, upbeat book written by an expert in the field. 

Social anxiety is tough, but teens don’t have to figure it out alone. This empowering book will walk them through strategies that work. From practicing mindfulness to relaxing their bodies, readers can train their brains to help them gradually get back to doing more of what they love to do. These tools will help teens manage anxiety in the future and keep it from managing them.

This book uses evidence-based skills from cognitive behavioral therapy to give teens a toolkit to help kids overcome their anxiety and move toward becoming their bravest, fiercest selves.

Lively chapters will engage teens and caregivers alike. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781433837531
Publisher:	American Psychological Association
Publication date:	09/07/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Jacqueline Sperling, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, faculty at Harvard Medical School, and the co-founder and Co-Program Director of the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program at McLean Hospital. She also is the author of the young adult nonfiction book, Find Your Fierce: How to Put Social Anxiety in Its Place and a contributor for Harvard Health Publishing. Dr. Sperling specializes in implementing evidence-based treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, and working with youth who present with anxiety disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder. She also focuses on providing parent guidance by using treatments, such as behavioral parent training, to help families address children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors.

Anya Kuvarzina graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and earned her MA from Goldsmiths University. She blogs about illustration on
YouTube and Instagram. She lives in London, UK. Visit treesforanya.com, @TreesForAnya on Facebook and Twitter, and @anyakuvarzina on Pinterest.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: What is Social Anxiety, and What can I do About it?
Chapter 2: The Power of Emotions
Chapter 3: Cognitive Coping
Chapter 4: Mindfulness
Chapter 5: Relaxation Exercises
Chapter 6: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Chapter 7: Making the Most of Exposures
Chapter 8: Relapse Prevention
Chapter 9: Self-Care
Chapter 10: What Next?
 

What People are Saying About This

Eli R. Lebowitz

Find Your Fierce distills decades of research on evidence-based strategies for overcoming social anxiety into a simple recipe that any young reader will readily grasp and be able to use. Jacqueline Sperling’s friendly and approachable writing style is enhanced by Anya Kuvarzina’s charming illustrations and by the true-to-life and highly relatable examples throughout this gem of a book. A must for teens struggling in the shadow of social anxiety disorder.”

R. Lindsey Bergman

Dr. Sperling has a wealth of experience in the area of child and adolescent anxiety, so it is no surprise that she has written an excellent treatment resource for adolescents with social anxiety.  Her guide includes all of the essential evidence based “ingredients” for success including an emphasis on exposure-based practices but also contains helpful sections on values clarification, mindfulness, and the inhibitory learning process.  The examples throughout the text are spot on and keep the reader engaged.  I look forward to sharing Find Your Fierce with adolescents who struggle with social anxiety.

Eric Storch

Dr. Sperling has expertly filled a significant void in the literature by providing a clearly written and illustrated book to empower teens struggling with social anxiety. Based on evidence-based principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy, Find Your Fierce will undoubtedly help numerous youth struggling with social anxiety to overcome their distress and live more complete lives.

Dina R. Hirshfeld-Becker

This is a clear, well-written book that will be very helpful for teens who want step-by-step instructions on how to work on reducing their social anxiety. It is easy to read, and its suggestions are easy to do and easy to remember, thanks to helpful mnemonics (such as “stop, drop, and roll” for pausing, examining and pivoting away from unhelpful thoughts). I especially liked the chapter on mindfulness, and it emphasizes that mindfulness can be done with any activity without adding extra practice time.

Shannon M. Bennett

The prevalence of anxiety disorders in youth is rising, and social anxiety disorder is one of the most common diagnoses for teens and young adults today. Dr. Sperling’s Find Your Fierce offers real world strategies that are supported by decades of research for youth to manage their emotions effectively and thrive in today’s stressful times. This impressive book is fun, engaging, and makes complex concepts easy to read, understand, and practice. Anxiety is a normal, natural emotion, and one that can become really big for all of us at times. I think Find Your Fierce is required reading for all teens and young adults to know their voice, handle their feelings and fears with helpful skills, and live a full, fun life!

Editorial Reviews

This terrific book is designed for teens but adults will find it very helpful, too.  It is engaging, straight-forward, and full of examples and practical ideas to help individuals overcome their difficulties with anxiety in a step-by-step format. Concepts are clearly described and specific instructions help the reader put essential skills into practice. I highly recommend this book!

Judith S. Beck

The prevalence of anxiety disorders in youth is rising, and social anxiety disorder is one of the most common diagnoses for teens and young adults today. Dr. Sperling’s Find Your Fierce offers real world strategies that are supported by decades of research for youth to manage their emotions effectively and thrive in today’s stressful times. This impressive book is fun, engaging, and makes complex concepts easy to read, understand, and practice. Anxiety is a normal, natural emotion, and one that can become really big for all of us at times. I think Find Your Fierce is required reading for all teens and young adults to know their voice, handle their feelings and fears with helpful skills, and live a full, fun life!

Shannon M. Bennett

Dr. Sperling has a wealth of experience in the area of child and adolescent anxiety, so it is no surprise that she has written an excellent treatment resource for adolescents with social anxiety.  Her guide includes all of the essential evidence based “ingredients” for success including an emphasis on exposure-based practices but also contains helpful sections on values clarification, mindfulness, and the inhibitory learning process.  The examples throughout the text are spot on and keep the reader engaged.  I look forward to sharing Find Your Fierce with adolescents who struggle with social anxiety.

R. Lindsey Bergman

Dr. Sperling has expertly filled a significant void in the literature by providing a clearly written and illustrated book to empower teens struggling with social anxiety. Based on evidence-based principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy, Find Your Fierce will undoubtedly help numerous youth struggling with social anxiety to overcome their distress and live more complete lives.

Eric Storch

This is a clear, well-written book that will be very helpful for teens who want step-by-step instructions on how to work on reducing their social anxiety. It is easy to read, and its suggestions are easy to do and easy to remember, thanks to helpful mnemonics (such as “stop, drop, and roll” for pausing, examining and pivoting away from unhelpful thoughts). I especially liked the chapter on mindfulness, and it emphasizes that mindfulness can be done with any activity without adding extra practice time.

Dina R. Hirshfeld-Becker

Find Your Fierce distills decades of research on evidence-based strategies for overcoming social anxiety into a simple recipe that any young reader will readily grasp and be able to use. Jacqueline Sperling’s friendly and approachable writing style is enhanced by Anya Kuvarzina’s charming illustrations and by the true-to-life and highly relatable examples throughout this gem of a book. A must for teens struggling in the shadow of social anxiety disorder.

Eli R. Lebowitz

09/01/2021

Gr 6 Up—Inevitably, adolescence is a time of anxiety and confusion. For teenagers who suffer from anxiety disorders, however, the middle school/high school years can seem unbearable. In the best of times, teens in modern society have to handle a barrage of cultural and emotional stimuli like never before. With the recent pandemic, the mental health landscape is even more precarious. In this work, clinical psychologist Sperling outlines a practical plan to help anxiety sufferers combat their fears. Addressing well-meaning but often unhelpful advice, e.g., "just breathe," she offers a more detailed approach to tackling specific situations. With graphics and suggestions for simple progress charts, the author explains why anxiety arises and how teens can train their brains to handle overwhelming encounters. At the end of each chapter, she provides a brief summary of the most important points. Sperling takes the commonly known talking points about anxiety and uses them as stepping stones for a more comprehensive action plan both for teens who live with debilitating anxiety disorders and those who occasionally experience anxiety-causing scenarios. She walks readers through each suggested exercise with clear, engaging writing. Her tone is accepting and gentle, inviting teens to acknowledge their shortcomings and helping them see that it is only human to experience stress and anxiety. VERDICT An important, much-needed guide to help the many teens who are dealing with anxiety. For all libraries.—Karin Greenberg, Manhasset H.S., NY

School Library Journal

2021-06-24
A clinical psychologist offers teens practical tools they can use to deal with social anxiety.

The director of the McLean Hospital’s Anxiety Mastery Program provides explanations and examples of techniques to help young people manage their fears and anxieties. To begin, she defines social anxiety and introduces three fictional teens. Emma, Jordan, and Maria (shown with differing skin tones in the grayscale illustrations) present different worries but respond similarly by withdrawing—in the classroom, among friends, or on the playing field. She follows these young people throughout the book, giving step-by-step directions for each of the tools she suggests. Sperling explains how to manage thoughts, feelings, and behavior using the tools of cognitive behavior therapy: checking your thoughts, mindfulness, and relaxation. She also discusses the strategy of exposure and response prevention, including gradual exposure and purposefully difficult exposure, to learn to curb defensive responses. At every step, Sperling uses one of her characters to show how a teen might put her techniques into practice. Every chapter includes a recapitulation of the most important points. The author addresses her readers directly; her explanations are clear, her tone is patient and reassuring, and she encourages regular use of these tools, offering the parallel example of an athlete’s daily practice. The book concludes with a helpful chapter on self-care.

Straightforward and useful advice. (references, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews