Effective protocols save time, increase the probability of obtaining good results, make it easier to train and supervise new therapists, and satisfy the needs of third parties to know that the proposed treatment follows the best available practices. Protocols are consistently formatted and organized; a detailed session-by-session treatment program that includes worksheets, homework assignments, in-session treatment exercises, and didactic material; specific assessment measuresóboth for the target disorder and for the overall treatment program; a treatment plan summary for managed care requirements. This protocol outlines a twelve to sixteen-session treatment for individual clients experiencing agoraphobia and panic disorder. Treatment interventions include psychoeducation, breathing retraining, cognitive restructuring, interoceptive exposure, in vivo exposure, and relapse prevention.

All of the therapist protocols in the Best Practices series share these common features:

Each therapist protocol is accompanied by its own corresponding step-by-step client manual, containing all the education materials, worksheets, and skill-building assignments that the client will need.

Orr, who has experienced panic attacks herself, kept a diary of her participation as a research subject in clinical trials for the Upjohn Company’s anti-anxiety drug Xanax. This “panic diary” grounds her study and suggests the complexity of her desire to track the diffusion and regulation of panic in U.S. society. Orr’s historical research, theoretical reflections, and biographical narrative combine in this remarkable and compelling genealogy, which documents the manipulation of panic by the media, the social sciences and psychiatry, the U.S. military and government, and transnational drug companies.