Presents two viewpoints for helping students with severe communication anxiety and avoidance problems: one based on traditional speech pedagogy; the other based on behavioral clinical psychology. Argues that in most cases the two viewpoints complement rather than contradict each other. (JMF)

Two theoretical schools have emerged within the field of communication focusing on the alleviation of dysfunctional communications such as speech anxiety, communication apprehension, and speech reticence. The communication anxiety-behavior therapy school regards excessive anxiety to be a primary factor in dysfunctional communication. This school…