Beidel, who runs Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ RESTORES (RESearch and Treatment On Responses to Extreme Stressors), began working at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 2007. The center treats children with anxiety disorders by pairing them with socially comfortable peers for outings to bowling alleys, restaurants and other places. Children often begin treatment not knowing how to make friends. They need to learn the social skills that most people take for granted.

Beidel also runs a program to help veterans overcome PTSD. She is actively looking for Central Florida veterans or active-duty military personnel who served in Afghanistan or Iraq to participate in a Department of Defense-funded clinical research program, which uses virtual reality and piped-in smells associated with their war experiences to help the veterans overcome PTSD. She also is looking for military families for a Department of Defense-funded study about how deployments impact service members’ families.

Beidel’s passion is to help people overcome their fears. Her expertise and commitment earned her a Pegasus Professor Award in 2013. The award is Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s top recognition for faculty excellence in teaching, service and learning.

How did you first get involved with helping our military personnel who have PTSD?

In the 1990s, I was at the Medical University of South Carolina working with my colleagues Dr. Samuel Turner and Dr. Christopher Frueh, who was at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital.  We were talking about how no one was offering behavior therapy for Vietnam veterans with combat-related PTSD.  So we designed a study, tested it, made some modifications and then tested it again. We were pleased that we could offer a treatment that military personnel thought was effective.

What are some of the most common things you hear from a veteran coming to you for the first time?

The most common problems we hear about are sleep problems, nightmares and intrusive thoughts about the traumatic event.  In many cases, military personnel have not even shared their trauma with their family because of its horrific nature. Their families say that they are distant and withdrawn – but the warrior is not deliberately choosing to shut out the family – he or she just wants to spare them the traumatic nature of their experiences.

What are the biggest changes they notice when they finish treatment?

We see decreases in anxiety symptoms, decreases in anger, and increased socialization. Military personnel feel as if they have their lives back again.

What is the most misunderstood part of PTSD?

That someone never gets over their PTSD. The events that precipitate PTSD are by definition horrific and will likely never disappear completely. However, with proper treatment, the symptoms of PTSD can be decreased significantly, and people can get their lives back.  In our program, about 60 percent of people no longer have a diagnosis of PTSD after treatment.  I would encourage people not to give up.  There are good treatments available.

What impact do you hope to achieve with your newest study involving military families?

We are interested in the effects of repeated deployments on the family. We are including measures of stress as well as psychological disorders. Our study is the first to objectively assess stress by collecting samples of cortisol (a stress hormone in saliva) and by measuring sleep patterns. Second, our study assesses family resilience. We hope to provide a more robust understanding of family responses to deployment.

Of your many accomplishments, of which one are you most proud?

Being named a Pegasus Professor in April 2013.  To be recognized by the university was a very thrilling moment.

If you weren’t a psychology professor, what would be your career?

When I was a child, I wanted to be an archeologist – I really like discovering things. But I changed my mind because I’m not a big fan of getting down in the dirt.

Who has been your most important role model?

Both of my parents, but especially my mother. She never had the chance to go to college but she was determined that I would go.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in high school, and she died a few years later from the disease. She taught me the importance of education and how to face challenges with courage, grace and dignity.

What has been your most rewarding experience working with children coping with social anxiety?

When 8-year-old Pete first walked into my office, he said “Dr. Beidel, all I want in the world is one friend.� He worked really hard to learn social skills and to conquer his fear of being around other children. Nine months later, he came back and told me that he had been voted the most popular kid at summer camp. He had this huge smile as he showed me his trophy and I tried to hide my tears (of joy).

Share something no one or very few people know about you.

I am a tap dancer and throughout my youth performed on Steel Pier in Atlantic City, N.J., as a Tony Grant Star of Tomorrow and on the Philadelphia television program, “Chief Halftown and His Friends.â€� It was “the longest running local TV children’s show in the history of the world.â€�

If I know someone who is struggling with any anxiety disorder, what is the best way to help him or her?

It is important to know that help is available.  Anxiety is defined as an irrational fear – people are often aware that their fear is out of proportion – but what the head knows, the heart cannot understand.  Telling someone that “there is nothing to be afraid of� does not help.  The best way to help is to let them know that it is OK to ask for help – getting over a fear takes courage.

Dr. Deborah Beidel, director of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Anxiety Disorders Clinic, uses olfactory stimulants such as “Moroccan marketplace,â€� “body odorâ€� and “weapon fireâ€� to stimulate the same part of the brain (the limbic system) that handles memories and emotions.

“On our diagnostic scale, the average score before treatment was 80, which indicates severe PTSD,� says Beidel. “After treatment, the average dropped to 40. That’s going from ‘I’m having nightmares every night’ to ‘I have a nightmare once a month.’�

Beidel and her team use stimulants to replicate traumatic events experienced by PTSD sufferers. Visual, audio and tactile components are also used, but according to Beidel’s patients, smell acts as the most powerful trigger.

“The point is not to make people comfortable with these events, but to decrease the emotion that has gone along with them,� says Beidel. “So someone stops being afraid to drive under an overpass because it triggers a reaction related to a bridge attack they lived through in Iraq.� John, a soldier who is halfway through treatment, says, “I think the program will give me insight and tools to deal with my anxieties. I’ve just gotten to the point where I can sit in a restaurant without having to face the door.�

While TMT was designed as a 17-week program, the U.S. Army recently granted an additional $1.5 million to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to develop a three week intensive program for active-duty soldiers. The grant’s coverage includes patient lodging, which enables soldiers from across the country to participate.

The researchers plan to accept a total of 180 soldiers for treatment, and are now taking applications. For more information, visit anxietyclinic.cos.ucf.edu.

Pet Rescue by Judy, a no-kill animal shelter dedicated to the rescuing, rehabilitating, re-socializing and re-homing of adoptable companion animals provided 20 dogs to students to walk, pet and interact with. Studies show that, when interacting with an animal, it lowers one’s blood pressure and helps that person to relax. It can also help increase socialization and provide companionship.

Veteran Chris O’Connor and his dog Lucas are inspiring examples of how “man’s best friend� can provide a sense of purpose, healing, routine, socialization and companionship for a combat veteran adjusting to student life after being in the military. O’Connor’s adjustment to civilian life was challenging due to his PTSD symptoms, shrapnel wounds and traumatic brain injury after being in combat in Iraq. Back in the states, he had no plan. That is when he decided to get a companion, Lucas−an AKC Star Puppy AKC Canine Good Citizen provided by the Patriot Rovers. Around the dog’s neck are the identification tags of a soldier Corporal Kevin “Adam� Lucas who died May 26, 2006 in Iraq. O’Connor says that his dog “changed his life.� He now has a companion that enables him to socialize, go out in public without fear and gives him reason to get up in the morning. He is now successfully finishing his degree in social work and also works as a veteran peer mentor helping other veterans adjust to college life.

Pets for Vets was an event designed to promote the use of animals to de-stress students’ lives, highlight the resources available to them, help veterans adjust to college and civilian life, and promote the adoption of rescued animals from the shelter. Animal assisted therapy, an alternative approach to standard therapy and counseling, is designed to help improve the physical, emotional, social and cognitive functioning in people.

 The interactive activity is sponsored by the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Veterans Academic Resource Center, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Counseling Center and Burnett Honors College Honors Educational Reach Out. Also participating in the event will be the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Marriage and Family Institute, Canine Companions for Independence, Camaraderie Foundation, Orlando Mobile Vet Center, Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Southland Dog Training and the Student Veteran Association. 

A principal standing in the hallway says, “You are one of my favorite students!� In class, a smart girl says, “You are the nicest person in our class!�

Many children would smile and eagerly return those compliments, but some with social anxiety may be too terrified to respond.

Researchers at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Anxiety Disorders Clinic and the Atlanta-based company Virtually Better want to give more children with social anxiety the practice they need to become comfortable in social situations. They have developed a new, one-of-a-kind computer simulation program that enables children to interact with avatars playing the roles of classmates, teachers and a principal.

The simulation, designed for children ages 8 to 12, allows clinicians to play the roles of the avatars while the children sit at a computer in a different room and respond to situations they encounter routinely. The children practice greetings, giving and receiving compliments, being assertive and asking and answering questions.

“These kids come in and say, ‘I don’t know how to make a friend,’â€� said Deborah Beidel, director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic and a psychology professor at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. “We have to teach them the skills that most people learn from being around other people.â€�

The National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, provided a $500,000 grant to fund the development of the software and a 12-week study that will begin this summer.

Beidel and Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ doctoral student Nina Wong are looking for 30 children ages 8 to 12 with social anxiety disorders to participate in the free study. Participants will need to come to the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ campus twice weekly. The study also will feature homework that children will do on either a home computer or a laptop that the research team will provide for free during the study.

Parents or guardians who are interested in learning more about the study can call 407-823-4254. The research team will conduct short interviews to determine whether children qualify.

Many children are nervous and slow to warm up in new social situations, but those with social anxiety disorders have severe distress that doesn’t go away, Beidel said.

“If a fear is so severe that it prevents a child from doing something he or she should be doing, such as going to school, playing on a sports team, being in a dance recital, going to birthday parties or making friends, then a parent should call a mental health professional,� she said.

Under Beidel’s leadership, the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Anxiety Disorders Clinic has treated children with anxiety disorders for five years. The clinic offers what Beidel calls the “gold standardâ€� of treatments. Children with anxiety disorders are paired with socially comfortable peers for outings to places such as bowling alleys, restaurants and miniature golf courses.

The new study will give parents multiple treatment options at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. But parents in most communities aren’t so fortunate. Many clinicians who treat children don’t have the time or resources to recruit socially comfortable children and organize regular outings. Guiding clients through a simulation in the office may be the only feasible solution for them.

The simulation features a realistic school setting, designed with the help of elementary school teachers. The pre-programmed responses of the avatar classmates – which include a cool girl, a smart girl and a bully — were recorded by children to ensure the language reflects how they talk.

“The most important thing is that this was designed by clinicians with a very specific intention to help people get better. That’s the big difference between this and a game, and there is nothing like this on the market,� said Josh Spitalnick, clinical psychologist and director of research and clinical services at Virtually Better, an Atlanta-based company bringing interactive technologies to behavioral healthcare for treatment and training.

The six characters and the varying levels of difficulty in the simulation allow clinicians to design scenarios appropriate for their patients. More challenging scenarios include dealing with a bully who is demanding that a child give up some of her lunch money.

If the initial trial goes well, researchers hope to conduct a yearlong trial with more children. If that is successful, the simulation could then become available to clinicians. The program eventually could be expanded to include other settings, such as playgrounds, and to serve other children who need help improving social skills.

For more information about Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Anxiety Disorders Clinic, go to https://sciences.ucf.edu/psychology/research/laboratories/labs_anxiety/. For more information about Virtually Better Technologies, visit .

Pet Rescue by Judy provided 10 rescue dogs for the day, and at least 200 students walked, held, patted and spent time with the canines, organizers said.  The activity was held because studies show that interacting with an animal lowers your blood pressure and helps people to relax. The dogs also were eligible to be adopted.

The event was sponsored by the Veteran Academic Resource Center, Student Counseling Center and Burnett Honors College Honors Educational Reach Out.

Also participating was the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Marriage and Family Institute, Canine Companions for Independence, Camaraderie Foundation, Orlando Mobile Vet Center, Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Southland Dog Training and the Student Veteran Association.

Children who suffer from social phobia are so excessively shy that they often cannot make friends or perform well in school. They are afraid to talk with teachers or peers and to participate in sports or other activities. Attending parties and other social events can be terrifying.

The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Anxiety Disorders Clinic is recruiting children ages 8 to 17 who need help conquering social phobia and learning how to interact with others. Children may be eligible for free treatment sessions at the clinic, as well as restaurant, miniature golf and bowling outings with children who are comfortable in social situations.

“We’re teaching children the skills they need and getting them to practice in real-life settings,� said Psychology Professor Deborah Beidel, who directs the clinic. “Otherwise, they get really good at interacting with others in our clinic and are not comfortable when they leave.�

Under Beidel’s direction, trained researchers and graduate students work with children and their parents to overcome social phobia. More than 70 percent of the children overcome their fears after 12 weeks of treatment and outings, Beidel said.

Parents should seek help for children with social phobia before they become teenagers. Adolescents who haven’t learned how to overcome their social fears sometimes will consume alcohol to relax, setting up a lifelong pattern of using alcohol to alleviate their social distress, Beidel said.

Treatment is the most effective way to help a child conquer excessive shyness – particularly for children 11 and younger. Studies suggest that children who develop the social phobia before they are 11 years old rarely overcome it without treatment, Beidel said.

Parents can follow other steps to help their children this holiday season. Beidel suggests that parents let their children set the pace for approaching others. Do not force a child to talk with someone. Also, parents should praise their children for “brave behavior� and facing a fear if they attempt to socialize with others, no matter how it turns out.

Parents who are interested in learning more about the free treatment programs available and whether their children may be eligible can call 407-823-3910.

The Anxiety Disorders Clinic also is seeking socially comfortable children to interact with the children with social phobia at the weekly outings. They are paid for their time, and the cost of their outings is covered by the clinic. Participating also counts toward high schools’ community service requirements. For more information, call 407-823-3910.

$500,000 NIH Grant to Help Expand ‘Real-World’ Therapy to Virtual World

While treating Central Florida youth, Beidel also wants to help other psychiatrists and psychologists effectively aid children with social phobia. They may not have the staff resources or the time to recruit groups of children to participate in activities.

With a $500,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, Beidel will be working with Atlanta-based software company Virtually Better to develop a guided online simulation that will help children with social phobia practice interacting with others in real-life scenarios.

In the simulation, children can practice interacting with classmates and teachers with different personalities. An early task might be saying “Hi. How are you doing today?� to an outgoing, popular girl who greets the child. Later, the child might have to start a conversation herself or break into a small group’s conversation.

Clinicians would work directly with patients on the simulations at the office and then provide homework assignments for children to complete under their parents’ supervision.

Beidel is leading the study with doctoral student Nina Wong. The first year will involve working with Virtually Better to develop the new software, and the second year will include trials with children with social phobia.