London Social Anxiety Self-Help group

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SASH GROUP IS COMPLETELY SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT FROM SOCIAL ANXIETY UK

The spirit of the group

The group aims to provide a safe space where socially anxious people can meet and spend some constructive time to work through their social anxiety. The group is based on a self-help approach, where the participants are free to participate only to the extent that they want to. As such, there is no required attendance and participants are not expected to do or say anything specific.

The SASH group is not a therapy group. The group aims to provide a playground where participants can experiment with new behaviours and can maybe see themselves and others in a different light, supporting a process of growth and self-exploration. As such, the activities of the group can well be therapeutic, but there is no claim that the group will provide solutions to individual problems.

The activities of the group

After a general introduction about the group and practical details are given, the group engages in a number of different activities. The purpose of such activities is to explore our perception of ourselves and of the people around us, and to make this exploration as comfortable as is possible. Some activities are individual and do not involve any interaction with others. Some take place in pairs, and might be as simple as having a short chat with another person about how you feel in the moment. Other activities involve the whole group, for example when somebody wants to answer questions asked by the group.
Some other examples of activities that often take place at the group:

  • Visualisations
  • Relaxation Exercises
  • Using affirmations
  • Exploration of eye contact
  • Goal oriented exercises
  • Role-playing

Meeting Time and Breaks

Meetings start at 6.30pm and end at 9pm. There is usually a 15 minute break halfway through the meeting.

Cost

There is a charge of £5 which goes to cover the room rental and administration expenses.

About the group facilitator

Stefano set up the group in July 2004 and has run it since. Stefano knows social anxiety from personal experience, as he used to be very socially anxious when he was younger. The group is Stefano’s personal project, a way to contribute something positive to the lives of socially anxious people.