How to start a self help group for people with social phobia

Amelita

Hello--

I'm wanting to start a self help group for people with social phobia.Has anyone here started one or been to one? I need suggestions. :idea:

Thanks,

Amy :)

Skip · Newbie User Joined: May 18, 2004 Posts: 4

Check your private messages. Wink

Hope · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 3:26 am Post subject:

Amy,

Unless you want to start and facilitate it completely on your own - which would be more of a challenge than I'd want - I suggest you try what I did:

Contact a local self-help or mental health support group (which are usually government-funded) and first talk to them and ask if you can write a proposal for such a group. It helps to have some statistics (i.e. percentage of population affected by SP/SA) which you can easily print off the internet or this group. (Obviously before you go to all this trouble, be sure your area doesn't already have such a group.)

While I was successful (though it took a year) in getting a group going, it unfortunately didn't run well. YMMV. Promotion was poor and facilitation was worse IMHO. The faciltator didn't know the subject matter and discussion was too far off-topic.

Nevertheless, I encourage you to try this. Best not to let the group get too large (e.g. not over 10 or so) as members with SA aren't usually thrilled at having to bare their souls to crowds. This is a problem with 2 other support groups I occasionally attend - they bring in 20-40 people - arrrggghh.
H

carmen · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 11:34 pm Post subject:

I'm interested in participate in your group, amelita.

Alternator · Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2004 2:18 am Post subject:

Telling us where you would plan to run this group would be a start.