# SA Support Group in Phoenix, AZ!!!!



## JonnyD (Aug 12, 2013)

Hi,

Like the vast majority of the people on this forum, social anxiety was ruining my life. I grew up with little to no friends and felt like life was passing me by. Leaving my home to participate in social activities like parties or even simple get togethers was terrifying for me and would cause me to worry weeks in advance. I struggled in many other areas also, but the main point is that I needed help to overcome my social anxiety. 

About 5 years ago, I completed the therapy series "Overcoming Social Anxiety: Step by Step" by Dr. Thomas A. Richards. I attended group therapy sessions with Dr. Richards and did so for about 3 years. It completely changed my life. I learned to see the world more rationally and felt a new kind confidence that I have not experienced before. I attended many social activities and now look forward to them. Not to mention the improvement in my personal relationships and overall happiness.

While it was worth it, the therapy was expensive and remote. Dr. Richards had individuals literally travel from around the world to do his therapy. I believe this is unnecessary and other people should start their own groups also. I have started a meetup group that I call the Phoenix Group. It is a mutual support group to help others who struggle with social anxiety disorder. We meet once a week and are going through Dr. Richards therapy series. My group is structured similarly to his and we schedule activities through out the week. I have members who have also completed his series and others who were new to it. We already went through the whole series this year and are looking to do it again. We have members from around the valley including Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe, and Mesa in Arizona. If you live near these areas and want to overcome social anxiety please visit meetup.com and search for The Phoenix Group. You can also use keywords like "social anxiety" or "shyness". You can join on the meetup site and see where our meeting locations will be at. 

Please feel free to message me on meetup.com if you are interested in joining and/or have questions. I immensely enjoy meeting others who struggle with social anxiety and helping them on their journey to be free from it. Have a great week!

-Jonathan


----------

