Social Anxiety Self-Help Groups (SASH) London

Welcome to the website of the London Social Anxiety Self-Help (SASH) Groups.
We have been running groups for people experiencing social anxiety since 2004.
We run two types of groups: a weekly self-help open group and a 12-week therapy closed group. We also run weekend workshops on specialised topics.

We also organise workshops and talks on themes related to social anxiety.

Our activities take place at the Open Centre on Old Street, London (EC1).
Use the navigation bar on the left to find more information about our activities
NEWS

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO OUR DROP IN SESSIONS

We are sad to announce that our final Monday Night Drop in
session will be:

December 17th 2018.

After 14 years of running SASH Monday night drop in meetings, it is with sincere regret that we are no longer able to continue to provide this option.

We want you to know that we still plan on creating other possibilities for sufferers of Social Anxiety by running 12 week therapy groups and/or weekend workshops. As yet we have no definite dates booked for these events but will keep you posted as soon as we have more information.

We are still open until (and including) 17th December 2018 and we encourage you to come to our Monday Night drop in group before that date. If you are new to SASH and wish to attend a meeting please contact us. If you have already attended a SASH drop in meeting then please feel free to return before we close the Monday nights.

We would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has been part of our drop in groups whether you have been an attendee or one of our volunteer facilitators, everyone's continued support has been invaluable.

* NB - WE ARE NOW LOCATED ON
THE 3RD FLOOR OF THE OPEN CENTRE *

click here

Our meeting room at the Open Centre

Testimonials from our last therapy group

"I met other people who had the same problem I had. I had the opportunity to make some connections I would not normally have made.
I listened to other peoples backgrounds and stories that let me know I was not alone in my suffering."

"It allowed time to reflect, be guided as well as challenged and consider with others in doing so. Just thinking on this, that’s kind of a rare thing..."

What is your experience of social anxiety?
Written by participants in one of our workshops

A Poem By A
12 Week Therapy Group Participant

Take Flight Poem

To be able to breathe without phlegm,
To be able to be myself again,
The self that I truly comprehend,
Without judgement form an inner voice or a friend,
To be able to greet the future without apprehension,
To be able to smile without tension,
To be able to be still in the midst of my hearts beating rage,
To be able to understand why I feel such shame,
It is difficult to have to act mature at this life's stage,
Because my soul feels less than half its age,
The fear of the unknown feels like being in a thorny maze,
Keeps me in my comfort zone,
Or as they say, staying in my lane,
Told to be level headed or am I just imbalanced in the brain?
Can often be sensitive to a temperature change
But cannot feel numb to the real depths of pain,
I can stare at the window pane,
The window of opportunity, until my eyes double glaze,
Feeling like life is passing me by,
Being shackled by chains
I'm starting to regret my life's vows
Battling in vain,
My shoulders struggle to be bare the weight and the strain,
As I wipe the sweat from my brow, those moments always feel lame,
When confronted with "you're not sweating now!"
It becomes harder to explain
So I keep a brighter side at times, so I don't extinguish my flame,
As anxiety has unlearned some of my ways to behave,
Maybe I can take FLIGHT as fortune favours the brave,
Maybe I can take FLIGHT as fortune favours the brave,
Maybe I can take FLIGHT as fortune favours the brave.