Hi Tia,

I was in Toastmasters for about 2 years at work. I found there were people
there with various problems, including shyness, also problems with English
and even some with speech or hearing defects. It really wasn't for people
who were already really good speakers. Another consideration would be the
location of the Toastmasters group - if you want to be with people who don't
work in corporations, try some clubs that are not in the downtown core.
All kinds of people go. I found eventually the club did help me feel
better about making presentations, just through repetition and trying small
speaking tasks regularly.

There is also a Toastmasters that is run by some mental health organization,
I forget which one, which is geared to people who have problems of one kind
or another. Maybe that would be one you'd like to try? Rama has the info on
this one.

HTH,

Eileen



>From: "Tia" <lostpuppy79@...>
>Reply-To: Toronto_Social_Phobia_Support@yahoogroups.com
>To: Toronto_Social_Phobia_Support@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [Toronto_Social_Phobia_Support] Looking for help to improve my
>speaking skills - not toastmasters
>Date: Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:01:38 -0000
>
>Hi there,
>
>I would really like to improve my public speaking skills. I would like
>to improve my speaking within small groups and large groups. There are
>some programs out there for people who need improvement in the
>corporate environment making speaches etc. That sounds way too advanced
>for me. I am looking for something a little less intimidating to start
>with. Does anyone have any ideas, or know of any organizations or clubs
>that help with public speaking that are more suited for people who have
>a high level of social anxiety. I would like to find a group where
>others have the same problems, rather than being with people who are
>just trying to fine tune their speaking skills and already.
>
>People have suggested to me to join a theatre group or something but
>it's hard to be with a group of people with whom public speaking comes
>naturally. I was hoping to find any group where people were dealing
>with simillar problems.
>
>Thank you in advance
>

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