Group Therapy is the novel that marked the beginning of Ryan Johnson’s published writing career—a story he carried with him for nearly a decade before its release in 2002. First drafted in 1992 and refined over many years, the book became the inaugural installment of the Springfield Series, a character-driven look at the real emotional landscape of freshman year.
Set at fictional Springfield University, the novel follows a diverse circle of first-year students as they navigate the exhilarating, messy transition into adulthood. Their friendships deepen, clash, and evolve as they experience the choices, stumbles, and defining moments that shape who we become when we first step out on our own.
Written with a deliberate focus on realism rather than the exaggerated versions of college life often shown on TV, Group Therapy invites readers to “find a small piece of yourself in at least one of the characters.” Ryan’s straightforward, honest approach earned early praise for capturing the universal mistakes, lessons, and relationships of that pivotal year.
As his earliest published work, Group Therapy remains a meaningful milestone—an emotional, sincere, and grounded story that launched a lifelong journey into writing and storytelling.