Best Online Group Therapy to Help You Realize You're Not Alone

When it comes to comprehensive care, Mindful Care offers some of the best thanks to its multi-pronged treatment approach. It offers individual therapy as well as psychiatry, medication management, and addiction recovery services. You can also get “microtherapy,” which is a quick 20-minute session to address urgent issues. The company is also clearly committed to making mental health support for people looking for group therapy more accessible: It’s reasonably priced, accepts a variety of insurance providers, and can treat a wide range of concerns. 

Mindful Care is particularly excellent for those seeking group therapy. At present, there are nine MindFit therapy groups that address common concerns such as relationship issues, substance abuse recovery, and depression. Sessions are facilitated by a therapist who draws primarily on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the most widely-researched therapy modalities, though the company's "WISE group" for handling tough emotions draws from dialectical-behavior therapy (DBT), a type of therapy designed for people who experience emotions very intensely.

Members can rely on the groups to help them learn new ways of handling the challenges they face using proven methods with ongoing support. This might look like learning how to self-soothe with DBT, talking about unhelpful, anxiety-provoking thought patterns, or discussing the challenges of substance abuse recovery.

Mindful Care accepts most insurance providers, but self-pay for group therapy is $35 per session. Groups meet once a week for an hour between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. At present, MindFit Groups consist of: 

• CALM (for anxiety)
• RISE (for navigating challenging times)
• HOPE (for depression)
• SHINE (for the LGBTQA+ community)
• CONNECT (for relationships)
• RECOVER (for substance use)
• WISE (for handling tough emotions)
• BALANCE (for bipolar disorder)
• SAFE (for those with trauma)

Additional services are as follows:

• Psychiatry: $175 for an initial evaluation; $75 per 20-minute follow-up
• Individual therapy: $150 for an initial evaluation; $50 for 20-minute sessions; $100 for 40-minute sessions 

Mindful Care performed well overall among users when compared to the other services we reviewed.

• 92% rated it generally positive, compared to an 84% average.
• 82% said their therapist met all or most of their needs, compared to a 77% average.
• 95% rated their therapist qualifications positively, compared to an 84% average.

One of our  Mindful Care testers noted, “I felt like the group was very supportive of each other and non-judgmental. It was a safe place to talk about anything.”

Whether it's due to a breakup or the death of a loved one, grief is hard to bear alone. Circles helps unite people who may be struggling with grief in isolation by helping them find community where they can share stories with others who understand in a safe space. While Circles offers groups to treat a variety of issues, it was created originally for grief, and still specializes in it.  

Circles isn’t traditional group therapy—rather, it’s a peer support group led by a licensed therapist. It’s designed primarily to provide community and understanding, rather than to address mental health issues by using coping tools the group works on together. That said, it’s still helpful to have professional facilitation in a support group, as it can help keep the space safe and free from issues like microaggressions. 

There are two grief groups at Circles: one for loss/bereavement and another for separation/divorce. Both lead up to 10 participants through an in-depth, 12-week program. The capped size and three-month format ensure you’ll get to know your peers well and create a sense of stability. You can also message other participants and the therapist 24/7 throughout the week. By the end of the journey, you may have found true allies in healing.

Circles has a free and paid premium version, which costs $49 per month. The premium version has a closed group format with a maximum of 10 participants and is ongoing for 12 weeks. It’s moderated by a therapist, you’ll meet at the same time every week, and you can message your group and the therapist between sessions. This version is only available for those experiencing loss/bereavement or divorce/separation. 

The free version is peer-run and operates on a drop-in basis. As such, it’s likely to be less intimate and potentially less effective.

We surveyed users who tried both the premium and free versions. Free groups don’t have any size limitations or a concentrated, in-depth format. Participants can come and go as they please, which can lower the quality of the experience. Still:

• 86% of users said it was better than services used in the past.
• 80% of users rated it positively, compared to an 84% average.
• 70% would recommend it to a friend, compared to a 71% average.
• 77% of users said most, or all of their needs were met by counseling sessions.

According to one of our testers, “The facilitator guided us with leading questions, which she made sure we each had a chance to answer, though it soon evolved into a more natural group conversation. I felt very heard, supported, and emotionally buoyed by the 60-minute session.”

Losing a relationship can hit people hard, and the leadership at Growing Self designed a small coaching group to serve those enduring this type of loss. It’s capped at six members, which means more direct facilitation and guidance from the therapist and ample opportunities to build intimacy with other members. Participants are asked to attend for a full eight weeks and can join the breakup recovery Facebook group for additional support. 

A skilled relationship counselor leads the group through activities and discussions designed to help you heal, evolve, and set intentions for positive future relationships.

Growing Self was designed primarily to serve people who need support with their relationships, whether they’re deciding if they want to stay in a relationship or leave, improve communication, or are in the process of a painful separation. It offers individual therapy alongside group coaching, premarital counseling, an online course, and psychoeducation to help you learn about healthy relationships.

Growing Self’s group coaching for breakups and divorce is $40 a session, and participants are asked to commit to eight weeks. It doesn’t accept insurance. Individual and couples therapy costs $65 to $160 per session.

Growing Self received above-average ratings across the board among our surveyed users.

• 90% rating it positively overall, compared to an 84% average across all 55 companies we evaluated.
• 89% percent rated therapist qualifications positively, compared to an 84% average.
• 62% said they would start their search there again if needed, compared to a 59% average.
• 58% found it affordable or very affordable, compared to a 54% average.

Our tester had a positive experience with Growing Self, noting that, “Both of the therapists I worked with created a comfortable and safe environment for discussing relationship issues and developing therapeutic goals that felt achievable with their support.”

Sesh has online support groups facilitated by licensed therapists who address a variety of issues such as trauma recovery, social anxiety, self-esteem, and artistic avenues to healing. A subscription costs $60 a month, and that gets you access to as many sessions as you want. This gives you a high degree of flexibility: You can pop into sessions when you want to, experiment with which ones work best, or go to multiple meetups in a day. And, there’s no commitment required. 

Of course, that does mean there are some drawbacks. Everyone has that same flexibility, so sessions run the risk of being impersonal. You may never see some of the people in a group you join again. Plus, groups don’t remain consistent—topics change throughout the year. Note that if you’re dealing with a severe and ongoing mental health issue, Sesh might not be right for you. But if you’re seeking to support your overall mental wellness in a variety of ways, it might just be perfect.

A subscription costs you $60 per month and grants you unlimited access to all groups.

Sesh provides users with a better experience than they’d had with previous telehealth services. 

• 96% said it was better than services used in the past, compared to an 86% average.
• 43% said they’d still be using services six months later, compared to a 42% average.
• 61% would start at Sesh again if they needed another group, compared to a 59% average.

One of our testers found the guiding questions help to keep the conversation flowing, and they appreciated the suggestions offered by the group participants. “I liked that some of the advice and ideas were coming from people’s lived experiences, not just from the facilitator’s guidance,” our tester said. 

Social justice is the driving force behind the directory Inclusive Therapists. All clinicians listed provide culturally inclusive care and often come from a marginalized community themselves. These include BIPOC, LGBTQA+, QPoC, neurodivergent, disabled, immigrant, and a range of intersectional communities. It lists therapists nationwide who lead online and in-person groups and offer individual, couples, teen, kids, and family therapy. 

You can search for inclusive group therapy by selecting “group therapy” under services and adding in any additional criteria under the filters, of which there are many. You’ll find groups on interpersonal trauma recovery, women’s issues, LGBTQA+ issues, and more.

Since Inclusive Therapists is a directory, you’ll have a wide variety of providers to choose from, but the availability of group therapy varies. The search function goes by the provider, not the group, so not everyone who appears in search results will actually have a therapy group in session. Be prepared to take a little more time to find the right fit on Inclusive Therapists.

As it’s a directory, each therapist sets their own rates and has their own plans and policies.

Inclusive Therapists did well overall among users:

• 28% said it was more culturally inclusive compared to past services, versus a 23% average.
• 81% were very satisfied or satisfied with the therapist options provided on the directory, compared to an 80% average.
• 89% rated it positively overall, compared to an 87% average.

“Based on my own experience as a Black woman who was once a therapy novice trying to find a biracial Black clinician, I see the value in this directory,” one of our testers said. “Having a directory that allowed me to narrow my search to the very specific needs I had at that time would have saved me hours and minimized the stress I was already experiencing.”

The National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network (NQTTCN) is both a therapist directory and a non-profit that’s committed to community building by providing therapists who lead group therapy sessions. Therapy-seekers can count on finding culturally inclusive therapy here, and therapists join the network to expand their capacity to serve the community. This shows a clear commitment to the mission and provides a certain level of security, as all therapists must agree to a statement of community care.

A quick search in the directory will give you a list of providers in your area, and by looking at their profiles, you’ll be able to see if they lead groups. This does add an extra step (since you can’t search by the group directly), but the trade-off at NQTTCN is that you will have a better chance here of finding someone you can relate to.

Each therapist sets their own policies and you’ll find varying fee structures and levels of experience here. It's a large pool of providers across the country (though not in all 50 states) with diverse skill sets, backgrounds, and therapeutic approaches. For instance, some might employ relational therapy, which has an emphasis on a trusting therapeutic relationship, while others utilize a psychodynamic approach, focusing on self-awareness and exploration of deeper issues.

As this is a directory, each therapist sets their own rates and has their own plans and policies.

NQTTCN attention to inclusivity shows in the ratings it received from our surveyed users.

• 43% percent said it was more LGBTQIA+ affirmative than services used in the past, compared to a 23% average.
• 18% said they came to NQTTCN looking for group therapy, compared to an 11% average.
• 11% said NQTTCN outperformed services used in the past because of offering better options for group therapy, compared to a 9% average.

One of our testers noted, “There is no doubt that NQTTCN is a useful directory if you live in one of the 30 states it serves and you are a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and the QTPoC community.” 

Postpartum depression (PPD) can affect anyone who’s given birth and may be incredibly isolating, especially if you don’t have people around you who can empathize. Catalyss Counseling offers therapist-led support groups across the country on postpartum depression as well as topics like relationship processing, ADHD, and divorce. Individual therapy and online group therapy are also available for Colorado residents (due to licensing requirements, Catalyss can’t offer group therapy outside of Colorado). It features sessions at multiple price levels, including low-cost student therapy, and has practitioners with a variety of skill sets and backgrounds. 

The postpartum group emphasizes building connection during an isolating time and fostering self-love instead of guilt while tending to practical concerns like self-care, returning to work, baby development concerns, feeding issues, and more. It’s limited to just six people to encourage trust and help everyone feel heard.

Catalyss provides group support on a variety of topics, and each group has its own policies. For example, some are short-term, others are ongoing, some are drop-in, and others require a specific enrollment date. Catalyss does not accept insurance and fees are as follows:

• $150 for the group screening/intake
• $65 for process groups 
• $55 for support groups 
• $25 for grad student support group
• $80–$250 for the individual therapy intake session
• $60–$220 for individual therapy sessions

Catalyss was not included in our user survey, but Hannah Owens, LMSW and subject matter expert, shared her professional opinion on the company when she helped us evaluate the platform:

“A support group specifically for mothers experiencing postpartum depression is a great resource because of the feelings of guilt and shame that often accompany PPD. A group like this lets the person struggling with PPD know that they are not alone, and can provide useful advice and emotional tools to help them through their symptoms. The ongoing nature of a support group ensures that no matter when a parent feels like they need peer support, they can access it.”

Peer support groups are primarily designed to build community, lower isolation, and give people with similar life experiences a resource for coping tools and opportunities to share and validate stories. TherapyTribe is a directory that offers free peer support groups on a variety of topics such as addiction, anxiety, and depression; it also connects therapy-seekers to clinicians across the country who provide individual, couples, kids, and family therapy. With over 156,000 tribe members, it’s a vast network filled with people who are struggling with their mental health and taking steps to improve it.

Therapists do not lead groups at Therapy Tribe; rather, they are primarily peer-led groups. The focus is on coping with symptoms better, rather than addressing them with treatment via a therapist. All group interactions take place on a mobile-optimized, dedicated social media platform with an activity stream, chat rooms, group forums where you can post and answer questions, and a member blog where you can tell your story. And then there are all the other tools the Tribe provides: a personal wellness tree that gamifies self-care, a mood map, and the ability to send kudos to other members.

Support groups are free—all you have to do is sign up for the tribe. You can pick as many groups as you want.

Overall, TherapyTribe provides quality support for free, works well in conjunction with other treatments, and performed well among our users:

• 74% said it outperformed services used in the past, compared to a 70% average.
• 90% rated it positively overall, compared to an 87% average.
• 82% would recommend it to a friend, compared to an 80% average.

“When going through a difficult time or dealing with challenging symptoms, it can be bolstering to hear other people’s experiences with the same thing,” explains Owens. “Peer support can provide not only an empathetic ear, but also advice on coping strategies, hope for the future, and supplemental support in between therapy sessions.”