Grouport Review 2024: Pros & Cons, Cost, & Who It’s Right For

Grouport Key Takeaways

• Specialized group therapy with Grouport is only offered in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. However, DBT skills training is offered nationwide.
• Grouport offers a 20-minute consultation with an intake coordinator who will ask you a series of questions to help place you in the right group.
• The questions in the intake consultation are personal, so it’s best to schedule it when you know you’ll be in a quiet and private setting.
• If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can use a nickname, but keep in mind that you’ll be on camera. You’re also not required to participate in your group therapy sessions. You can simply observe if you choose.
• You can choose to switch to a new group with a different therapist at any time.

Final Verdict on Grouport

Grouport is a valuable online resource for anyone hoping to try virtual group therapy. It’s convenient, reasonably priced, and can be effective, especially for those who commit to the meetings and are open to accepting support. Grouport’s therapists are all experienced, licensed, and properly vetted, which helps create a safe and welcoming atmosphere in the group meetings.

Even if you’re located outside of their geographical coverage for specialized group therapy, I still recommend trying Grouport’s DBT skills training group because it still has the essence of a group therapy meeting, with the added bonus of DBT skill-building modules and exercises.

What is Grouport?

Grouport provides group therapy and DBT skills training entirely online. Group therapy meetings and DBT training are all hosted by licensed therapists. Grouport’s DBT skills training is available nationwide, and group therapy options are available in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. Grouport subscriptions cost $140 monthly and include four 60-minute sessions. They do not accept insurance at this time.

When you create an account on Grouport, you’ll be invited to set up a consultation appointment with an enrollment representative, which is done via Zoom. The consultation is designed to help place you in the best possible therapy group. The enrollment representative will ask you a series of questions about your past experiences in therapy, current mental health issues, and your thoughts on group therapy. The entire consultation will last about 20-30 minutes.

At the end of the consultation, you’ll be provided with a list of group therapy options run by licensed therapists in your state, and you’ll choose a group with a date and time that works for you. Once your group is chosen, you’ll access the dashboard on your client portal, where you’ll find links to all of your group therapy meetings for the month.

The online dashboard also has journal-like tools to track your progress and links to free community events. Community events are online personal development webinars and workshops taught by mental health professionals. These community events are all free to Grouport members.

Grouport offers several specialized groups in New York, New Jersey, and Florida that cover a wide range of topics, like depression, anxiety disorders, grief and loss, and relationships. You can also choose to join a DBT training group, which still offers group support, but also leans towards an educational skill-building course.

You can use a nickname when you attend your group therapy meeting via Zoom, and sharing is not mandatory but encouraged. After introductions, you can choose to simply listen and observe rather than join in on the conversation. Your level of participation is completely up to you.

How Much Does Grouport Cost?

Grouport subscriptions cost $140 monthly, advertised as $35 weekly, and include four 60-minute group therapy sessions.

Out-of-Network Benefits

They do not accept insurance at this time but will provide a superbill.

How to Get Started with Grouport

Grouport provides a well-structured onboarding process, making it easy to sign up and get started. Simply follow the steps below to join your first group therapy session.

1. Visit the Grouport website.
2. Click on ‘Get Started.’
3. Enter your personal information.
4. Choose a group therapy topic that you think might interest you.
5. Enter your payment information.
6. Schedule your Zoom consultation with an enrollment representative.
7. Choose a therapy group that’s available in your state.
8. Attend your first group therapy session.

Grouport: Detailed Review

Grouport provides online group therapy in select states and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skills training nationwide. Groups are run by licensed therapists and can be easily accessed from any web browser. Grouport subscriptions cost $140 monthly and include four 60-minute group sessions that take place once a week. They currently do not accept insurance.

What Is Group Therapy Like with Grouport?

I had the opportunity to participate in a DBT training group with six other Grouport members. I live in a state that offers specialized group therapy, but I chose a DBT group because it was recommended in my consultation, and it appears to be one of Grouport’s most popular services.

Consultations with Grouport are a great perk because you have an opportunity to learn how the meetings work, exchange expectations, and share some personal information that can help Grouport’s team members place you in the right group. Once I chose a group, I could see the links to my meetings appear on my dashboard in the client portal. Unfortunately, my first group meeting was rescheduled, which was a bit discouraging.

Thankfully, my Monday night group was rescheduled for Tuesday at the same time, so it wasn’t too inconvenient. I was a little nervous to meet the group, but I was greeted with a warm welcome from the therapist and the other members, which made me instantly feel more comfortable. All of the members in our group were there for different reasons, but we all shared a common interest in learning DBT skills.

Our therapist conducted an exercise that involved exploring our thoughts and feelings around asking for help, which was a topic that resonated with all of us. It led to an incredible discussion on why we find joy in helping others but see it as a weakness when we need to ask for help for ourselves. I walked away from that group session with an entirely different perspective on what it means to be there for others and how being vulnerable can be powerful.

Even though this was a skill-building group, it had all of the traits of a group therapy session. Members shared personal experiences, showed support for one another, and were incredibly respectful and considerate. Our therapist did a fantastic job moderating the group and offered insightful statements throughout the meeting. I’m happy to report that my overall experience with Grouport was positive.

Who is Grouport Right For?

Grouport would be a great choice for those interested in virtual group therapy or anyone who has had a bad experience with individual therapy. It’s also an excellent resource for dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) training.

You’re Interested in Virtual Group Therapy

With advancements in video conference systems, meeting in groups online has become significantly easier over the last decade. Grouport provides convenient access to group therapy and DBT training without leaving the house. If you’re curious about virtual group therapy and you’re located in one of the states they cover, Grouport could be an attractive option.

You Had a Bad Experience with Individual Therapy

Group therapy and individual therapy both have their advantages and disadvantages. If you’ve had a bad experience with individual therapy but you’re still seeking professional help, you may want to try Grouport. Group therapy offers a unique source of empathy from other members that individual therapy lacks.

You’re Looking for Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Training

DBT is a skills-based therapy that helps people learn how to manage their emotions, improve their relationships, and cope with difficult situations. It teaches four key skills: mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. Grouport is one of the few companies that offers an entire program dedicated to DBT training in a group setting, making it a great choice for those who’d like to learn more about this method. Fortunately, their DBT skills training groups are available nationwide.

Who May Want an Alternative to Grouport?

You may want to find an alternative to Grouport if you prefer support groups over group therapy, want more peer-to-peer interaction, or live outside of their geographical coverage.

You Prefer a Support Group

While support groups and group therapy are very similar, they have some distinct differences. Group therapy is more structured, run by licensed therapists, and targets mental health struggles. Support groups are often run by facilitators, not necessarily professionals, and aim to provide a safe space for members to share experiences and learn to cope. If a support group is more your style, you may want to try Sesh. Sesh has over 400 monthly support group sessions, and they’re all run by mental health professionals.

You’d Like More Peer-to-Peer Interaction

There is something to be said about being a part of a community of people with shared experiences. While Grouport members can support each other in sessions, there’s no interaction outside the group therapy meetings. If you’re hoping for more peer-to-peer communication, you might be better served by the Circles app. The Circles app provides message board forums and allows members to even run their own support groups.

To learn more, check out our in-depth review of the Circles App.

You Live Outside of Their Geographical Coverage

Grouport’s specialized group therapy services only extend to three states, so you’ll need an alternative if you reside outside of their geographical coverage. There aren’t many online therapy companies that solely focus on group therapy, and are offered nationwide. However, big telehealth players, like BetterHelp or LifeStance Health, offer group webinars and group therapy, and have more significant geographical coverage.

For more information, check out our comprehensive independent review of BetterHelp.

What Users Are Saying About Grouport

Grouport has a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars from 22 Google reviews. There are several positive reviews that mention the helpful customer service representatives and therapists. However, some reviewers appear to be confused with the group therapy versus DBT training options and how that varies by state.

Excellent Team Members

Most of the positive reviews are directly related to Grouport team members. Many reviewers mentioned that their customer service reps, support team members, and therapists were incredibly helpful. A few stated that they were easily guided to alternative groups when they had scheduling issues, and the therapists were all welcoming and knowledgeable, which was also my experience with the platform.

Issues with Group Therapy Vs DBT Training

Many reviewers were upset and confused to learn that Grouport only offers group therapy in three states (NY, NJ, and FL). Users nationwide can access their DBT training, but Grouport’s advertisements for group therapy are a bit misleading. I feel it would be highly beneficial for Grouport to make its geographical coverage clearer on the website and in the consultations.

Grouport Vs Competitors

Grouport isn’t the only company currently offering convenient access to online group therapy. Below you’ll find brief comparative summaries of Grouport and its top competitors.

Grouport Vs Mindful Care

Grouport and Mindful Care both offer online group therapy, but Mindful Care is a mental healthcare company that provides a wider range of services, including psychiatry, addiction recovery treatment, and individual therapy, while Grouport is designed solely for groups. Mindful Care’s group therapy program is called MindFit, and its groups are broken down into various mental health topics. MindFit offers group therapy for anxiety, depression, relationships, PTSD, and more. Both Grouport and Mindful Care’s group therapy sessions meet once a week for one hour.

Mindful Care’s MindFit program accepts insurance from many major providers and costs $32 per group therapy session out-of-pocket, almost identical to Grouport’s $140 monthly subscription costs. Mindful Care is currently offered in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, Connecticut, and Michigan. If Mindful Care is offered in your state and accepts your insurance, it’s worth looking into.

Grouport Vs Circles

The key difference between Grouport and Circles is that Circles is an app that provides support group meetings, and Grouport is an online platform that provides group therapy. Group therapy is run by licensed mental health providers who aim to provide solutions, tools, or treatment for mental health conditions in a group setting, while the support group’s goal is to provide comfort and help those experiencing similar situations learn to cope.

Grouport’s group therapy costs $140 monthly, and meetings take place once a week for one hour. A Circles subscription costs $29.99 monthly and gives you access to unlimited support groups, Masterclass workshops, and peer-led meetings, which are available multiple times a day. Overall, both of these companies offer mental health support in a group setting, but Grouport is more structured and falls under a group therapy category, while Circles is more informal and falls under the support group category.

History of Grouport

Grouport was founded in 2019 by Jonathan Spievack and Mordechai Teitz. They wanted to make group therapy more accessible and affordable for people with chronic psychological disorders. Grouport’s mission is to make online group therapy easy to access and affordable. They use a specialized therapist network to create groups structured by diagnosis. This helps to create a tight-knit community where patients feel comfortable confiding in each other.¹

Frequently Asked Questions About Grouport

What’s the Difference Between Group Therapy and Support Groups?

Group therapy sessions are run by licensed mental health providers who aim to provide solutions, tools, or treatment for mental health conditions in a group setting. A support group’s goal is to provide comfort and help those experiencing similar situations learn to cope.

Can You Remain Anonymous with Grouport?

Yes, you can use a nickname if you prefer, but keep in mind that you’ll be on camera.

Who Are the Grouport Therapists?

Grouport therapists are all accredited and licensed psychologists and social workers. Most Grouport therapists have over a decade of experience.

Is Grouport Legit?

Yes. I have used the service and can assure you that Grouport is a legitimate company offering group therapy services.

Does Grouport Have an Age Limit?

You must be 18 or older to join Grouport.

How Do I Cancel My Grouport Subscription?

You can cancel your Grouport Subscription at any time. Go to your Settings tab on your dashboard, choose “Manage Subscription,” and then “Cancel Subscription.” Be sure you get an email from Grouport confirming your cancellation.

Does Grouport Offer Refunds?

Grouport will offer refunds in specific instances where clients were unfairly charged. Contact [email protected] to learn more. Visit Grouport Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.