Get Better, Together
Online Group Therapy for People Living in Burundi.
Burundi has one of the thinnest mental health workforces on the African continent, with roughly 0.03 practitioners for every 100,000. Grouport places Burundians into small, English-language online groups right away of sign-up, for $32 per session, so distance from Bujumbura or Gitega no longer determines whether structured therapy is reachable.
Consistently Recognized as the #1 Online Group Therapy pick
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The State of Mental Health Services in Burundi.
Understanding the landscape of mental health care access and the challenges
residents face across the state.
Mental Illness Prevalence
Wait Time
Median Household Income
Percentage Who Need Therapy
Provider Shortage
Mental Health Providers per 100k Residents
Burundi's numbers reflect decades of underinvestment in specialised care rather than any lack of need. WHO's Mental Health Atlas records only a handful of psychiatrists nationwide, most attached to Kamenge Neuropsychiatric Centre in Bujumbura. World Bank income figures ($1,190 GNI PPP per capita) explain why private clinical care remains a rarity, and why community and NGO-run programmes carry most of the caseload outside the capital.
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE
Understanding Mental Health Access in Burundi.
The Problem
With a population of just over 14 million and only about 0.03 mental health workers per 100,000 people, Burundi's clinical capacity is measured in single-digit specialists. Kamenge Neuropsychiatric Centre in Bujumbura is the country's main referral facility for structured psychological care, and community programmes run by organisations such as Village Health Works fill critical gaps in provinces like Kayanza and Muyinga. For most Burundians, the practical question is not which therapist to choose, but whether reaching one is feasible at all.
The Impact
The consequences of that scarcity are geographic as much as clinical. Roughly 75% of Burundians live in rural communes, often several hours by bus or motorbike from the nearest hospital psychology service. A 20-week wait for a public appointment, combined with transport costs that can exceed a day's wages, means many people who seek help stop before their first session. Others rely on primary-care nurses trained through mhGAP initiatives, who provide valuable first-line support but limited access to sustained group-based work.
The Solution
Online group therapy sidesteps the two hardest constraints in Burundi's landscape: the extreme scarcity of specialists and the geography that concentrates them in Bujumbura. A resident of Ngozi, Rumonge or Cankuzo with a stable internet connection can join the same weekly group as someone in the capital. Grouport's model, 6-12 participants, a licensed clinician, structured curriculum for anxiety, depression, DBT skills and related presentations, is designed for exactly this kind of distributed access.
Grouport matches new members to a group right away rather than the 20-week wait typical of Burundi's public system. Sessions are held in English, which works for Burundians educated in the language or working with international organisations, NGOs and universities. There is no travel to Bujumbura, no fuel or bus fare, and no need to take a full day away from work or family. All that is required is a smartphone or laptop and a reasonably steady connection, increasingly available in Bujumbura Mairie, Gitega and larger provincial towns thanks to ongoing mobile broadband rollouts.
Access and Availability Across Burundi.
Access to mental health care in Burundi is defined less by cost tiers or insurance categories and more by simple presence: whether a trained clinician exists within reachable distance. In most of the country, the honest answer is no. Grouport is built to be present wherever an internet signal is, from Bujumbura's lakefront neighbourhoods to hillside communes in Kirundo and Bururi.
Geographic Barriers
Extended Wait Times
Systemic Challenges
Urban-Rural Divide
Affordable Group Therapy Costs for Burundi Residents.
Affordability and Income
At $140 per month, weekly Grouport membership is roughly 14% of Burundi's average monthly GNI per capita, high in isolation, but comparable to what many NGO staff, teachers, university students on stipends, or diaspora-supported households already spend on health, internet, and education combined. It is a fraction of what a private psychiatric consultation costs in Nairobi or Kigali, both common referral destinations for Burundians who can afford to travel abroad for care.
Hidden Cost and Barriers
In-person care in Burundi carries costs that rarely show up on a receipt. A round-trip bus fare from Ngozi or Makamba to Bujumbura, a night's lodging when appointments run late, lost daily wages for informal workers, and the possibility of repeating the trip if the specialist is unavailable, these accumulate quickly and often exceed the nominal consultation fee. Online sessions collapse all of that into a single scheduled hour, joined from home or a workplace with reliable Wi-Fi.
Immediate Availability
Grouport participants are typically matched to a group right away of completing the intake questionnaire, rather than joining a public-sector queue that commonly stretches to 20 weeks. For anyone weighing whether to spend on private care, that difference in when help actually starts is often the most concrete part of the value calculation.
Cost is a decisive factor in any Burundian household's care decisions. With GNI per capita of $1,190 PPP, private one-to-one therapy at international rates is out of reach for almost everyone. Grouport's $32 per session ($140 per month for weekly attendance) sits at a very different point on the cost curve than international private practice, though it is still a meaningful sum in local terms and best evaluated against the alternatives actually available.
How it Works
Choose your online therapy group
Choose your desired online therapy group and sign up for our weekly plan. Most of our groups are $35/session, but our skills groups are $25/session.
Personalized match
We’ll ensure you're matched to an online therapy group that best fits your mental health challenges and schedule. Don’t worry if you’re not entirely sure which group is right for you, as after signing up, a care coordinator can help make sure you get started in the group that’s right for you. We typically match you to a group right away!
Meet weekly with your group
Join your group over video chat at the same time each week for 60-minute sessions. You’ll meet with the same members & therapist with a group of up to 12 members. Additional membership perks can include weekly handouts, symptom tracking, and one-off workshops.
Mental Health Conditions We Treat in Burundi.
Grouport groups address the full range of adult mental health concerns commonly seen in Burundian clients: generalised anxiety, panic symptoms, depression, grief, relationship strain, workplace burnout, and the layered stress that comes with rebuilding after periods of instability. Dedicated DBT skills groups teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance techniques that translate across cultural contexts. Sessions are structured, curriculum-based, and led by licensed clinicians experienced in working with international participants.
Get Help for:
Anxiety Disorders
Mood Disorders
Trauma & Stress Related Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders
Personality Disorders
Eating & Body Disorders
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Life Challenges
Relationship Issues, Codependency, Attachment Issues, Divorce, Loneliness, Anger Management, Self-Esteem, Grief & Loss, Chronic Illness, Gender Dysphoria, Infertility, Fertility Treatment & IVF Support, Pregnancy Loss & Miscarriage, Couples Issues, Parenting, Supporting a loved one, LGBTQIA Support
Other Disorders
Self harm
Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation, Self-injury, Suicide Survival
Common Treatments
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Exposure Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Narrative Therapy, Schema Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Somatic Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Behavioral Activation
Meet Our Therapists
Our therapists represent a wide range of clinical specialties & diverse backgrounds. They all undergo the most stringent credentialing process. Grouport therapists are caring, expert mental health professionals with years of experience helping people get the tools they need to see long-lasting change.
Every Grouport therapist is a licensed clinician, and several regularly work with participants across Africa, including Burundi and its neighbours. Sessions run in English, so members should be comfortable discussing personal topics in English, the level many Burundians reach through secondary school, university, or work with international organisations is generally sufficient. Therapists are briefed on the realities their international members bring to sessions, from long working hours to intermittent connectivity, and structure participation accordingly.
a healthier future starts right here
Grouport’s Results
80% of our members start with moderate to severe mental health symptoms
70% of our members feel significantly better within just 8 weeks
50% of our members achieve remission levels within just 8 weeks
80%
of our members start with moderate to severe mental health symptoms
70%
of our members feel significantly better within just 8 weeks
50%
of our members achieve remission levels within just 8 weeks
Find your Group
Affordable Group Therapy & Care Options in Burundi.
Group, individual, couples, family, IOP, and teen therapy — all online, all therapist-led. Mix and match care options to fit your needs — and get discounted pricing when you bundle.
Group Therapy
$35/session
billed at $140/month
Get Started
Individual Therapy
Couples Therapy
Family Therapy
IOP Therapy
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Teen Therapy
Meaningful Results
Check out how our services have helped our members see life-changing results
Stephanie
“Grouport is time flexible and affordable and if it didn’t exist, I don’t know where I would go. I had looked into other places before Grouport and there really wasn’t any option like it.”
Michael
“I highly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with anxiety or depression. The therapists are top notch and have made me feel really comfortable and my anxiety has improved tremendously in only a few sessions!”
Isabel
"I joined Grouport to work on myself and to heal. I’m learning so much at every session! The change I see not only in myself but in my fellow group members is abundantly encouraging and profoundly fulfilling. Group therapy with Grouport is a powerful healing tool."
Sheldon
“I was feeling very down at the end of 2020 and I was ready to do something drastic that I know I'd likely regret. The group definitely helped show me that there are people who feel the same way as I do.”
Nancy
“The therapy from Grouport is high quality and convenient. I am becoming much more self aware and am liking myself more. My relationships at work are better and I’m much happier.”
Emily
“I like the connection you can make with total strangers and the confidentiality it comes with.”
Danielle
"Grouport can help you with your issues. Their therapists are well trained to work with you on your issues. I felt my anxiety greatly improve after only a few sessions. I highly recommend it!"
Glenn
"Grouport's approach to DBT is a real strength. This approach provides tools and methods for working with difficult emotions and getting a handle on them. It has given me hope where other approaches have failed."
Common Questions About Group Therapy in Burundi.
Burundi has roughly 0.03 mental health workers per 100,000 people, one of the lowest ratios in the world, and reported wait times for specialist care can stretch to 20 weeks or longer, with most services concentrated in Bujumbura. For someone outside the capital, or for anyone whose concern does not rise to the threshold of psychiatric hospitalization, formal support can be effectively unavailable. Online group therapy removes the geographic bottleneck entirely: you connect directly to a licensed clinician trained in evidence-based approaches like CBT and DBT, without competing for one of the few local appointments. Groups also multiply the value of each clinician-hour, which is part of why we can offer weekly sessions at a fraction of individual-therapy rates. For common concerns, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship stress, trauma recovery, a structured weekly group with peers and a skilled facilitator is a clinically sound alternative when local options are scarce or slow.
Grouport runs entirely online through secure video, so anyone in Bujumbura, Gitega, or a rural commune can join from a laptop or phone with a stable internet connection. Sessions are conducted in English, which works well for Burundians comfortable with English through school, NGO work, or the East African Community context. Our licensed clinicians schedule groups across time zones, and Burundi (CAT, UTC+2) aligns naturally with late-afternoon and evening US sessions, meaning you can attend from home after work without disrupting your day. Payment is handled in US dollars via international credit or debit card, and cards issued by Burundian banks or regional providers typically process without issue. There is no in-country office to visit, no local referral required, and no waitlist, you complete a short intake, get matched to a group that fits your concern and schedule, and start within days.
Group Therapy Available Across Burundi.
Counties
Bujumbura Mairie, Bujumbura Rural, Bubanza, Cibitoke, Kayanza, Ngozi, Kirundo, Muyinga, Cankuzo, Ruyigi, Rutana, Makamba, Bururi, Rumonge, Mwaro, Muramvya, Gitega, Karuzi.
Cities
Bujumbura, Gitega, Muyinga, Ruyigi, Ngozi, Rutana, Bururi, Makamba, Kayanza, Cibitoke, Rumonge, Muramvya, Karuzi, Kirundo.
Zip Codes
Grouport serves all zip codes across Burundi. If you have an address in Burundi, Grouport can serve you regardless of your zip code.
Ready To Get Started?
Let’s find the right therapist match for you, so you can get consistent & effective care.
