Get Better, Together
Group therapy that reaches Tarawa, Kiritimati, and every atoll between.
Grouport connects I-Kiribati clients with licensed-therapist-led group sessions over secure video for US$32 a session, roughly A$48 at prevailing rates. No inter-island ferry to Betio, no waitlist at the Tungaru Central Hospital psychiatric unit in Nawerewere, no waiting on the next visiting psychiatrist to fly in from Fiji. you can join a group right away and groups of six to twelve peers meet weekly in English over HIPAA-compliant video.
Consistently Recognized as the #1 Online Group Therapy pick
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The State of Mental Health in Kiribati.
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
These figures are drawn from the WHO Global Health Observatory Mental Health Atlas, the catalogue, and Kiribati Ministry of Health and Medical Services reporting. They describe a nation of 134,518 residents scattered across 33 atolls and roughly 3.5 million square kilometres of ocean, served by a single psychiatric inpatient unit at Nawerewere and a small cohort of Cuban-trained I-Kiribati doctors and mhGAP-trained nurses on the outer islands. The workforce number looks healthier than the lived reality once geography enters the equation.
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE
Understanding Mental Health Access in Kiribati.
The Problem
Kiribati's mental health services are delivered almost entirely through the public Ministry of Health and Medical Services. The country's only psychiatric inpatient unit sits at Tungaru Central Hospital in Nawerewere on South Tarawa, and there is no meaningful private mental health sector and no private health insurance market to fall back on. The resident-psychiatrist post has gone unfilled for extended stretches, with services covered by visiting specialists from Fiji or Australia and by Cuban-trained I-Kiribati doctors. Advanced psychiatric cases are frequently referred overseas to Suva or Brisbane, a step that removes the patient from family and kaainga entirely.
The Impact
What that structure means on the ground is that an I-Kiribati resident on Abaiang, Butaritari, Marakei, Onotoa, or one of the Line Islands who realises they need to speak with a mental health professional has almost no in-person option that does not begin with a domestic flight or a multi-day ferry to South Tarawa. For a resident of Kiritimati Island the distance to Tarawa is roughly 3,300 kilometres across two time zones. The 39.02-per-100,000 workforce figure is real, but almost all of that workforce is concentrated on the 15.76 square kilometres of South Tarawa where 62.5 percent of the urban-classified population lives.
The Solution
Online group therapy is a direct response to exactly this geography-plus-workforce shortage. A group of six to twelve peers meeting weekly with one licensed therapist multiplies the reach of that clinician by an order of magnitude compared with one-to-one work, and delivering the session over video removes the ferry, the domestic flight, and the overseas referral from the equation. A civil servant in Bairiki, a teacher on Tabiteuea, and a fisheries officer on Kiritimati can sit in the same group without any of them leaving their island. The model complements rather than replaces the Nawerewere unit and the mhGAP-trained outer-island nurses.
Grouport matches new members with a group in immediate, against the roughly six-week wait typical inside Kiribati's public system when the resident psychiatrist post is filled, and considerably longer when it is not. Sessions run in English, which is the language of Kiribati's government, secondary and tertiary education, and formal business, alongside Gilbertese in daily life. Delivery is by licensed therapists over HIPAA-compliant video, which is workable anywhere the ATH mobile network or fibre in South Tarawa reaches a stable connection, including much of the main Gilbert group.
Access and Availability Across Kiribati.
Access to mental health care in Kiribati is shaped by three facts that override almost everything else: a total population of 134,518, an archipelago of 33 atolls covering roughly 3.5 million square kilometres of Pacific Ocean, and a specialist workforce concentrated almost entirely on South Tarawa. Any honest description of access has to start there and work outward toward the Phoenix and Line groups.
Geographic Barriers
Extended Wait Times
Systemic Challenges
Urban-Rural Divide
Affordable Group Therapy Costs for I-Kiribati Residents.
Affordability and Income
Set against Kiribati's US$5,750 GNI per capita at purchasing power parity and US$3,580 GNI Atlas per capita, US$140 a month is a genuine line item and not a trivial one for the typical household. For the English-fluent civil servant, teacher, health worker, or NGO staff member on a salaried South Tarawa income, and for I-Kiribati diaspora members funding therapy for family at home, the flat monthly fee is manageable and predictable. There is no per-visit tally, no separate charge for longer sessions, and no surprise at month end, which matters in a cash economy tightly interwoven with kaainga obligations.
Hidden Cost and Barriers
The zero-fee sticker on a Nawerewere appointment is only part of the true cost for most I-Kiribati residents outside South Tarawa. Add the inter-island ferry or Air Kiribati flight from Butaritari, Abaiang, Tabiteuea, or the Line Islands, the accommodation in South Tarawa for the days needed to see a specialist, and the days of lost wages or missed fishing and copra work, and the effective per-consultation cost climbs sharply. An overseas referral to Fiji or Australia compounds every one of those line items with international airfare and visa arrangements. A weekly video group removes the travel entirely and directs the money into the therapy itself.
Immediate Availability
The immediate group start window is the other half of the value story. Against a six-week baseline wait when the resident psychiatrist post is filled, and a materially longer wait when it is not, being in a group by the end of the following week reframes what the fee is buying. It is not just a lower effective cost, it is access on a timeline that actually matches the shape of a mental health need as it emerges.
The economics of mental health care in Kiribati are unusual because there is effectively no private market to price against. Care at Tungaru Central Hospital is free at point of use, but the effective cost of reaching it from an outer island or the Line group is large, and an overseas referral to Fiji or Australia carries costs that most I-Kiribati households cannot cover without external support. Grouport is US$140 a month, roughly A$210 at prevailing rates, for unlimited weekly sessions.
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 Kiribati.
Grouport runs weekly groups for anxiety, depression, DBT skills, grief and loss, relationship issues, OCD, PTSD and trauma processing, ADHD, chronic pain and illness, LGBTQIA+ experience, and parenting. These map closely to the presentations Kiribati's Ministry of Health mental health team most commonly document, alongside the climate-displacement anxiety and youth mental health concerns that WHO and UNICEF assessments have separately flagged as rising in the I-Kiribati population.
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.
Grouport therapists are licensed clinicians working in English, which is Kiribati's language of government, education, and formal business alongside Gilbertese in daily life. All are trained in facilitating small groups over video and are experienced with participants across many time zones, including clients in Gilbert Islands Time (UTC+12), Phoenix Islands Time (UTC+13), and Line Islands Time (UTC+14), the earliest time zone in the world. The group format lets shared context emerge among participants themselves, which fits the collective way many I-Kiribati already discuss wellbeing within the kaainga.
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 Kiribati.
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 Kiribati.
Kiribati has roughly 39 mental health workers per 100,000 population and typical wait times of around six weeks to see a local provider, with services concentrated in South Tarawa and limited reach across the Gilbert, Phoenix, and Line island groups. For anyone living on an outer island, travel and lodging costs to access in-person care can exceed the cost of treatment itself.
Online group therapy removes the geographic bottleneck entirely. You join a small, consistent group led by a licensed clinician from your own home, usually within one to two weeks of sign-up rather than a month and a half. The group format also means you're building a support network of peers working on similar challenges, something that can be difficult to find locally where mental health remains a private topic and specialist providers for issues like anxiety, grief, or relationship stress are scarce.
Grouport is fully compatible with life in Kiribati. Sessions run over secure video, so participants on Tarawa, Kiritimati, or any of the outer islands can join from home using any device with a stable internet connection. All sessions are conducted in English, which is one of Kiribati's official languages and widely used in professional and educational settings, so language is rarely a barrier for i-Kiribati clients.
Because Kiribati straddles the international date line, we help you choose group times that land in comfortable evening or weekend windows. Billing is processed in US dollars via credit or debit card, and most internationally-issued cards used in Kiribati work without issue. You'll receive a session link, weekly reminders, and access to your care team through a simple client portal.
Group Therapy Available Across Kiribati.
Counties
Gilbert Islands, Phoenix Islands, Line Islands, Banaba
Cities
South Tarawa, Betio, Bairiki, Bikenibeu, Nawerewere, Bonriki, Buariki, London (Kiritimati), Banana, Tabwakea, Rawaki, Antebuka
Zip Codes
Grouport serves all zip codes across Kiribati. If you have an address in Kiribati, 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.
