Get Better, Together
Online Group Therapy Reaching Every Province of Laos.
Laos counts fewer than 14 mental health workers for every 100,000 residents and concentrates almost all specialist services around Vientiane. Grouport connects Lao residents to English-speaking licensed therapists in weekly 6-to-12-person video groups, priced at $32 per session, you can join a group right away, not the nine-week wait typical of the domestic public system.
Consistently Recognized as the #1 Online Group Therapy pick
.svg)
.png)
.png)
.png)
The State of Mental Health in Laos.
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 pull from the WHO Global Health Observatory workforce dataset and World Bank national accounts for 2024. Laos remains largely rural, with just 39.6% of its population living in urban centers, and its specialist mental health services are concentrated at Mahosot Hospital and a handful of Vientiane facilities. That geographic concentration, layered on a small overall workforce, produces one of the wider access gaps in the WHO Western Pacific Region.
UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE
Understanding Mental Health Access in Laos.
The Problem
The Lao PDR maintains roughly 13.64 mental health workers per 100,000 residents, community mental health staff, and social workers together with the country's small pool of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. In a country of 7.6 million people, this translates to a specialist workforce numbering only in the low thousands across all categories, with the psychiatrist count in particular sitting in double digits nationally. Provinces like Phongsaly, Sekong, and Attapeu often operate without a resident psychiatrist at all.
The Impact
For a resident of Luang Prabang or Savannakhet seeking talk therapy, the practical result is a nine-week average wait for a first appointment at a public facility, and often a return trip to Vientiane if the referral requires specialist input. A young professional in the Vientiane Capital economic zone or a teacher in Pakse dealing with anxiety, insomnia, or grief is rarely in a position to hold that timeline. Private counseling in Vientiane exists but is thin, expatriate-oriented, and priced beyond the reach of most households earning near the country's $9,570 GNI per capita PPP.
The Solution
Online group therapy changes what counts as capacity. Instead of depending on how many licensed clinicians happen to practice within reach of a given Lao province, Grouport gathers members with similar concerns into small facilitated video groups led by licensed therapists. One trained facilitator working with six to twelve members multiplies weekly access without requiring the country to first grow its domestic training pipeline, a model that fits Laos's specific shortage more cleanly than any incremental expansion of in-person clinics could.
Grouport's approach steps around both bottlenecks that shape Lao mental health care: workforce scarcity and geography. Intake and matching complete right away, sessions run over HIPAA-compliant video from a laptop or phone with a reliable connection, and delivery is in English, which lines up with how many Lao professionals, NGO staff, hospitality workers, and international-school families already operate. a client in Luang Namtha and a member in Champasak can share the same weekly group without either leaving home.
Access and Availability Across Laos.
Formal mental health care in Laos is anchored by the psychiatric department at Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane and a small network of provincial hospital services. Between that formal capacity and the informal support many Lao families rely on, there is a substantial middle band of unmet need, the kind of everyday anxiety, low mood, workplace stress, and relationship strain that group therapy is specifically designed to address.
Geographic Barriers
Extended Wait Times
Systemic Challenges
Urban-Rural Divide
Affordable Group Therapy Costs for Laos Residents.
Affordability and Income
Set against Laos's 2024 GNI per capita PPP of $9,570, a $140 monthly Grouport membership works out to roughly 1.5% of average annual income per capita on a purchasing-power basis. That share sits substantially below what an equivalent course of weekly private counseling in Vientiane would consume from a comparable household budget, and the monthly rate stays flat rather than climbing session by session as most hourly-billed private clinics do. The predictability matters as much as the absolute figure for households planning care over months rather than weeks.
Hidden Cost and Barriers
The published fee at an in-country clinic understates the real cost of Lao mental health care. A member commuting from Vang Vieng or Thakhek to a counselor in Vientiane loses a full working day per session to travel, waiting, and the appointment itself. Bus fares, songthaew rides, and lost wages accumulate over a full course of care, and for workers paid by shift or by the day, missed income can exceed the session fee. A video group joined from home, a workplace office, or a quiet room strips those surrounding costs out and leaves only the session itself.
Immediate Availability
Because Grouport completes immediate start of intake, the practical difference for a Lao resident is starting care within the same week rather than the same fiscal quarter. That timing matters most for the concerns, grief, work stress, sleep disruption, relationship strain, where the first few weeks of support shape how the following months unfold rather than simply managing symptoms after the fact.
Private counseling options in Vientiane are limited and typically oriented toward the expatriate community, with session fees frequently sitting between $50 and well over $100. For a household earning near the country's $9,570 GNI per capita PPP, sustained weekly private therapy at those rates is not a realistic budget line. Grouport prices group therapy at $32 per session, billed as $140 per month with unlimited attendance across the four 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 Laos.
Grouport groups serving Laos focus on the concerns most commonly raised at intake across the WHO Western Pacific Region: generalized anxiety, depression, grief and loss, relationship difficulties, workplace burnout, social anxiety, panic, trauma recovery, and adjustment following major life transitions such as migration, career change, or the end of a relationship. Groups are organized by shared concern, so members join a cohort working on the same theme rather than a general mixed group.
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 group serving Laos is facilitated by a licensed therapist, holding credentials such as LCSW, LMFT, LPC, or PhD/PsyD in clinical psychology. Sessions are delivered in English, which fits members already operating in English-language environments - Laos's tourism and hospitality sector, international NGOs and development agencies concentrated in Vientiane, hydropower and mining project staff, university faculty, and expatriate families in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. Facilitators bring cross-cultural experience and adapt discussion to the range of member contexts.
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 Laos.
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
.svg)
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 Laos.
Grouport runs multiple weekly group slots across US and international time zones, and matching takes your Indochina Time (ICT, UTC+7) schedule into account so you are placed into a group that meets at a workable local hour. Most members in Southeast Asia join morning or evening groups, which correspond to late evening or early morning in the United States, giving you predictable weekly appointments that fit around a Vientiane, Luang Prabang, or Pakse workday. Sessions are 60 minutes, held on the same day and time each week, so you can plan around family responsibilities, commutes, and Buddhist holidays without reshuffling care. All you need is a private space, a stable internet connection, and a laptop or phone with a camera. If a scheduling conflict comes up, you can request a group change during onboarding or later, and our care team will rematch you to a slot that works.
Laos has one of the lowest mental health workforce ratios in the Western Pacific Region, with roughly 13.64 professionals per 100,000 people, and reported wait times of about nine weeks for outpatient care. Grouport helps close that gap by delivering weekly, therapist-led group sessions online in English, with a matching process that typically places you into a group within a week rather than months. Because everything runs over secure video, you do not need to travel to Vientiane or another urban hub to see a licensed clinician, and you avoid competing for scarce in-person slots. Sessions are billed in USD by credit or debit card, which sidesteps the need for local insurance coverage or referral pathways that are still developing in Laos. For English-speaking residents, expatriates, and Lao professionals comfortable working in English, Grouport offers consistent, structured care that is difficult to source domestically.
Group Therapy Available Across Laos.
Counties
Vientiane Capital, Vientiane Province, Luang Prabang, Savannakhet, Champasak, Xiangkhouang, Bolikhamsai, Khammouane, Bokeo, Oudomxay, Luang Namtha, Phongsaly, Houaphanh, Xaisomboun, Salavan, Sekong, Attapeu, Xayabury
Cities
Vientiane, Pakse, Savannakhet (Kaysone Phomvihane), Luang Prabang, Thakhek, Xam Neua, Phonsavan, Vang Vieng, Muang Xay, Luang Namtha, Ban Houayxay, Attapeu, Sekong, Salavan, Xayabury
Zip Codes
Grouport serves all zip codes across Laos. If you have an address in Laos, 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.
