Get Better, Together

Online Group Therapy Across the Philippine Archipelago.

The Philippines has fewer than one mental health worker per 100,000 residents, and a first appointment through the public system averages a 12-week wait. Grouport places any resident of Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao into a 6-12 person group led by a licensed therapist right away, on HIPAA-secure video, for $32 per session or $140 per month.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Philippine Mental Health Access in Numbers.

Understanding the landscape of mental health care access and the challenges
residents face across the state.

Mental Illness Prevalence

10.2% of Filipino adults live with a mental health condition each year, reflecting the ongoing need for accessible therapy options.

Wait Time

12 weeks the average wait to secure a first mental health appointment in the Philippines' public system, an interval during which symptoms often deepen.

Median Household Income

$11,200 median household income in the Philippines, shaping what households can allocate to private mental health care.

Percentage Who Need Therapy

85.0% of Filipino adults with a mental health condition do not receive formal specialist treatment.

Provider Shortage

100% of the Philippines' mental health workforce falls short of what is needed to fully meet population demand for specialist care.

Mental Health Providers per 100k Residents

0.00 per 100,000 mental health workers in the Philippines, a density that shapes availability, wait times, and access across the country.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported suicide as the ninth leading cause of death among Filipinos aged 15-29 in 2022, and the Department of Health's National Center for Mental Health hotline logged over 45,000 calls in 2023, up from 21,000 pre-pandemic. Yet the country still allocates only 5% of its total health budget to mental health. Grouport's $32 session works around the funding gap by delivering care over the same smartphone Filipinos already use for GCash, Viber, and Facebook Messenger.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE

Why the Philippine Archipelago Blocks Care.

The Problem

The Philippines' 117 million people are spread across 7,641 islands and 82 provinces, but licensed psychiatrists and psychologists cluster in Metro Manila, Cebu City, and Davao. WHO's Mental Health Atlas records just 0.52 psychiatrists per 100,000 residents nationally, and in provinces like Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Apayao, or Dinagat Islands that ratio effectively drops to zero. A resident of General Santos or Basilan who needs weekly therapy often faces a domestic flight to Manila or nothing at all.

The Impact

The WHO Western Pacific Region tracks an average 12-week wait for a first psychiatric consultation across low-and-middle-income WPR nations, and Philippine public hospitals frequently exceed that benchmark. In Metro Manila's private sector, a single 60-minute psychiatric session in Makati, BGC, or Ortigas runs 3,500-6,000 PHP, roughly $60-$105 USD, well beyond the reach of a median Filipino household earning about 26,000 PHP per month per PSA's 2023 FIES. The 2019 Mental Health Act (RA 11036) mandates coverage but PhilHealth capacity has not kept pace with the 3.6 million diagnosed cases.

The Solution

Online group therapy sidesteps the archipelago problem entirely. A licensed therapist facilitating a Grouport session at 08:00 EST is reachable at 20:00 PHT anywhere from Aparri to Zamboanga, all in the single Philippine Standard Time zone. The 6-12 person group format also solves the affordability problem: sharing one therapist's hour across a small cohort brings the per-person price to $32, less than one-third of a Makati psychiatrist's typical 4,500 PHP consultation fee.

100% of the Philippines' mental health workforce falls short of what is needed to fully meet population demand for specialist care.

Grouport requires only a smartphone and a stable internet connection, both of which the Philippines has: DICT's 2023 report placed national internet penetration at 73%, roughly 85 million members, with Globe and Smart 4G/5G reaching all provincial capitals. Matching completes right away regardless of whether the member registers from Quezon City or Batanes, so the 12-week public-sector wait means you can join right away. HIPAA-grade encryption keeps sessions confidential, which matters in a country where the 2021 SWS survey found stigma is still cited by 44% of Filipinos as their top reason for not seeking mental health care.

Getting Into Care Without Leaving Your Island.

The friction of accessing therapy in the Philippines is rarely the willingness to seek help, it is the logistics: finding a licensed provider within reasonable travel, affording the fee, and outlasting a queue that averages 12 weeks in the public system and 4-8 weeks in private Manila practices. Grouport is engineered to eliminate all three obstacles from the moment a member signs up.

Geographic Barriers

The Philippine archipelago stretches 1,850 km north-to-south, and PSA's 2020 census recorded 44.5% of the population living outside Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao combined. In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and provinces like Kalinga, Mountain Province, or Siquijor, the ratio of registered psychologists to residents falls below one per 250,000. Reaching the nearest in-person psychiatrist can mean a Ro-Ro ferry plus a domestic flight to Manila, a two-day journey each way. Grouport erases that travel: a member in Basco, Jolo, or Siargao joins the same 20:00 PHT session as one in Ortigas, so long as they have an internet connection and conversational English.

Extended Wait Times

Public mental health services routed through DOH's regional hospitals and the National Center for Mental Health in Mandaluyong average a 12-week wait for a first psychiatric consultation benchmarks, and Rappler reporting from 2023 documented 6-month backlogs at NCMH's outpatient clinic. Private psychiatrists in BGC, Alabang, and Cebu Business Park typically book 4-8 weeks out. Grouport matches new members to a group right away of registration, so a Monday sign-up commonly joins their first Thursday session, cutting the effective wait to less than the time it takes to be triaged over the DOH hotline.

Systemic Challenges

The 2019 Mental Health Act (RA 11036) requires PhilHealth to cover mental health services, but implementation has lagged: as of 2023 only 46 government hospitals nationwide had operational psychiatric units per DOH inventory, roughly one per 2.5 million Filipinos. Add the 0.52 psychiatrists per 100,000 that WHO tracks and even fully-insured patients hit capacity walls. Grouport is direct-pay in USD at $32 per session or $140 per month, settled by any Visa or Mastercard including BPI, BDO, Metrobank, and UnionBank cards, with no PhilHealth referral chain to navigate.

Urban-Rural Divide

The 55.5% urban share masks a stark two-Philippines reality: Metro Manila and Cebu residents can name three private psychologists within a Grab ride, while a resident of Sarangani, Sulu, or Batanes may have zero clinicians within their entire province. Grouport erases that divide because a client in Bongao joins the same licensed therapist as a member in Bonifacio Global City, at the same PHT hour, in the same 6-12 person room. Bandwidth requirements are modest, comparable to a Messenger video call, well within the reach of Globe, Smart, and Converge 4G coverage nationwide.

From registration to first Grouport session, the Filipino onboarding runs: intake questionnaire (15 minutes), therapist-led matching (right away), and confirmation of a weekly time slot in Philippine Standard Time. No referral letter, no ferry, no in-person intake at NCMH. The 12-week public-system wait collapses to 2 days.

What Group Therapy Actually Costs in the Philippines.

Affordability and Income

Private 60-minute psychiatric consultations in Metro Manila's Makati, BGC, Ortigas, and Alabang clinics typically list 3,500-6,000 PHP per session, roughly $60-$105 USD at the July 2026 exchange rate of ~57 PHP/USD. Psychologist-led therapy runs 2,000-4,000 PHP. At Grouport's $32 per session (1,824 PHP), members sit below the floor of the local private-clinic band while receiving a licensed therapist and a structured 6-12 person cohort. The $140 monthly plan (7,980 PHP) works out to roughly 1,995 PHP per weekly session, less than half the 4,500 PHP average one-on-one Makati psychiatrist fee.

Hidden Cost and Barriers

The unpriced costs of in-person Philippine care add up quickly. A weekly round-trip Grab from Quezon City or Pasig to a Makati clinic runs 300-600 PHP each way, plus 60-120 minutes of EDSA traffic. Ferry-plus-flight itineraries from Tacloban, Zamboanga, or Puerto Princesa to Manila for a monthly appointment run 4,000-9,000 PHP before the session fee. PhilHealth-covered NCMH visits are nominally free but consume half-days for queueing and repeat travel. Grouport charges $32 flat, with no jeepney fare, no parking, and no unpaid leave from a BPO shift.

Immediate Availability

Because matching completes in right away, Filipino members typically pay for and attend their first group session is right away of deciding to seek help. There is no deposit, no annual membership, and no minimum commitment beyond the monthly subscription cycle. Cancel anytime through the member portal. Payment settles in USD via Visa, Mastercard, or American Express, all issued by major Philippine banks including BPI, BDO, Metrobank, Security Bank, UnionBank, and RCBC.

Mental health spending in the Philippines is dominated by out-of-pocket private fees because public capacity is thin: WHO's 2020 country profile records the government spends roughly 5% of its total health budget on mental health, one of the lowest shares in ASEAN. That leaves most urban working Filipinos choosing between an expensive Makati psychiatrist and no care at all.

How it Works

Community

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.

Networking

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!

Video call

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.

Find Your Group

Concerns Filipino Members Bring to Group.

Grouport runs groups organized by shared concern: anxiety, depression, DBT skills, relationship dynamics, teen support, and stress management. Filipino members most often join anxiety and depression cohorts, reflecting the 3.6 million diagnosed cases DOH tracks nationally. Work-stress and burnout groups also draw heavy interest from Metro Manila BPO professionals working overnight US-aligned shifts, a pattern documented in the 2023 IBPAP wellbeing report on the industry's 1.7 million workers.

Find your groupa group of nine people chatting online

Get Help for:

Self harm

Self-Harm, Suicidal Ideation, Self-injury, Suicide Survival

  • OCD
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Trauma & PTSD
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Narcissistic Abuse 
  • Eating Disorders
  • Body Dysmorphia 
  • Agoraphobia 
  • Anger Management
  • ADHD
  • Substance Abuse & Addiction
  • Postpartum depression or anxiety
  • Panic
  • Phobias
  • Grief & Loss
  • Relationship Challenges
  • Couples Issues
  • Parenting
  • Supporting a loved one
  • Work stress & burnout
  • Self-harm, Self-injury, Suicidal ideation
  • Chronic Illness
  • Divorce
  • Teen/Adolescent Groups 
  • Gender identity 
  • LGBTQIA Support

Common Treatments:

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) 
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Exposure Response Prevention Therapy (ERP)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Emotion-focused Therapy (EFT)
  • Exposure Therapy
  • Motivational Interviewing 
  • Interpersonal Therapy
Vector Heart
USA

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 licensed (LCSW, LMFT, LMHC, or PhD/PsyD) with graduate training from accredited US programs and 3+ years leading group modalities. Sessions run in English, which is comfortable for the roughly 64 million Filipinos who use English as a working language per the 2020 PSA census. Facilitators lead with CBT, DBT, and interpersonal process frameworks, all of which map cleanly onto the psychology training already taught at UP Diliman, Ateneo, and De La Salle.

FIND YOUR MATCH

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

girl with chart on face

Affordable Group Therapy & Care Options in the Philippines.

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.

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Group Therapy

$35/session
billed at $140/month

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Individual Therapy

$112/session
billed at $448/month

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Partnership

Couples Therapy

$123/session
billed at $492/month

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or Learn More

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Family Therapy

$160/session
billed at $640/month

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or Learn More

IOP Therapy

$337/week
billed at $1,348/month

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or Learn More

Frame

Teen Therapy

$112/session
billed at $448/month

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or Learn More

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.”

Olivia

“My weekly group helps me get through the week. Best experience ever!”

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."

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Common Questions from Filipino Members.

What actually happens during a typical Grouport session for someone joining from Philippine Standard Time?

Sessions run once a week for 60 minutes over a HIPAA-secure video link, scheduled at times that work across PST (UTC+8) so members in Manila, Cebu, or an OFW household abroad can attend consistently. A licensed therapist opens with a brief check-in, introduces a focused theme grounded in CBT or DBT skills, and guides 6-12 members through structured sharing and practice. You can join right away after signing up, with no ferry trip, domestic flight, or 20-week public waitlist standing between you and your first group.

Is Grouport a good fit for Filipino university students and young BPO professionals in Metro Manila and Cebu?

Yes. Grouport is built for the English-fluent young adult segment that anchors Philippine higher education and the BPO industry in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao. Weekly video groups of 6-12 members are led by licensed therapists in English, so students and night-shift call center staff can join from a dorm, condo, or provincial hometown without translation friction. At $32 per session and with the option to join right away, it fits a young adult budget far better than the private clinic rates concentrated in the capital.

Is couples therapy more expensive than individual therapy?
Usually yes, you're getting two people's worth of therapist time. But it's still cheaper than both people doing individual therapy separately. And it addresses relationship issues more directly than individual therapy can. If budget is tight, some couples do intensive couples work for a few months then maintain with less frequent sessions, or alternate between couples and individual therapy for one partner. At Grouport, couples therapy averages $114/session and for one weekly couples therapy session is billed monthly at $492/month.
Can therapy help with language barriers affecting my life?
If you're living somewhere and the dominant language isn't your first language, that's mentally exhausting. Constant translation. Missing nuances. Feeling like you can't express yourself fully. This affects mental health. Therapy in a language you're comfortable with provides relief.
What if I'm struggling with my identity across cultures?
If you grew up between cultures, moved countries, or feel caught between cultural identities, therapy helps. You might not fully belong to any one culture. Questions like "where are you from?" feel complicated. Therapy helps you integrate multiple cultural influences into your sense of self rather than feeling torn between them.
How long do I need to attend online group therapy?
Online group therapy duration varies by person. Some people attend for months and others attend for years. It’s totally based on what’s helpful for you and there’s no standard timeline. Minimum commitment to see clinically significant results is typically 8-12 sessions since groups need time to build cohesion and trust. So you can go for as long as it’s helpful for you and there’s no set duration. You can leave when your goals are met or continue ongoing support for maintenance, whichever works best for you. This is why we also provide the flexibility to cancel at any time.
What issues does online group therapy help with?
Online group therapy addresses anxiety, depression, social anxiety, grief, trauma & PTSD, relationship issues, life transitions, anger management, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Bipolar, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), self-esteem, stress management, emotion regulation skills (DBT groups), chronic illness, parenting challenges, substance use recovery, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and much more. So, we offer pretty much any kind of group where shared experience and peer feedback add value. Groups are often organized around specific themes so you're with people dealing with similar situations.
Can I join a group if I'm already in individual therapy?
Absolutely. Lots of people do both since they complement each other well and the combination is typically ideal. And many people do multiple sessions of each per week for more intensive care and depending on what best fits their needs. You get the personalized attention in individual therapy plus the connection and perspective in group therapy. We offer both online group therapy and online individual therapy, making coordination seamless. Most people find that combining individual and group therapy accelerates progress.
Do I need to attend every session?
Consistency really matters for online group therapy to work. You're building trust and continuity with the same people over time. But life happens. Occasional misses are fine as that’s of course understandable as general life can get in the way. So as long as you’re making at least 80% of sessions then that should be good. If misses become more frequent, we’d generally recommend switching to a group that’s better for your schedule in general.
Do you offer sliding scale pricing?
Grouport's online format already provides significant cost savings - 40-70% below traditional therapy rates. While we don't offer individual sliding scale adjustments, our group therapy option provides the most affordable access at just an average of $32 per session ($140/month). We also accept HSA/FSA cards, which reduce costs by 20-30% through tax savings, and can provide receipts for out-of-network insurance reimbursement. You’ll also receive discounts if you pay quarterly or biannually or anytime you do multiple sessions together there are discounts automatically included in those plans.
Are there any hidden fees?
No, Grouport pricing is completely transparent with no hidden or additional fees. Your monthly subscription cost is clearly stated upfront and includes all your scheduled therapy sessions for that month. There are no extra fees, beyond whichever plan you’re on. What you see is what you pay and there are no surprises on your bill.
Can I get reimbursed by my insurance for online therapy?
Many Grouport clients successfully get reimbursed through their out-of-network mental health benefits. Upon request, we can provide a detailed superbill that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. Reimbursement rates typically range from 50-80% depending on your specific plan. To determine your out of network reimbursement coverage, call or email your insurance company and ask: "What are my out-of-network mental health benefits?" and "What percentage do you reimburse for out-of-network therapy (for the specific service you’re interested in)?"

Where in the Philippines Grouport Reaches.

Counties

Grouport serves members across all 17 Philippine regions: NCR (Metro Manila), CAR (Cordillera), Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN, Caraga, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Cities

Members join from Quezon City, Manila, Caloocan, Davao, Cebu City, Zamboanga, Antipolo, Pasig, Taguig, Cagayan de Oro, Paranaque, Dasmarinas, Valenzuela, Bacoor, General Santos, Las Pinas, Makati, Muntinlupa, Iloilo City, Bacolod, Baguio, Butuan, Angeles, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasay, Puerto Princesa, and Tacloban, all in the single Philippine Standard Time zone.

Zip Codes

1000, 1004, 1200, 1220, 1223, 1226, 6000, 8000, 9000, 4200, 3000

If you have an address in Philippines, Grouport can serve you regardless of your zip code.

Online Group Therapy Available Worldwide

Grouport offers online group therapy available globally for people in 200+ countries. Find a group led by a licensed therapist that fits your needs.

Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Colombia Comoros Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curacao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Virgin Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
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Let’s find the right therapist match for you, so you can get consistent & effective care.

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