Get Better, Together

Online Group Therapy Across Uganda.

With only 23.27 mental health workers per 100,000 Ugandans and average wait times of six weeks for in-person care, timely support can feel out of reach. Grouport connects you to licensed therapists over HIPAA-compliant video in small English-speaking groups of 6-12, matched right away for $32 per session from Kampala, Gulu, Mbarara, or any village with a stable connection.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Uganda Mental Health Access Snapshot.

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

Mental Illness Prevalence

13.1% of Ugandan adults live with a mental health condition each year, reflecting the ongoing need for accessible therapy options.

Wait Time

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

Median Household Income

$2,336 median household income in Uganda, shaping what households can allocate to private mental health care.

Percentage Who Need Therapy

81.0% of Ugandan adults with a mental health condition do not receive formal specialist treatment.

Provider Shortage

53% of Uganda's mental health workforce falls short of what is needed to fully meet population demand for specialist care.

Mental Health Providers per 100k Residents

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

Numbers from the WHO Global Health Observatory and the World Bank make one thing clear: care in Uganda is scarce, concentrated, and slow. It opens a parallel door, one where a licensed clinician and a small circle of peers meet you on your phone or laptop within days rather than weeks.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE

The Access Gap in Uganda.

The Problem

Uganda counts roughly 23.27 mental health workers per 100,000 people, a workforce heavily concentrated in Kampala and a handful of regional referral hospitals in Mbarara, Mbale, and Gulu. Public psychiatric beds are largely centralized at Butabika, and the country's cadre of clinical psychologists numbers in the low hundreds for a population approaching 50 million. For someone in Kasese, Moroto, or Adjumani, the closest specialist may sit hundreds of kilometers and several bus transfers away.

The Impact

The practical consequence is a six-week wait for a first appointment at most public facilities, longer if a referral chain is involved. In the meantime, families often cycle through general clinics, traditional healers, and faith-based counselors before landing in front of a trained clinician. Missed work days, transport fares on boda-bodas and matatus, and the stigma of being seen at a mental hospital compound the cost of every attempt, and many people simply stop trying after the first or second setback.

The Solution

Grouport does not try to replace Uganda's mental health system; it adds a parallel route that runs over a data connection. For $32 per session, or $140 per month, you join a group of 6-12 English-speaking peers led by a licensed therapist. Matching happens right after intake, so instead of waiting six weeks for a first slot, you can be in a group by the end of the week from wherever your MTN or Airtel signal reaches.

53% of Uganda's mental health workforce falls short of what is needed to fully meet population demand for specialist care.

Because sessions run over HIPAA-compliant video, geography stops mattering. A teacher in Fort Portal, a nurse in Jinja, and a university student in Kampala can share the same weekly group without any of them boarding a taxi. The 6-12 person format keeps groups intimate enough for real disclosure while spreading the $32 fee across the shared clinician hour, which is what allows the price to sit far below typical private in-person rates in Kampala.

Access and Availability in Uganda.

Access to mental health care in Uganda is shaped less by demand than by supply: 23.27 workers per 100,000 simply cannot see everyone who needs help. Grouport works within that reality by removing the two hardest barriers, distance and delay, while leaving in-country care intact for those who need medication, inpatient support, or Luganda-language services.

Geographic Barriers

Only 31.3% of Ugandans live in urban areas, which means the majority sit far from the specialists clustered in Kampala, Entebbe, and the regional referral hospitals. A resident of Karamoja or the West Nile sub-region can spend an entire day and a significant share of monthly income just reaching Mulago or Butabika for a first assessment, then repeat the trip for follow-ups. Group video sessions collapse that journey to the time it takes to open a laptop or phone, letting someone in Arua or Kabale attend the same 60-minute group as someone in Nakawa without leaving home.

Extended Wait Times

Six-week waits are the norm at public mental health facilities in Uganda, and private clinics in Kampala often quote shorter windows only because their fees exclude most of the. Grouport's immediate group start window compresses that timeline dramatically: intake, therapist assignment, and first group session can happen inside the same week the decision is made. For someone navigating grief, a panic episode, or a relationship crisis, the difference between waiting weeks and starting right away is the difference between coping alone and being heard.

Systemic Challenges

Uganda's WHO AFR-region context includes a mhGAP treatment gap estimated above 80% for common mental disorders, meaning most people who could benefit from care never receive it. Cadres of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists are small relative to population, and public budgets for mental health remain a low single-digit percentage of overall health spending. Grouport does not fix those structural gaps, but by importing licensed clinicians over video it adds capacity that does not compete with Uganda's own limited workforce.

Urban-Rural Divide

The 31.3% urban / 68.7% rural split creates a two-tier reality: Kampala residents can, at a price, find a private counselor within days, while people in Napak, Kanungu, or Yumbe often cannot find one at all. Group video therapy is one of the few formats that can serve both populations on equal terms, since the delivery is identical whether you log in from a Bugolobi apartment or a rural trading center with 4G coverage. The same therapist, the same peer group, the same hour, wherever the signal reaches.

For Ugandans who want structured weekly group therapy without a multi-month wait or a trip to the capital, Grouport offers licensed clinicians and small English-language groups on a predictable monthly plan.

Cost and Value for Ugandan clients.

Affordability and Income

Private counseling in Kampala can range from roughly 100,000 to 300,000 UGX per individual session, and specialist psychiatric consults can run higher. At current exchange rates, $32 sits at the lower end of that band, and because the group model spreads a single clinician's hour across 6-12 participants, the price does not scale up with session length or therapist seniority. The $140 monthly option works out to roughly $8-9 per week of care, a figure many households can plan around more easily than sporadic large per-visit fees. Group therapy is not the right tool for every diagnosis, but for the anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns that dominate Uganda's mhGAP treatment gap, the format is well matched to the price.

Hidden Cost and Barriers

The sticker price of an in-person visit in Uganda is rarely the full cost. A round trip from Wakiso or Mukono into central Kampala on a matatu plus boda-boda can add 10,000-30,000 UGX, easily 20-40% on top of a consult fee, and a day of missed casual or informal work can cost more than the appointment itself. Multiply that by the six-week wait for a first slot and the typical need for repeat sessions, and the real annual outlay for consistent in-person care in Kampala often runs many multiples of the sticker fee. Grouport removes transport, parking, and lost-day costs entirely: the $32 you see is the $32 you pay.

Immediate Availability

Because matching happens in right away, members avoid the compounding cost of a long wait, missed work while chasing referrals, unpaid time off, and the emotional toll of deteriorating without support. In a country where the treatment gap for common mental disorders exceeds 80%, getting into a group this week rather than next month is itself a form of value that is hard to price but easy to feel.

At $32 per session or $140 per month, Grouport is priced against private in-person therapy in Kampala rather than against free public care. For households in a middle-low income economy, that price still requires planning, but it is designed to be predictable, all-inclusive, and free of the transport, time-off-work, and repeat-visit costs that quietly balloon the true price of in-person care.

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

What Grouport Groups in Uganda Address.

Grouport runs weekly groups for anxiety, depression, grief, relationship stress, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills. These map to the categories that dominate Uganda's mhGAP treatment gap and that show up most often in general clinics before ever reaching a specialist. Groups are structured, therapist-led, and English-language, aimed at daily-life coping rather than acute psychiatric emergencies, which remain the domain of Butabika and Uganda's referral hospitals.

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 group is led by a licensed therapist, holding an LCSW, LMFT, LPC, or PhD credential and trained in group facilitation. For Ugandan participants that means the clinician on the other side of the video call has completed several thousand supervised hours, a level of formal training that Uganda's small psychology workforce cannot yet supply at scale. Sessions run in English, the country's official language of instruction and government.

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 Uganda.

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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Uganda Group Therapy Questions.

I've been carrying anxiety and grief tied to displacement in my community, and Butabika's roughly six-week wait feels impossible. Does Grouport offer groups for this?

Yes. Grouport runs dedicated weekly video groups for anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma, all conditions that carry heavy weight in Uganda given the pressures on Butabika, the six-week typical wait, and the trauma load across host and refugee communities. Each group brings together 6-12 members guided by a licensed therapist in English on EAT-friendly evening slots. Sessions are $32, you can join right away, and the HIPAA-secure video format lets you engage privately without the stigma of visiting a psychiatric facility.

I live outside Kampala and getting to Butabika or a private practitioner means a full day of travel. Can Grouport work from my home in a smaller town?

Yes, and this is exactly the gap Grouport fills for Ugandans outside the major hubs. With specialists heavily concentrated in Kampala, Mbarara, and Gulu, most of the country faces long journeys just to reach one licensed therapist. Grouport runs weekly video groups of 6-12 members from wherever you have a stable connection, no matter the district. You meet with a licensed therapist at $32 per session, can join right away, and everything stays HIPAA-secure and discreet from your own home.

Do therapy costs vary by therapist credentials?
Sometimes. Psychiatrists (MDs) often charge more than licensed therapists. Among therapists, rates vary more by experience, location, and specialization than by credential type (LCSW vs. LPC vs. LMFT). There's no universal pricing based on credential letters.
Can I do therapy if I've moved to a new country recently?
Yes. Moving to a new country creates adjustment stress, loneliness, identity shifts, and practical challenges. Therapy helps you navigate the transition, process what you've left behind, and build life where you are now. Moving countries is genuinely difficult even when you chose it.
What if mental health services in my country aren't good?
Some countries have limited mental health infrastructure, long waiting lists, or services that don't meet your needs. Online therapy provides access to quality care regardless of what's available locally. Many people use Grouport specifically because local options are inadequate. Our therapists specialize across the full range of mental health diagnoses and life challenges, so whatever you’re dealing with we’ll be able to get you situated with an individual therapist or in group therapy that’s right for your needs.
Can I bring up something that happened outside group?
Bringing outside experiences into group therapy is central to therapy. Whatever's happening in your life is material for group. However, dominating every session with outside content without engaging within the confines of group process limits benefits so it’s important to balance between bringing outside issues, listening to others in the group, and participating in group's here and now interactions. The therapist facilitates using outside examples productively, focusing on relevant skills that require time to go over, while maintaining group cohesion. Your life outside group is always relevant material and you should certainly incorporate things that happen in your life into group as that is why you are there.
What happens if someone leaves the group suddenly?
Unexpected departures can affect group dynamics and members may worry, feel abandoned, or question the group's overall value. The therapist helps remaining members maintain cohesiveness. New members joining also brings adjustment as groups are always evolving and it's important to be cognizant that new members can also join in at any time particularly if a group is not at capacity. So that can be a positive thing that new members can join in overtime to fill the spot of the departing individual. Learning to navigate membership changes builds real-life skills for handling relationship transitions.
Can groups help with social skills and making friends?
The group itself becomes practice for connection, communication, conflict resolution, boundaries, and vulnerability. Some people join group therapy specifically for the social skills component. You're learning through doing and practicing in real time. The skills learned in group transfer to outside relationships and help you form healthier friendships beyond therapy. Many people think of group sessions as a practice for relationship skills they can apply elsewhere.
How do you handle conflict between group members?
Conflict can be a therapeutic opportunity in groups when managed well. Sometimes conflict reveals important themes for one or both members to explore in greater detail. Other times it's a misunderstanding cleared up with appropriate communication. The therapist protects against harmful conflict while allowing for constructive debate to take place. Conflict is addressed openly which actually makes it productive. How you handle conflict is relevant to your life outside of group sessions. The therapist helps members work through disagreements in healthier ways than they might naturally on their own. Members learn that conflict doesn't end relationships and can actually strengthen connection when navigated successfully. Avoiding all conflict prevents important interpersonal skills that groups uniquely provide.
What internet speed do I need for online therapy?
A stable internet connection of at least 3 Mbps is recommended for video sessions. If video connection isn't working well for some reason, you can always switch to audio-only during the session.
Do I need to download any software?
If your sessions happen through our member portal, then no, Grouport's therapy platform works directly through your web browser, no downloads or installations are required. Simply click the session on your home page within your member portal, and you'll join your session from there. If your sessions happen outside of our member portal, then you should download Zoom on your device which can be downloaded for free. If your sessions happen outside of our member portal, you’ll receive an auto session reminder email 24-hours before each session with a unique HIPAA compliant Zoom link to join that week’s session. Our care coordinators and technical support staff will assist you with anything you need, to ensure you know how to smoothly access your sessions.
Are your therapists licensed and qualified?
Yes, all Grouport therapists are fully licensed mental health professionals (LCSW, LMFT, PhD, PsyD, LMHC, LMFT, or LPC) with master's or doctoral degrees in their field. Every therapist has completed thousands of clinical hours and passed state licensing exams. They maintain active licenses in the states where they practice, complete ongoing continuing education requirements, and carry professional liability insurance. Many specialize in specific treatment approaches like CBT, DBT, ERP, or trauma-focused therapy. You can view your matched therapist's credentials, specialties, and experience before your first session.

Where Grouport Reaches in Uganda.

Counties

Central Region, Western Region, Eastern Region, Northern Region, Karamoja sub-region, West Nile sub-region, Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro, Ankole, Kigezi, Acholi, Lango, Teso.

Cities

Kampala, Wakiso, Nansana, Kira, Mbarara, Mukono, Gulu, Lugazi, Masaka, Kasese, Hoima, Lira, Mbale, Jinja, Entebbe, Arua, Soroti, Fort Portal, Kabale, Tororo, Iganga, Njeru, Kitgum, Moroto, Adjumani.

Zip Codes

10101, 10201, 20101, 30101, 40101

If you have an address in Uganda, 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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