Expert 1:1 Care

Online Individual Therapy for Gambians, Without the 12-Week Wait.

Only a handful of qualified mental health professionals serve The Gambia's 2.76 million residents, and the wait for a first appointment in the public system stretches close to twelve weeks. Grouport offers weekly one-on-one individual therapy in Gambia with a licensed clinician for $103 per session ($448 monthly), delivered over HIPAA-compliant video in English. There is no queue at Tanka Tanka to sit in, no shared-taxi trip to Kanifing, and no need to piece together English-speaking private care that barely exists outside the Greater Banjul strip. Intake is short, matching happens right away, and a Gambia client can begin online therapy Gambia clinicians simply cannot deliver at scale, with the same licensed therapist, this week.

Greeting

The State of Mental Health in Gambia.

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

Mental Illness Prevalence

15.4% of Gambian 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 Gambia's public system, an interval during which symptoms often deepen.

Median Household Income

$4,435 median household income in the Gambia, shaping what households can allocate to private mental health care.

Percentage Who Need Therapy

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

Provider Shortage

87% of the Gambia's mental health workforce falls short of what is needed to fully meet population demand for specialist care.

Mental Health Providers per 100k Residents

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

Read together, The Gambia's numbers tell a specific story about what individual therapy needs to look like here. A workforce density of 6.58 mental health workers per 100,000 residents, a 12-week wait for a first appointment, and roughly 85 percent of adults with a mental health condition receiving no formal specialist treatment describe a system that cannot realistically deliver weekly one-on-one care at scale from within the country. A GNI of around $3,430 PPP means that when private options do exist, they tend to be priced for expatriates rather than local households. An online, one-to-one model with a licensed clinician, a transparent monthly USD subscription, and an immediate start is not a substitute for domestic capacity, but it is a direct fit for what individual Gambia clients actually need this week.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGE

Understanding Mental Health Access in Gambia.

The Problem

The Gambia's mental health system rests on a very narrow base. WHO records about 6.58 mental health workers per 100,000 people, meaning the entire country of 2.76 million shares roughly 180 trained mental health professionals across all cadres, and only a handful of those are psychiatrists. Tanka Tanka Hospital in Kanifing is effectively the national psychiatric referral centre, and general nurses in regional health centres often take on counselling duties they were not specifically trained for. Formal outpatient talk therapy, delivered by a qualified clinician, is not a routine feature of primary care.

The Impact

Consider a schoolteacher in Basse or a small-business owner in Farafenni who begins struggling with persistent anxiety in April. Under the public system, the earliest realistic appointment falls in July, and reaching it means a full day on shared taxis and river ferries to Kanifing, an overnight stay if the return trip runs late, and a second day off work for the follow-up two months later. The mental math for most working Gambian adults ends before an appointment is ever booked, and symptoms deepen quietly in the interval. Grouport removes every piece of that friction. No travel, no three-month waiting list, no rearranging a week around one hour of care. A licensed therapist appears on screen at the scheduled time and the work begins.

The Solution

What Gambia's mental health system cannot deliver at scale is exactly what online one-on-one therapy is built for: private, sustained, weekly time with a licensed clinician focused on one person for a full 45 minutes. Rather than compressing the country's roughly 180 domestic mental health workers across a caseload of millions, Grouport places every Gambia client with their own licensed therapist and keeps them with that clinician week after week. Sessions are tailored to the individual's history and goals, held privately over HIPAA-compliant video, and paced to the arc of an actual course of care. That continuity of a single therapeutic relationship, delivered in English at a scheduled hour that fits around work, is what lets meaningful individual therapy in Gambia take root.

87% of the Gambia's mental health workforce falls short of what is needed to fully meet population demand for specialist care.

Three specific frictions loosen the moment a Gambia client opens Grouport. The queue disappears: instead of waiting nearly a full quarter of the year for a first appointment, intake takes minutes and the first one-on-one session lands within days. Geography stops mattering: someone in Basse Santa Su, Janjanbureh, or Farafenni sits with the same licensed therapist as someone in Serrekunda or Bakau, with no full-day journey to Kanifing required. And the language question resolves cleanly, since sessions run in English, The Gambia's official language and medium of secondary education, while the country's GMT time zone aligns naturally with a licensed clinician's Western-hours availability across a 64.3 percent urbanised population that is well-connected on Africell and QCell 4G.

Access and Availability Across Gambia.

Formal mental health care in The Gambia rests on a small foundation. Tanka Tanka Psychiatric Hospital in Kanifing anchors the public system as the country's only dedicated inpatient facility, supplemented by a psychiatric unit at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul and a scatter of community mental health nurses in regional health centres. A small private sector exists along the Kombo coast, largely oriented to expatriates and NGO staff, and traditional or faith-based counsel remains a common first step. What is missing across all of it is a routine, weekly, English-language one-on-one therapy option a working Gambian can actually keep on the calendar. That gap is where Grouport fits: licensed clinician, HIPAA-compliant video, $103 per session, immediate start.

Geographic Barriers

The Gambia stretches roughly 480 kilometres inland along the river, and the country's specialist providers are concentrated in the narrow Greater Banjul corridor of Banjul, Kanifing, and Brikama. For a resident of the Upper River or Central River regions, reaching an in-person clinician means a full day of shared-taxi legs, ferry crossings at Farafenni or Banjul that are subject to weather and mechanical delays, and rainy-season road conditions that add further friction. Sustaining weekly therapy across that geography is effectively impossible from outside the coastal strip. Grouport collapses the map. A resident of Basse Santa Su, Kerewan, or Mansa Konko meets their licensed therapist over secure video, exactly the same session a resident of Bakau would have, with no travel time built into the calendar.

Extended Wait Times

Twelve weeks is the working figure for a first mental health appointment in Gambia's public system, and because so few clinicians absorb so many referrals, follow-up cadences often stretch further. Someone struggling in April may not sit with a provider until July, and may then next be seen only in autumn. That kind of gap is a long time to hold difficult experiences unsupported, and it is a common reason Gambians turn to family, faith, or traditional healers in the interval. Grouport reverses the timeline. Instead of waiting roughly three months, a Gambia client typically completes intake and begins a first one-on-one session with a licensed therapist within days.

Systemic Challenges

The Gambia does not operate a national health insurance scheme, so most mental health costs land as out-of-pocket payments regardless of household income. The specialist workforce sits at roughly 6.58 per 100,000 people, and for much of the past decade the country had only one practicing Gambian psychiatrist supported by a handful of psychiatric nurses and community mental health officers. Formal integration of psychotherapy into primary care is still under development inside the National Mental Health Strategy, and there is no widespread reimbursement pathway for talk therapy in particular. Grouport sits outside those constraints. A licensed clinician, a HIPAA-compliant video platform, a transparent USD subscription, and immediate matching all work around the systemic gaps rather than waiting for them to close.

Urban-Rural Divide

About 64.3 percent of Gambians live in urban areas, and almost all of the specialist mental health workforce clusters inside the Greater Banjul conurbation of Banjul, Kanifing, and Brikama. The remaining share of the population across West Coast interior, North Bank, Lower River, Central River, and Upper River regions shares a small number of community mental health nurses at regional hospitals. The 64/36 split understates the imbalance, because the rural share of clinicians is far smaller than the rural share of the population. Online one-on-one therapy dissolves that geography. A Grouport client in Janjanbureh works with the same licensed therapist a Grouport client in Serrekunda would, over the same HIPAA-compliant video, at the same $103 per session.

Set against The Gambia's constraints, Grouport is a direct fit. There is no wait to sit through, no travel to organise around a weekly appointment, and no search for a licensed English-speaking clinician who happens to have an open slot. Every Grouport therapist is licensed, sessions are HIPAA-compliant, pricing is a predictable USD subscription at $103 per session weekly or $224 per month for every-other-week, and a Gambia client can sustain a full course of care from anywhere in the country with a stable connection. For someone in Bakau, Basse, or on the road between them, that combination is the first mental health option that actually holds together week after week.

Affordable Individual Therapy Costs for Gambia Residents.

Gambia residents get immediate access to Individual Therapy at $103 per session on average (billed at $448 per month), 50 to 60 percent below the global average of $150 to $250 per session for one-on-one care with a licensed clinician. Every Grouport session is one-to-one, 45 minutes with the same licensed therapist week after week, delivered over HIPAA-compliant video. Every Gambia client pays the same transparent USD rate regardless of whether they log in from Banjul, Basse Santa Su, or the Kombo coast.

Affordability and Income

The Gambia's GNI per capita on a purchasing-power-parity basis sits at roughly $3,430, and there is no national health insurance to soften the cost of private care, so mental health spending lands almost entirely on households. Grouport's monthly subscription, $448 for weekly one-on-one sessions or $224 for every-other-week sessions, is a fixed USD figure that a working professional, a returning diaspora Gambian, or a family pooling resources can plan around across a full course of care. That is a fundamentally different exercise than piecing together per-session invoices from an in-country private clinician priced for expatriates, and it delivers licensed clinician quality at a rate well below what the global market typically charges for equivalent one-on-one care.

Hidden Cost and Barriers

The visible fee is only part of what in-person care actually costs a Gambian household. A single appointment at Tanka Tanka from Farafenni can involve a river-ferry crossing, two shared-taxi legs, a full day off work, and a return trip in the evening, all of which recur every week if therapy is to hold together. Add to that the unpredictability of per-session invoicing at private clinics along the Kombo coast, the friction of paying in dalasi against USD-quoted expatriate rates, and the time cost of finding a licensed English-speaking clinician with an open slot at all. Grouport dissolves the entire list. No commute, no lost work hours, no cash-only surprises, and one predictable monthly rate in USD.

Immediate Availability

The wait speaks for itself. Around twelve weeks for a first mental health appointment in the public system, and often longer for follow-up, is the standing figure across The Gambia. In practice, that means someone deciding to seek help in April may not sit with a clinician until July. Grouport operates on a different clock. Intake is short, a licensed therapist is matched right away, and a first one-on-one session lands within days rather than months, whether the client is logging in from Banjul, Farafenni, or Basse Santa Su. For Gambia clients ready to start now, a licensed Grouport therapist is available this week.

How it Works

Community

Explore Virtual Mental Health Services

With plans tailored to you, it's easy to choose the right mental health care plan. Simply sign up today!

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Personalized match

We’ll get in touch with you to get brief context to make sure we match you with the therapist that best fits your needs & schedule. (Typically match in 24-72 hours)

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Start Online Therapy

Meet weekly with a licensed mental health professional for 45-minute video sessions. With consistent online therapy services, you can start seeing meaningful results.

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Mental Health Conditions We Treat in

Gambia

Beyond individual therapy, Grouport offers licensed therapists who specialize across the full spectrum of mental health needs and evidence-based approaches. Whatever you're looking for, we have a therapist for your needs.

Meaningful Results

Check out how our online therapy 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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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.

The Grouport bench is made up of licensed clinicians, including psychologists, LCSWs, LMFTs, LMHCs, LPCs, PsyDs, and PhDs, with training in evidence-based individual work such as cognitive behavioral therapy, DBT skills, trauma-informed approaches, and process-oriented one-on-one care. Every session runs in English, which aligns cleanly with The Gambia's official language of instruction and government. Therapists are experienced working across cultural contexts and with globally mobile clients, and they treat cultural, religious, and family context as part of the picture rather than something to talk around. All sessions are HIPAA-compliant and fully confidential.

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Affordable Individual Therapy & Care Options in the Gambia.

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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Individual Therapy

$112/session
billed at $448/month

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Group Therapy

$35/session
billed at $140/month

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Partnership

Couples Therapy

$123/session
billed at $492/month

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Family Therapy

$160/session
billed at $640/month

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IOP Therapy

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

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Frame

Teen Therapy

$112/session
billed at $448/month

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Common Questions About Individual Therapy in Gambia.

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.

Can I attend online therapy sessions via phone if needed?

Yes\! You can attend over video chat on any smartphone. While we recommend video on a computer or laptop for the best therapeutic experience, you can attend sessions by any smartphone as well. Additionally, you can also attend sessions by audio only if needed, though we recommend to join by video for the best experience.

How do I get started with Grouport’s online therapy?

Getting started is easy. First, visit grouporttherapy.com and click "Get Started". This will take you to https://www.grouporttherapy.com/service-types, to first select which type of therapy you’re interested in and to complete a brief intake form about your therapy goals and preferences. Then, we'll match you with a licensed therapist/your group based on your needs and any specific requests you may have. After signing up, a care coordinator will get in touch with you via email &/or phone to walk you through available therapists and scheduling. You’ll make the final choice about your care, including which therapists you’ll meet with and when based on your preferences and schedule. You'll then be confirmed for your sessions, and be able to attend your sessions weekly over video chat.

Can I be in multiple therapy individual sessions simultaneously?

Absolutely, it’s common that people are partaking in multiple therapy individual sessions at once. This can be if they want to work on different things as different individual sessions can focus on different areas, or they want to have extra focus on important relevant skills, or they want to benefit from different therapist approaches, or they need more intensive care. It’s common that people are doing 2-4 individual sessions per week and if they need something more intensive, our IOP can be helpful since it includes 9 individual sessions per week. It’s totally based on what feels right for you, so trust your gut. You can always increase the amount of individual sessions you’re doing or decrease at any time.

Can individual sessions help with social skills and making friends?

The group itself becomes practice for connection, communication, conflict resolution, boundaries, and vulnerability. Some people join individual 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.

Can I bring up something that happened outside group?

Bringing outside experiences into individual 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 if I'm struggling financially and can't afford online individual therapy anymore?

Grouport's online individual therapy is already one of the most affordable therapy options out there at $25 - $35 per session ($448/month), depending on the group you’re in. That's significantly cheaper than almost any other type of therapy out there. Maybe you can use receipts to get out of network insurance reimbursement, or use HSA/FSA funds. When paying quarterly or biannually, you also do receive discounts. While we try to make our services as affordable as possible, we understand that cost is a reality that people face and everyone's financial situation is different. Sometimes taking a planned break with the intention to return when finances improve helps. The goal is supporting your treatment access with what is financially viable for you.

What if I'm experiencing seasonal depression?

Seasonal affective disorder happens in many countries, especially those with long dark winters or extreme seasonal changes. Therapy combined with light therapy, lifestyle changes, and sometimes medication helps you manage seasonal depression. Where you live affects light exposure and seasons differently.

Can therapy help with parenting stress?

Parenting is hard. Cultural expectations about parenting vary, but the stress is universal. Whether you're dealing with difficult child behavior, work-life balance, single parenting, parenting with limited support, or parenting across cultures, therapy addresses parenting stress and helps you cope.

​​Can I upgrade or downgrade my billing at any time?

Yes\! You can change your plan anytime, whether that means adding or reducing sessions or switching to a different billing cycle. Changes take effect immediately.

✅ Upgrading your plan - ## Adding more sessions per week (e.g., 1 session/week → 2 sessions/week). - ## Switching to a longer billing cycle (e.g., Monthly → Quarterly). - ## You’ll be charged a prorated difference based on the time remaining in your current plan.

✅ Downgrading your plan

- ## Reducing the number of sessions per week (e.g., 3 sessions/week → 1 session/week). - ## Switching to a shorter billing cycle (e.g., Quarterly → Monthly). - ## This will result in a credit applied to your next renewal.
In a country as small as The Gambia, where the mental health workforce is concentrated around Tanka Tanka and Banjul, how does Grouport protect my privacy if I don't want to be seen walking into a local clinic?

Grouport Individual Therapy is delivered entirely over HIPAA-compliant video, so you never sit in a Kanifing or Banjul waiting room where you might be recognized. You are matched with a licensed clinician (a psychologist, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, LPC, PsyD, or PhD) working from outside The Gambia, which keeps your care fully separate from local professional and community networks. Sessions run 45 to 50 minutes once a week from your own home, in English, and you can start right away after intake.

With The Gambia's 2024 GNI per capita around USD 880 and no statutory health insurance to offset therapy costs, is Grouport Individual Therapy actually a reasonable value for Gambian clients?

Grouport Individual Therapy is priced at USD 103 per weekly session, or USD 448 per month, with a lighter every-other-week plan at USD 224 per month (USD 52 per session). For that flat fee you get a 45 to 50 minute video session with a licensed clinician, delivered in English on GMT-friendly hours, with no travel from provincial regions like Basse or Janjanbureh to Kanifing. Given the near absence of office-based talk therapy in-country, the alternative is often no consistent care at all.

Individual Therapy Available Across Gambia.

Regions

Banjul, Kanifing, Brikama (West Coast Region), Mansa Konko (Lower River Region), Kerewan (North Bank Region), Janjanbureh (Central River Region), Basse Santa Su (Upper River Region), Kuntaur (Central River North).

Cities

Banjul, Serrekunda, Brikama, Bakau, Farafenni, Basse Santa Su, Sukuta, Gunjur, Soma, Janjanbureh, Barra, Lamin, Kerewan, Mansa Konko.

Zip Codes

Grouport serves all zip codes across Gambia. If you have an address in Gambia, Grouport can serve you regardless of your zip code.

Online Individual Therapy Available Worldwide

Grouport offers online individual therapy available globally for people in 200+ countries. Find a licensed therapist that fits your needs for weekly one-on-one sessions.

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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