Online therapy for seasonal affective disorder from just $25/session with licensed therapists (PhD, PsyD, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) specializing in evidence-based approaches including CBT-SAD, behavioral activation, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. At Grouport, we offer online individual therapy, online group therapy, and virtual IOP options designed to help you break the seasonal cycle, rebuild your energy, and reclaim the months you have been losing to winter depression.
Whether you prefer personalized one-on-one care or the shared support of a therapist-led group, our online SAD therapy connects you to expert guidance and a community that understands what it is like to struggle through the darker months.
Consistently Recognized as the #1 Online Therapy pick
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At Grouport, we offer a range of online therapy options to help individuals manage seasonal depression, rebuild energy and motivation, and develop long-term strategies for navigating darker months. Many members choose to mix and match therapy formats.
Online therapy for seasonal affective disorder: personalized, flexible, and therapist-led. We will guide you with dedicated support every step of the way.
Whether you're interested in group therapy, individual sessions, couples or family therapy, or IOP, or a combination, you'll start by selecting the type of support that fits your needs. You can also choose the care frequency that works best for you. Complete our onboarding form and sign up directly for the plan that suits you best.
After signing up, you'll connect with a dedicated care coordinator who will walk you through available therapists, group options, and scheduling. You'll make the final choice about your care, including which therapists you'll meet with and when, based on your goals, preferences, and schedule.
Attend your weekly online sessions, whether group, individual, couples, family, or IOP, at the cadence that works best for you. Our team will be here to support you every step of the way, ensuring you're happy with your care plan and helping you make changes whenever needed.
Whether you're interested in online group therapy for seasonal affective disorder, individual therapy sessions, a combination of both, or our virtual IOP for more intensive care, you'll start by selecting the format that fits your needs and schedule. You can customize the frequency of sessions and even pair live therapy with our DBT self-guided program for added support between sessions. Just complete our onboarding form and sign up directly for the plan that suits you best.
After signing up, you'll connect with a dedicated care coordinator who will discuss your mental health challenges, goals, and preferences. They'll walk you through the range of therapy options best suited to your needs for managing seasonal affective disorder. You'll make the final choice about your care, including which therapists you'll meet with and select session times that are most convenient for you.
Attend your weekly online therapy sessions to build coping skills, mood regulation strategies, and stability tools tailored to seasonal affective disorder. Our team will be here to support you at every step of the way, ensuring you're happy with your care plan and helping you make changes whenever needed.
Seasonal affective disorder is more than just the "winter blues." It is a clinically recognized form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, typically worsening in fall and winter as daylight hours decrease. If these symptoms return every year, therapy can help you break the cycle.
Common signs to watch for include:
If you recognize these patterns in yourself or a loved one, working with a licensed therapist can help.
SAD does not just affect your mood during the winter. The fatigue, withdrawal, and cognitive changes that winter depression brings can disrupt every part of your life, often in ways that compound year after year.
Declining invitations, canceling plans, and withdrawing from loved ones during winter can strain relationships and deepen loneliness. Therapy helps you maintain connection even when motivation is low.
Brain fog, fatigue, and low motivation make it harder to meet deadlines, contribute in meetings, or maintain productivity. Therapy provides tools for staying engaged through the seasonal dip.
Carbohydrate cravings, weight gain, oversleeping, and reduced physical activity create a cycle that worsens both physical and mental health. Therapists help you build sustainable activity routines.
SAD disrupts your circadian rhythm, leading to hypersomnia while still feeling exhausted. Therapy helps you build light exposure and sleep hygiene routines that support your natural rhythms.
Even basic tasks like cooking, cleaning, or running errands can feel overwhelming. The loss of motivation is not laziness; it is a symptom of disrupted brain chemistry. Behavioral activation helps rebuild momentum.
Watching yourself "shut down" every year can lead to frustration, shame, and feeling broken. Therapy helps you understand SAD as a treatable condition, not a personal failing.
Starting therapy when you are already exhausted and unmotivated can feel like a big ask. Here is what your first few sessions typically look like.
Your therapist will ask about your history with seasonal mood changes, including when symptoms typically begin, how long they last, how they affect your daily life, and what you have tried before.
Your therapist will explain how reduced daylight affects your circadian rhythm, serotonin and melatonin levels, and overall brain chemistry. Understanding the biological basis of SAD helps remove self-blame.
Most therapists will begin working on a behavioral activation plan early on, identifying small, achievable activities that can help counteract the withdrawal and low energy of SAD.
By your third or fourth session, you will have a personalized toolkit that may include light exposure strategies, sleep hygiene routines, cognitive restructuring techniques, and activity scheduling. Many members report noticeable improvements within 4-8 weeks.
See how our therapy options have helped our members experience 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."
At Grouport, our virtual SAD therapy integrates several evidence-based techniques designed to help you overcome winter depression, rebuild energy, and develop lasting strategies:
CBT-SAD is a specialized adaptation designed specifically for seasonal depression. It helps you identify and challenge negative thought patterns that worsen during winter, replace avoidance with planned positive activities, and develop cognitive strategies that reduce the severity of seasonal episodes.
Behavioral activation systematically schedules meaningful, pleasurable, and social activities to counteract the natural withdrawal of SAD. Rather than waiting for motivation to return, you build momentum through action, which then improves mood.
Our therapists can guide you on how to incorporate light exposure into your daily routine effectively, including timing, duration, and how to combine light therapy with behavioral strategies for maximum benefit. Proper light exposure helps regulate your circadian rhythm and boost serotonin.
MBCT combines mindfulness practices with cognitive therapy to help you notice early warning signs of seasonal depression and respond with awareness. It is especially useful for preventing the rumination and self-criticism that often accompany SAD.
IPT focuses on improving your relationships and social functioning. It helps you maintain social connections through winter, communicate your needs to loved ones, and address interpersonal conflicts that can arise from seasonal withdrawal.
DBT teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills directly applicable to managing SAD. These skills help you tolerate low-energy days, regulate emotional heaviness, and maintain meaningful connections.
Every Grouport therapist is a licensed, accredited mental health professional with specialized training in mood disorders and depression.
Our therapists typically have over a decade of clinical experience across diverse settings, with specialized expertise in mood disorders, seasonal depression, and evidence-based interventions like CBT-SAD, behavioral activation, and DBT.
We continually evaluate outcomes through internal studies and outcomes studies with researchers from leading universities such as Carnegie Mellon, University of Essex, and University of Cologne.
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a healthier future starts right here
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
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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Seasonal Affective Disorder often co-occurs with other mental health conditions. Our licensed therapists are experienced in treating a wide range of challenges, and many members address multiple concerns simultaneously through our flexible therapy options.
Grouport provides online group therapy, individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, teen therapy, intensive outpatient program (IOP), all held virtually over video chat. We also offer a DBT self-guided program.
Many members combine multiple therapy types to best fit their needs.
Online therapy is especially well-suited for SAD because symptoms like fatigue, low motivation, and social withdrawal make it harder to leave the house during dark winter months. Accessing therapy from home removes that barrier entirely. Each session is led by licensed therapists experienced in mood disorders. With group sessions starting at just $35, developing practical coping skills is affordable.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. Most people with SAD experience symptoms during fall and winter when daylight hours decrease, though a smaller percentage experience summer-pattern SAD.
Symptoms include persistent low mood, fatigue and oversleeping, social withdrawal, appetite changes (especially carbohydrate cravings), difficulty concentrating, and feelings of hopelessness. SAD is more than just the "winter blues." It is a clinically recognized mood disorder that can significantly impact your relationships, work, and quality of life.
Yes, every Grouport therapist is accredited and licensed. Our network includes:
✔ Licensed Psychologists (PhD, PsyD)
✔ Licensed Social Workers (LCSW)
✔ Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC)
✔ Licensed Marriage & Family Therapists (LMFT)
Our therapists typically have over a decade of experience. Learn more about the therapists
Grouport is available worldwide! All sessions are held virtually over video chat. We offer separate therapy groups for Adults (18+) and Teens & Adolescents (under 18), so each age group receives care tailored to their needs.
Yes. While most people associate SAD with winter, about 10% of people with SAD experience summer-pattern seasonal depression. Summer SAD can involve symptoms like insomnia, decreased appetite, weight loss, agitation, and increased anxiety. The triggers are different, often related to excessive heat and disrupted routines, but the condition is equally valid and treatable with therapy.
The main difference is the seasonal pattern. With SAD, symptoms consistently appear during a specific time of year (usually fall/winter) and improve or fully resolve during other seasons. Major depressive disorder does not follow this predictable cycle. SAD also has some distinct symptoms like oversleeping, carbohydrate cravings, and weight gain that are less common in typical depression. However, SAD is a form of major depression and should be taken just as seriously.
Our therapy is backed by outcomes studies with researchers from leading universities such as Carnegie Mellon, University of Essex, and University of Cologne.
80% of members start with moderate to severe symptoms.
70% see clinically significant reduction within 8 weeks.
50% achieve remission levels within 8 weeks.
90% would be disappointed if they lost access to Grouport.
Yes. Many people successfully manage SAD through therapy alone, particularly CBT-SAD, which research shows can be as effective as light therapy and may have longer-lasting benefits. Behavioral activation, structured routines, exercise, and light therapy guidance are all non-medication strategies our therapists use. Some people benefit from combining therapy with medication, and our therapists can work alongside your prescriber.
The best time to start therapy for SAD is before your symptoms typically begin, usually in early fall. Starting proactively allows you to build coping strategies before the darker months. However, it is never too late. Even if you are already experiencing symptoms, therapy can help you regain momentum and build skills for future seasons.
Finding the right therapy starts with understanding your needs. If you prefer personalized attention, individual therapy provides dedicated one-on-one care. If you benefit from shared experiences and peer support, group therapy connects you with others who understand seasonal depression. For more intensive support during the hardest months, our virtual IOP offers multiple weekly sessions.
Many members combine therapy formats for the best results. Not sure where to start? Schedule a free call with a care coordinator who can help you build a personalized plan based on your symptoms, goals, and schedule.
We offer flexible therapy options with straightforward pricing:
Online Group Therapy: Averages $32/session ($140/month).
Online Individual Therapy: Averages $103/session ($448/month).
Online Couples Therapy: Averages $114/session ($492/month).
Online Family Therapy: Averages $148/session ($640/month).
Virtual IOP: Averages $311/week ($1,348/month).
Online Teen Therapy: Averages $103/session ($448/month).
DBT Self-Guided Program: One-time fee of $500.
Payment Options: Monthly, Quarterly (Save 10%), Biannually (Save 15%). No long-term commitment. Switch therapists anytime. Cancel anytime!
We currently do not accept insurance. However, Grouport offers flat monthly pricing with no surprise bills, FSA/HSA eligibility, and sessions averaging as low as $23-$32 for group therapy. We can provide detailed invoices for potential out-of-network reimbursement.
Yes. We offer separate therapy groups for Adults (18+) and Teens & Adolescents (under 18). Teens can experience SAD just like adults, and it often shows up as declining grades, social withdrawal, irritability, and difficulty getting out of bed for school. Our teen therapy programs are tailored to help adolescents manage seasonal mood changes in age-appropriate ways.
Many people begin noticing improvements within the first 4-8 weeks of consistent therapy, particularly with CBT-SAD and behavioral activation approaches. Early sessions focus on understanding your seasonal patterns and building a personalized action plan. The timeline varies based on severity of symptoms, how long you've been experiencing seasonal depression, and how consistently you practice skills between sessions. Our therapists work with you to set realistic milestones and track your progress.
You can cancel your subscription at any time. No long-term commitment. Full access through your last billing period. If your sessions are accessed via email links, email support@grouporttherapy.com and we'll send you a quick cancellation form to fill out. If sessions occur within the member portal, cancel under the "manage subscription" tab.
Whether you're dreading the approaching winter, already struggling with seasonal depression, or looking to prevent another year of lost months, therapy can help you take back control. Start building a life where the seasons don't dictate how you feel.
