Online therapy for self-harm from just $25/session with licensed therapists (PhD, PsyD, LCSW, LMHC, LMFT) specializing in evidence-based approaches including DBT, CBT, and emotion regulation. At Grouport, we offer online individual therapy, online group therapy, and virtual IOP options designed to help you understand the emotional pain driving the self-harm, develop alternative ways to cope with overwhelming feelings, and build a life where you no longer need to hurt yourself to survive what you are feeling.
Whether you prefer personalized one-on-one care or the shared support of a therapist-led group, our online self-harm therapy connects you to expert guidance from the comfort of your own home. Online therapy is especially well-suited for self-harm because the shame and secrecy surrounding it can make walking into a therapist's office feel overwhelming. Starting from home provides the privacy to begin the conversation without that additional barrier. If you are in immediate crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.
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 who are self-harming understand the emotional pain driving the behavior, develop skills to manage overwhelming feelings without hurting yourself, and build a life that no longer requires self-harm to feel bearable. Many members choose to mix and match therapy formats.
Online therapy for self-harm: personalized, flexible, and therapist-led. Understand the emotional pain driving the behavior, develop alternative coping skills that actually work, and build a life where you no longer need to hurt yourself to manage what you are feeling.
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 self-harm, 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 self-harm. 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 self-harm. 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.
Self-harm is a coping mechanism, and coping mechanisms can be replaced. Therapy provides the alternative tools your current toolkit is missing.
Common signs to watch for include:
If you recognize these patterns in yourself or a loved one, working with a licensed therapist can help.
Self-harm does not exist in isolation. It creates ripple effects across your mental health, your relationships, your self-image, and your daily functioning. Understanding these effects is not about adding more guilt; it is about recognizing the full cost of the coping mechanism so you can make an informed choice to find alternatives.
Self-harm typically follows a predictable emotional cycle: emotional pain builds to an unbearable level, self-harm provides temporary relief or a sense of control, and then shame, guilt, and self-criticism flood in afterward. The shame itself becomes another source of emotional pain, lowering your threshold for the next episode. This cycle accelerates over time unless the underlying emotional regulation deficit is addressed.
Self-harm frequently co-occurs with depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, PTSD, and eating disorders. These conditions create the emotional intensity that self-harm is attempting to manage. Treating the self-harm without addressing the underlying conditions is incomplete, and treating the underlying conditions often reduces the need for self-harm.
Self-harm creates significant barriers to closeness. You may avoid physical intimacy because of visible marks. You may keep emotional distance because you fear how someone would react if they knew. If a partner or friend does know, the dynamic can become strained: they may feel helpless, responsible, afraid, or angry. The secrecy required to maintain the behavior creates a wall between you and the people who care about you.
Over time, self-harm can become part of how you define yourself, which makes it harder to let go. You may see yourself as damaged, broken, or fundamentally different from other people. This identity fusion ("I am someone who self-harms" rather than "I am someone who is struggling and using a harmful coping strategy") is one of the things therapy specifically works to disentangle. You are not your coping mechanism.
Self-harm tends to escalate over time as tolerance builds: the same level of intensity that once provided relief no longer works, leading to increased frequency or severity. This escalation increases both physical risk and the difficulty of stopping. Additionally, self-harm is a significant risk factor for suicidal ideation and attempts, even when the self-harm itself is not intended as a suicide attempt. This is one of the most important reasons to seek help early.
Beyond the behavior itself, self-harm consumes time and energy in ways that are easy to underestimate: hiding evidence, planning around the behavior, managing the aftermath, the mental energy of resisting urges throughout the day, and the emotional processing after each episode. This hidden cost reduces your capacity for everything else in your life.
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 create a safe, nonjudgmental space to discuss what you are experiencing. You do not need to share everything in the first session. Your therapist may ask when the self-harm started, what emotions or situations tend to trigger it, what it does for you emotionally, and how it is affecting your life. Your therapist has worked with people who self-harm before and will respond with understanding, not shock or alarm.
Together, you will explore what the self-harm is actually doing for you, because it is doing something. It may be providing relief from emotional pain, creating a sense of control when everything feels chaotic, breaking through numbness, expressing pain you cannot put into words, or punishing yourself for something you believe you deserve. Understanding the function is essential because effective treatment does not just remove the behavior; it replaces it with something that meets the same need safely.
You and your therapist will define what progress looks like for you. This might include going a certain number of days without self-harming, using an alternative coping skill when the urge arises, identifying and communicating the emotion driving the urge instead of acting on it, reducing the severity even when you cannot prevent the episode entirely, or addressing a specific underlying issue like a relationship conflict or a trauma response. Progress is not always linear, and your therapist understands that.
Your therapist will introduce evidence-based techniques tailored to your situation: DBT skills for distress tolerance and emotion regulation (the gold-standard treatment for self-harm), CBT to address the thoughts and beliefs maintaining the cycle, and approaches to address underlying conditions like depression, anxiety, trauma, or BPD. If a safety plan is needed, you will develop one together. You will leave with specific alternative strategies to use when the urge arises.
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 self-harm therapy integrates several evidence-based techniques designed to help you manage overwhelming emotions without resorting to self-harm, address the underlying pain driving the behavior, and build a life where you have the tools to survive your worst moments safely:
DBT is the gold-standard, most extensively researched treatment for self-harm. It was specifically developed for people experiencing intense emotional pain and the self-destructive behaviors that result. DBT is built on a core dialectic: accepting yourself as you are right now while simultaneously working to change. This means your therapist will never shame you for self-harming while also helping you build alternatives. DBT teaches four skill sets: mindfulness (observing your experience without reacting), distress tolerance (surviving crisis moments without making them worse), emotion regulation (understanding and managing intense emotions), and interpersonal effectiveness (getting your emotional needs met through relationships).
Distress tolerance skills are the immediate, practical tools for surviving the moments when the urge to self-harm is strongest. These skills are not about making the pain go away; they are about getting through the next hour, the next thirty minutes, the next five minutes without acting on the urge. Techniques include the TIPP skill (Temperature change through cold water on the face, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, Progressive muscle relaxation), which rapidly reduces physiological arousal. Also includes radical acceptance (acknowledging the reality of the pain without fighting it), self-soothing through the five senses, and the STOP skill (Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Proceed mindfully). These skills work because the urge to self-harm, like all urges, peaks and passes if you can ride it out.
If distress tolerance is about surviving the crisis moment, emotion regulation is about reducing how often those crisis moments occur. Many people who self-harm experience emotions at an intensity that others do not: feelings come on faster, hit harder, and take longer to subside. Emotion regulation skills teach you to identify what you are actually feeling (many people who self-harm describe feeling "overwhelmed" without being able to name the specific emotion), understand what triggered the emotion, assess whether the emotion fits the situation, and use opposite action or problem-solving to change the emotional experience. Over time, building these skills reduces the frequency and intensity of the emotional crises that trigger self-harm.
CBT for self-harm targets the specific thoughts and beliefs that maintain the cycle. Common cognitive patterns include: beliefs that you deserve to be hurt, beliefs that your emotional pain is not valid unless accompanied by physical evidence, all-or-nothing thinking about recovery ("I self-harmed once so I have failed completely"), and the belief that self-harm is the only thing that works. CBT helps you identify these patterns, evaluate them against evidence, and develop more balanced perspectives. It also addresses the underlying beliefs about yourself, your worth, and your ability to cope that make self-harm feel necessary.
Mindfulness is woven throughout DBT but is powerful as a standalone intervention for self-harm. It teaches you to observe your emotional experience without immediately reacting to it. When you can notice "I am feeling intense shame right now" and simply observe that experience, rather than being consumed by it and needing to act immediately, you create a gap between the feeling and the behavior. In that gap, choice becomes possible. Mindfulness also helps you become aware of the early warning signs that an urge is building, so you can intervene earlier in the cycle rather than waiting until the intensity is overwhelming.
Safety planning is a collaborative process where you and your therapist develop a personalized, step-by-step plan for managing crisis moments. Unlike a generic list of hotline numbers, a safety plan is specific to you: your warning signs, your personal coping strategies that have worked before, the specific people you can contact, the environmental changes that reduce risk, and the professional resources available to you. Having a written plan matters because in moments of intense distress, your cognitive capacity is reduced, and having a concrete, rehearsed sequence of steps makes it more likely you will follow through with alternatives rather than defaulting to self-harm.
Every Grouport therapist is a licensed, accredited mental health professional with specialized training in self-harm, emotional dysregulation, and crisis management.
Our therapists typically have over a decade of clinical experience across diverse settings, with specialized expertise in self-harm, emotional dysregulation, crisis management, and crisis management, and evidence-based interventions like DBT, CBT, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance.
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.
MEET OUR THERAPISTS
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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Self-Harm 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.
Self-harm serves a function, even though it is a harmful one. For some people, it provides temporary relief from overwhelming emotional pain. For others, it breaks through emotional numbness or dissociation and creates a sense of feeling something. For some, it provides a sense of control when everything else feels chaotic. And for some, it expresses pain that they cannot put into words. Understanding why you self-harm is not about justifying the behavior; it is the first step toward finding alternatives that meet the same emotional need without causing harm.
No. Self-harm (clinically called non-suicidal self-injury, or NSSI) is typically motivated by the desire to manage emotional pain, not to end your life. However, this distinction does not mean self-harm is not serious. Self-harm is a significant risk factor for suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. The threshold for self-inflicted injury lowers over time, and the emotional pain that drives self-harm can also drive suicidal thinking. This is one of the most important reasons to seek treatment. If you are in immediate crisis, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.
Yes, every Grouport therapist is accredited and licensed. Our network includes Licensed Psychologists (PhD, PsyD), Licensed Social Workers (LCSW), Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHC), and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT). Our therapists are trained in DBT, the gold-standard treatment for self-harm, as well as CBT, emotion regulation, and crisis management.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is the most extensively researched and effective treatment for self-harm. DBT was specifically developed for people experiencing intense emotional pain and the self-destructive behaviors that result. It teaches four core skill sets: distress tolerance, emotion regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. Research consistently shows that DBT significantly reduces self-harm frequency, emergency room visits, and suicidal ideation. Grouport offers DBT through individual therapy, group therapy, and our DBT self-guided program.
No. Our therapists are trained to understand self-harm as a coping mechanism, not a character flaw. They have worked with people who self-harm before and will not respond with shock, disappointment, or alarm. The therapeutic relationship is built on acceptance: your therapist will validate the pain driving the behavior while helping you develop alternatives. DBT is specifically built on the principle that you are doing the best you can AND you need to do better, both at the same time.
Many people develop usable distress tolerance skills within the first few weeks of therapy that reduce self-harm frequency. Building a full toolkit of emotion regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal skills typically takes 3-6 months. Addressing the underlying conditions that drive self-harm (depression, trauma, BPD, anxiety) may require longer-term treatment. Recovery is not always linear, and setbacks do not erase progress. The goal is to reach a point where you have reliable alternatives to self-harm and the emotional regulation capacity to use them.
Yes. We offer separate therapy groups for Adults (18+) and Teens and Adolescents (under 18). Our teen therapy programs are tailored for adolescents. Self-harm is particularly prevalent among teens, and early intervention is critical for preventing the behavior from becoming an entrenched coping pattern. Our teen therapists specialize in working with young people and understand the specific pressures and emotional experiences of adolescence.
Finding the right therapy starts with understanding your needs. If you need focused, private work on the specific emotions and patterns driving your self-harm, individual therapy is ideal. If you benefit from being with others who understand and from building skills in a group setting, group therapy reduces isolation and shame. For those needing intensive support, our virtual IOP offers multiple sessions weekly. Schedule a free call with a care coordinator for a personalized plan.
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!
Yes. Recovery from self-harm is absolutely possible and happens every day. DBT research shows significant reductions in self-harm behavior, with many people achieving complete cessation. Recovery does not mean you will never feel the urge again; it means you will have the skills, the awareness, and the support to choose a different response when the urge arrives. Many people who recover describe looking back and recognizing that the self-harm was a phase of their life, not a permanent part of who they are.
If someone you love is self-harming, the most important things are: do not panic, do not express anger or disgust, do not issue ultimatums ("Stop or else"), and do not take it personally. Express concern calmly, listen without judgment, and encourage professional help. Avoid monitoring or controlling the person, which tends to increase secrecy rather than reduce the behavior. Family therapy can help you learn how to be supportive without enabling, and how to manage your own emotional response.
Our therapy outcomes are backed by outcomes studies with researchers from leading universities such as Carnegie Mellon, University of Essex, and University of Cologne. 80% of our members start therapy with moderate to severe symptoms. Within just 8 weeks, 70% of members see clinically significant reduction in anxiety and depression, and 50% achieve remission levels.
You can cancel your subscription at any time. No long-term commitment is required. Simply email us at support@grouporttherapy.com and we will send you a quick cancellation form to fill out. If your sessions occur within the member portal, you can also cancel under the manage subscription tab.
You do not have to keep hurting yourself to survive what you are feeling. There are other ways through the pain, and a therapist can help you find them.
