How to find group therapy near me

One of the most searched terms in google related to group therapy is simply ‘Find Group Therapy Near Me’. Here at Group Therapy Central we recommend these four ways to help you find group therapy services near you.

(1) Directory of Certified Group Psychotherapists from the American Group Psychotherapy Association

The best place to find high quality groups is through the American Group Psychotherapy Association website. Simply click on the ‘Find A Certified Group Therapist’ button on their homepage. All the therapist in this directory specialize in group therapy, and have met the international education and training requirement to become a Certified Group Therapist. You can search by zip code and read the profiles of any certified group therapists in your area. Many therapists will have links to their personal websites. You can learn about any of the groups they offer, fees, locations, and other information. The nice thing about this directory is you can trust that the therapists will provide high quality group therapy services.

If you are not able to find any certified group psychotherapists in your area, consider one of the next three options.

Find Group Therapy Near You on the AGPA Website
You can click ‘Find a Certified Group Therapist‘ on agpa.org

(2) Psychology Today Website

Psychology Today has one of the best online directories of therapists. You can search for therapists within your zip code and filter the results according your concern(s), specialty of the therapist, population(s) the therapist is trained to work with, accepted insurance companies, and other categories.

There is currently a filter for ‘support groups’ that you can click. This will pull up a list of any groups that are near you and your zip code. It will show therapy groups and support groups, and also shows workshops, classes, and other events that are offered near you.

You can click on any of the groups listed on Psychology Today to read more about the group leader(s), fees, locations, and other details about the group. Most therapists include a link to their webpage where you can read more in depth about the services they offer and their approach to therapy.

Personally, I like to research several different therapists before reaching out to one to see if they have openings.

Example or the top 5 ‘support groups’ with my zip code on the Psychology Today website

(3) Consider an Online Therapy Group

If you haven’t yet thought about online group options, you should! Online group therapy is remarkably similar to in-person group therapy. Last year we conducted a survey with over 60 group psychotherapists that transitioned to online groups (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Most group leaders reported their surprise at witnessing how well their online therapy groups perform compared to when they were in-person. They had assumed the therapuetic benefits would go down, but in reality online groups seemed just as effective as in-person groups.

Of course some clients (and therapists) prefer in-peron groups, but others prefer online group therapy. Several of our group members report that they prefer online groups because of:

(1) Access to high quality group leaders

(2) Wonderful group members from across the United States (and sometimes other countries)

(3) The convenience of attending group from your home (without a commute).

(4) Added anonymity of group members that are not part of your community

(5) Certain members prefer the added buffer of the screen and report feeling less dysregulation, and more ability to fully engage without overstimulation.

Online group therapy may be a better option for you depending on what opportunities are available near you. There are several well-qualified group therapists conducting online therapy groups.

You will meet with your group members through video conferencing technology (most often a HIPAA-compliant version of Zoom) that allows group members to all see each other in a virtual meeting room.

Here at Group Therapy Central we have three wonderfull clinicians that are that are licensed in 34 states and have openings in their online process groups for adults. These are weekly therapy groups where you meet with 6-8 group members and can work through your mental health and relationship concerns with a highly skilled group leader. Please connect with us and we will set you up for a free 15-minute consultation to see which group might be the best fit for you and your concerns.

(4) Group Therapy Central

Our final recommendation is to simply reach out to us here at Group Therapy Central. We are happy to help you find group therapy near you. Most people that contact us haven’t found good results on the AGPA or Psychology Today websites. Maybe you live in a rural area without many group therapists, or you are discovering that the group therapists in your area are full.

We are well connected with group therapists in the US (and in some other countries) and are happy to help you. We will send out e-mails and make phone calls to discover group therapy options near you. Especially, those that are not listed online. Often we learn of therapists that are wanting to start groups but haven’t posted anything online. Other times we hear about therapist that have recently moved to a new area and are just starting to “set up shop”. Also, there are several highly qualified group therapists that don’t have much of a web presence and we can provide you their contact information.

Please let us know if these recommendation were helpful to you in the comments (below). We’d also love to learn of any recommendations that we did not include in this article. We read and respond to all the comments that you make.

Also, feel free to watch our YouTube video entitled How to Find Group Therapy Near Me.

(VIDEO) How to Find Group Therapy Near Me with Dr. Nate Page, PhD, LP

We wish you the best of luck in your search for a group near you!

-Nate Page, PhD, licensed psychologist, Certified Group Psychotherapist

Pronouns (he, him, his)

Director of Group Therapy Central

What are the pros and cons of online group therapy?

There are certain limitation, but also some distinct advantages to online group therapy. Some of the advantages of online groups include: (1) convenience of staying in the privacy of your home with no commute, (2) ability to attend group sessions from any location in the world (with internet connection), (3) possibility to connect with a diverse group of individuals, (4) some people feel more “at home” with online interactions, (5) online groups are sometimes more affordable than in-person group therapy. One of the primary reasons people chose online group therapy is because they don’t have a good option for in-person therapy nearby.

Some of the disadvantages to online group therapy include: (1) certain limitations to online connection (e.g. eye contact is difficult), (2) occasional hassles of poor connection or other technical difficulties, (3) your insurance companies might not cover online group therapy.

Comments 3

  1. I like what you said about checking websites and directories to find psychotherapy for you. My sister has been telling me about how she’s been struggling with depression recently. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for professionals who can help her through therapy in the future.

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