May is Mental Health Awareness Month. For one month a year, mental health is a topic at work, on social media, and in your inbox. The week-long observances and personal stories are useful, the green ribbons are fine, and yet awareness by itself does not put a group on your calendar. This post is for the part most awareness content skips: how to actually find a group this month.
If you have been waiting for a sign, or for the right time, or for things to feel a little more manageable before you reach out, this is your sign. The right time is rarely a quiet, organized moment. The right time is usually a Tuesday afternoon when you finally have ten minutes alone.
What Mental Health Awareness Month is
Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 by Mental Health America, originally as Mental Health Week. It expanded to a full month in the 1980s and is now observed every May across hospitals, schools, workplaces, and government agencies. NAMI, MHA, SAMHSA, and the American Psychological Association all run free programming during the month, including screening events, community gatherings, and peer-led groups.
The month also contains several smaller observances that matter: Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on May 6, World Maternal Mental Health Day on the first Wednesday, Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month, and Maternal Mental Health Month. Each lets a different community say, briefly and clearly, that they exist and that they need help that fits.
Why awareness alone does not close the gap
Mental Health America’s most recent State of Mental Health in America report makes the gap plain. About 23% of adults in the United States experienced a mental illness in the past year. Roughly half of them received no treatment. The reasons are usually some combination of cost, time, lack of nearby providers, long therapist waitlists, and the simple difficulty of figuring out where to start.
Awareness campaigns are not the problem. They are part of the solution — stigma drops, screening rates rise, and people feel less alone. But awareness without an easy next step ends in the same place it started: a tab open on your phone at 9 p.m. that you eventually close. The point of this month is to move from “I know this is a thing” to “I have an appointment.”
Where group therapy and support groups fit
For a lot of people, the easier door is a group. Three reasons.
The waitlist is shorter. Individual therapists across the United States are often booked six to twelve weeks out. Many groups have shorter waitlists or rolling enrollment, which means you can usually start within a few weeks instead of a few months.
The cost is lower. Group therapy sessions typically cost $40 to $80, compared to $150 to $250 for individual therapy. Peer support groups are usually free. For people whose insurance does not cover mental health well, the math is meaningful.
The research is real. Group therapy is as effective as individual therapy for many conditions, including depression, anxiety, and trauma. For some experiences — social anxiety, eating disorders, addiction recovery — group settings outperform one-on-one care because the group is the environment where the work needs to happen.
Five ways to use this month
1. Take a free screening. Mental Health America offers free, anonymous online screenings for depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and several other conditions. They take about three minutes and produce a printable summary you can bring to a clinician. screening.mhanational.org
2. Browse a directory by your actual situation. Use the My Therapy Groups directory to filter by topic (anxiety, depression, DBT, grief, postpartum, addiction recovery), format (online, in person, hybrid), and state. Read three or four listings before you contact anyone.
3. Reach the group leader directly. Every listing includes a way to message the facilitator. Ask whether the group is currently accepting new members, what the cost is, and whether your insurance is accepted. You will know within one short message whether it is a fit.
4. Look for free community options. NAMI runs free peer support groups in nearly every state. PSI runs free perinatal groups online. Local NAMI affiliates, community mental health centers, and faith-based groups often host free or sliding-scale options.
5. Tell one person. Tell a friend, your partner, your sibling, or your therapist that you are looking. The act of saying it out loud is what often gets the search across the finish line.
Find a group in your state
Browse the directory by state and topic. Whether you are looking for a DBT skills group in Denver, an anxiety group in Los Angeles, or an online grief group from anywhere, the listings include the facilitator’s name, format, schedule, and contact info. No account needed, no email gate, free to browse.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a diagnosis to join a group? Usually no. Most peer support groups welcome anyone who self-identifies with the topic. Clinician-led therapy groups sometimes ask for an intake call to confirm fit, but a formal diagnosis is rarely required.
What if I have never done therapy before? Groups are often a gentler entry point than individual therapy. The structure protects you, the facilitator does most of the heavy lifting, and you get to see how others talk about their experience before you decide what to share.
What is the difference between a therapy group and a support group? A therapy group is led by a licensed clinician using a clinical framework like CBT or DBT. A support group is usually peer-led and focused on shared experience. Both are useful. Many people use both.
Is online as good as in person? Research says yes for most concerns. The right format is the one you will actually attend consistently. Many people start online and switch to in person later, or vice versa.
What if I cannot afford anything? Free options exist in every state. NAMI, PSI, GriefShare, AA, NA, SMART Recovery, and many community mental health centers run free peer support groups. Browse the directory and filter by free or sliding-scale.
Other useful resources for May
- Mental Health America: Mental Health Month
- NAMI: Mental Health Awareness Month
- SAMHSA National Helpline — 1-800-662-4357
- Free anonymous mental health screenings
- Crisis Text Line — text HOME to 741741
Use this month to find your group. Browse over 1,400 therapy groups, support groups, and peer communities — by topic, location, and format. Find a group near you →
A note on what we do (and don’t). My Therapy Groups is a directory. Group leaders write their own listings, and we don’t vet, supervise, or endorse them. We’re not a clinic, and we don’t guarantee outcomes — that’s the group’s work, not ours.
If you’re in crisis, call or text 988. We’ll be here when you’re ready.
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