For the people who hold the room
Therapists and social workers. Coaches and specialists. Non-profit, school and university teams. Advocates. And survivors who took what they lived through and turned it into something that helps somebody else. Different paths, same work: making space for people who need it. The Leader Academy is free and specific guidance on running that space well. How to fill your group, what to charge, how to shape a session, and how to keep people coming back.
Our leaders come from everywhere. Licensed therapists and social workers building something alongside a caseload. Coaches and specialists who kept getting the same question from one person after another. Non-profit, university and school teams serving a community they already know well. Advocates. And survivors who came through something hard and decided nobody else should sit in it alone. Their expertise is the thing they lived.
What they share is the room, and the room asks things of you that no degree, certification or job description covers. How people find you. What to charge. How to shape ninety minutes so everyone leaves lighter than they arrived. How to keep a group alive past week six. That is what this is for. Every guide here is written for the person actually running the group, not for a textbook.
Who the Leader Academy is forGuides for every stage of running a support group
Four sections, in the order most leaders actually hit them.
Start a Group
Licensing, what to call it, where to host it, and getting through session one.
All guides →Run a Session
Ground rules, activities, and what to say when the room goes quiet or someone shares something heavy.
All guides →Grow Your Group
Filling the empty seats, pricing without guilt, and keeping people coming back.
All guides →Research & Evidence
The science behind why groups work, and clear language for what a support group is and is not.
All guides →Browse the guides
Short, specific, and written by people who run the session.
Something to put in your members’ hands
The guides above are for you. The Resource Library is for the people you serve: a free, growing collection of worksheets, guided reflections, journaling prompts and printables built to be used between sessions. It is built for therapists, social workers, group leaders, experts and advocates both on and off MentalHappy. Hand one out in session, send one home for the week, or use them as a starting point for your own materials.
If money is the only thing standing between your community and a group, let us take that off the table
We sponsor groups. That means your group runs free on MentalHappy: no platform fee for you, no cost to your members. You bring the people and the expertise. We cover the rest.
We started this because we kept meeting people who were already doing the work, already trusted by their community, and stopped by a line item. That is a bad reason for a group not to exist.
Apply for sponsorship →- Non-profits
- Universities and colleges
- School administrators
- Advocacy groups
Apply for sponsorship
Tell us about your organization and the group you want to run. It takes about three minutes.
Questions group leaders actually ask
Short answers, with the full guide behind each one.
Do you need a license to run a support group?
In most of the United States, no. A support group is a psychoeducational space (shared information, skills and community), not clinical treatment, so running one generally does not require a clinical license. What does depend on your state and your credentials is what you are allowed to call the group and how you describe what happens in it. Read the licensing guide →
What is the difference between a support group and group therapy?
Group therapy is clinical treatment. It is delivered by a licensed clinician, works from a treatment plan, and has clinical goals. A support group is psychoeducational: it shares information, builds skills, and creates community around a shared experience. MentalHappy hosts expert-led support groups, not group therapy. Compare them side by side →
How do you start a support group?
Choose one specific shared experience rather than a broad theme, decide whether you are meeting online or in person, pick a session length and cadence you can sustain for months, write your ground rules before the first meeting, and settle how people will find you. Read the step-by-step guide →
How much should you charge for a support group?
Groups run free, donation-based, per-session, or on a monthly membership. What fits depends on whether an organization is funding the group, whether you are covering your own time, and what your members can sustain. If cost is the only obstacle, an organization can apply to have a group sponsored so it runs free. About the Sponsorship Program →
How many people should be in a support group?
Most leaders land somewhere between six and twelve: enough voices for a real conversation, few enough that everyone gets to speak. Plan for some no-shows and enroll slightly above your target. Read about planning your group →
Who can run a support group on MentalHappy?
Therapists, social workers, coaches, advocates, subject-matter specialists, and survivors whose expertise comes from what they lived through. Non-profits, universities, colleges, school administrators and advocacy groups can also apply to the Sponsorship Program to have a group sponsored and run free. Host a group →
Some weeks the group goes beautifully. Some weeks it does not.
The Leaders Lounge is a free community for people running expert-led support groups on MentalHappy. Live sessions, and a room full of leaders who have already been where you are, including the parts you would rather not post about.