Sometimes you need support, but you don’t necessarily need therapy or another generic mental health forum. You need people who actually understand the specific thing you’re going through. That’s what makes this collection of support communities different.

I searched beyond the usual resources to find more than 60 free online support communities for everything from loneliness, grief, and brain injury to family estrangement, religious trauma, chronic illness, personal growth, and some surprisingly specific life experiences.

Many of these are smaller or lesser-known support communities you probably won’t find on a typical resource list. Whether you’re looking for advice, encouragement, friendship, a place to vent, or simply the reassurance that someone else gets it, there’s a good chance you’ll find your people here.

1. Give Us the Floor

Give Us The Floor (GUTF) is a US-based non-profit organization providing 2SLGBTQIA+ youth across the US with a supportive community of their peers when they need it most in a safe, online environment. Our inclusive discussion groups and community-wide channels provided through our free mobile app give 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their allies a safe space to break the isolation and shame cycles they so often experience.

Trained youth facilitate the confidential and anonymous groups, and participants help each other talk through prevalent mental health and social issues such as depression, loneliness, anxiety, identity, discrimination, bullying, relationships, domestic violence, and body image. Though we specialize in support for Queer and Trans youth, all who share our mission to provide a safer, more supportive world for Queer and Trans youth are welcome to join our community!

2. The Peer Way

The Peer Way connects people through shared lived experiences. Peers exchange insights, offer encouragement, and validate one another, building understanding, perspective, and meaningful connection in a space built on trust.

On The Peer Way peer support platform, members can:

• Share experiences anonymously without fear of judgment
• Connect with peers who understand what you’re going through
• Reflect and grow using our 4 Pillars wellness framework
• Join supportive circles around specific topics or interests

3. HeyPeers

Over 1,000 support group meetings are scheduled on HeyPeers each month, and every one of them is led by a Certified Peer Supporter, or an organization-trained peer supporter. Whenever you are ready, there is a group for you.

4. ShareWell

Live support groups, 1-on-1s, and growth workshops. Hundreds available weekly. Led by those who’ve lived it.

5. TogetherAll

Togetherall believes no one should be excluded from instant access to mental health support from real people when they need it. We’re on a mission to make this a reality. With Togetherall, 
entire populations can have a safe place to connect, share and discuss what’s on their mind with peers in support communities. Our diverse community is active day and night, monitored
and moderated 24/7 by licensed mental health clinicians.

6. SupportGrove

A safe authentic connection to our peers is a primary indicator of wellness. However, the shame, isolation, and social stigma surrounding many common adverse experiences prevent us from connecting when we need it the most.

Our primary mission is to connect people who are navigating similar challenges. We believe everyone deserves the opportunity to share their journey, to find support, and to offer guidance and encouragement to others.

7. WEConnect

Download the WEconnect app to access real-time peer support, virtual support sessions, and wellness tools, all in one place, all on your schedule.

8. Advocates

Advocates offers free, virtual peer support groups via Zoom. These include mental health support groups, as well as social and recreational groups. Facilitated by members of the Advocates peer support team, these groups are open to anyone in the community, not just people served by Advocates. Participation is confidential.

9. In the Rooms

In the Rooms hosts over 150+ live video meetings, virtual AA meetings and 12-step meetings online every week, run by fellowship chairpeople who invite members to share amongst the group. With a meeting attendance confirmation option, members can track the meetings they attend.

10. AARP Community Groups

Join the conversation, learn, share and connect with others online and in-person in a variety of support communities.

11. NAMI Support Groups

NAMI support groups are peer-led and offer participants an opportunity to share their experiences and gain support from other attendees.

Los Grupos de Apoyo están disponibles en Español. Por favor comuníquese con su organización NAMI estatal para obtener más información.

12. DBSA Online Support Groups

DBSA online groups and support communities offer people living with depression or bipolar disorder a safe, welcoming space to share experiences, discuss coping strategies, and support one another with hope. All groups are free of charge.

13. Emotions Matter’s BPD Peer Online Support Group Program

Emotions Matter offers peer support groups for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The curriculum, developed by people with lived experience, emphasizes:

• Peer experience as a reference point for recovery
• Socialization in a safe, judgment-free space with community support
• Solution-focused strategies, empowerment, and problem-solving

14. ANAD Peer Support Groups

ANAD pioneered peer support groups for eating disorders, and today we are the largest resource of our kind in the country. Our peer groups provide a free, virtual space where anyone can find community. We believe that everyone deserves a place to feel seen and supported, providing an accessible environment for all stages of the journey toward healing.

15. TherapyTribe

The road to mental health begins with you; but it helps to know you’re not alone. At TherapyTribe, we believe that individuals become empowered to help themselves and others when they feel a part of something larger. Our free online support community offers members a convenient and safe place to connect.

We’ve combined members from five long-standing support websites to create one fantastic wellness community. Join the larger conversation on wellness and peer support, or limit your interactions to your core support communities – the choice is yours.

16. Daily Strength

DailyStrength is a free online peer-support community where people can connect with others facing similar mental health, health, and life challenges. The site offers support groups covering topics such as depression, anxiety, grief, addiction, relationships, chronic illness, and caregiving. Members can share experiences, ask questions, offer encouragement, and participate in discussions within topic-specific communities.

17. American Cancer Society Online Support Communities

If you have been touched by cancer, your American Cancer Society is here to help. We want to make sure you know about the rich resources provided by your American Cancer Society and our partners.

18. MyLifeLine Cancer Support Community

MyLifeLine® is a trusted online space from the Cancer Support Community that makes it easy to update the people who care about you, request their support, and connect with peers who understand the cancer experience.

19. Side by Side

Side by Side is a UK-based online peer support community where you can:

• Talk about your mental health
• Connect with others who understand what you’re going through

We all know what it’s like to struggle sometimes. Side by Side gives you a safe place to listen, share and be heard. Whether you’re feeling good right now or having a hard time, the Side by Side community is a safe place to share experiences and listen to others. Support communities are available to all, 24/7. Side by Side is moderated daily from 8am to midnight.

20. She Recovers Together Online

You don’t have to recover alone. You are worthy of a community free of judgment. You deserve a trauma-informed space full of support, understanding, and fellow travelers to journey the path of recovery with you.

Our gatherings and identity-based groups and support communities are informed by the SHE RECOVERS Intentions & Guiding Principles. They are hour-long, topic-focused, and voluntarily facilitated by SHE RECOVERS Certified Professionals and trained community space holders. A free authenticated Zoom account is required to attend.

21. Alzheimer’s Association Support Community

You have support communities and more every step of the way. Connect with others who have been impacted by Alzheimer’s and truly understand.

24/7 HELPLINE: 1-800-272-3900

22. Discord

Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.

23. ADAA Online Peer-to-Peer Anxiety and Depression Support Group

ADAA’s anonymous peer-to-peer online anxiety and depression support group is a friendly, safe and supportive place for individuals and their families to share information and experiences. As a member of ADAA’s online community you can connect with other people experiencing anxiety and depression and related disorders, contribute to ongoing conversations or start your own conversation with a question or a post about your journey.

24. GRASP

Autistic and Neurodivergent people can benefit from speaking with peers who have similar life experiences and can understand the challenges with communication, social interactions, relationships, workplace issues, and sensory sensitivities. We have had our support group program for over 20 years and are here to provide safe and confidential options for our support communities.

25. LiveWell Online Depression Support

Recommended by leading mental health experts, LiveWell support groups are strategically designed to educate, inspire, and empower you to take control of your own depression and mental health self-care. In a supportive community of peers, learn research-based strategies for reducing symptoms and relapses of depression, and for living a more meaningful, connected, and productive life.

• All virtual groups are free and confidential.  No insurance, diagnosis or registration required.
• Groups are open to all people ages 19+. Teens can join an online group here. ​​​
• To find out if any LiveWell group is right for you, read our FAQ’s here.
• All support groups are led by trained peer facilitators; and we do not provide clinical or medical advice.​

26. Family Caregiver Alliance

FCA facilitates and sponsors several types of support groups, both in person and online. Join one of our caregiver support communities.

27. The Compassionate Friends Online Support Community

The Compassionate Friends offers “virtual chapters” through an Online Support Community (live chats). This program was established to encourage connecting and sharing among parents, grandparents, and siblings (over the age of 18) grieving the death of a child.

The support communities and rooms supply support, encouragement, and friendship. The friendly atmosphere encourages conversation among friends; friends who understand the emotions you’re experiencing. There are general bereavement sessions as well as more specific sessions.

28. Parents Helping Parents

The purpose of our support groups is to create safe spaces where group members share experiences about parenting no matter where they are on the parenting journey. Our groups are free, confidential, and open to anyone who identifies as a caregiver. They are run by volunteer facilitators who are trained in our Parents Helping Parents Mutual Aid Support Group Model.

24/7 Parent Stress Line: 1-800-632-8188

29. Advocates Virtual Peer Support Group: Hearing Voices and Other Unusual Experiences

Please join us in discussions about living with experiences (auditory and visual) that others may not experience and that we may not always understand. This virtual support group is peer run and free to all without any referral or payment needed.

30. Advocates Virtual Peer Support Group: Alternatives to Suicide

This virtual support group is a safe space to process and safely share struggles with feelings and thoughts of suicide. This group is peer-run and free to all without any referral or payment needed.

31. Positive Directions: Alternatives to Suicide Group

A peer-led space for people who live with thoughts, feelings or experiences around suicide and self-harm. Honest, nonjudgmental, free.

32. Samaritans SafePlace Meetings: Offering Care to Suicide Loss Survivors

Samaritans SafePlace meetings are caring suicide grief support groups facilitated by trained volunteers who have also lost a loved one to suicide. SafePlace is not a professional therapy group but a forum for sharing resources with fellow survivors, for exploring feelings often not understood by others, and for finding and giving support through the long process of grieving. Meetings are free, ongoing, and available on a drop-in basis.

33. Now Matters Now Peer Support Meetings

Now Matters Now hosts free, online peer-led support meetings throughout the week. These meetings offer a place to connect. Members share their stories, practice evidence-based coping skills together, and learn from one another. Everyone is welcome, exactly as they are. You can choose to join without audio or video.

34. Step Up for Mental Health Peer Support

Step Up For Mental Health’s goal is clear: we believe peer support saves lives! We have support groups in a virtual or in-person setting for people who are dealing with a host of issues from lived experiences, caregivers, young adults, seniors, people coping with disabilities and chronic pain diseases that are affecting one’s mental health, along with isolation and other health-related issues.

Join us throughout the month as we tackle important topics that individuals and families struggle with. We have structured events and/or open-ended conversations based on the current group. Join us! Together, we can make a difference in each other’s lives.

• Bi+ Talk: Peer Support Group
• Caregivers
• Women Peer Groups
• Young Adult (18-29)
• 50+ Peer Support Group
• Fibrioylma and Chronic Pain
• Black, Racism, and Mental Health Peer Support Group

35. Patchwork Transgender Peer Support

Patchwork support groups are intended to offer a safe space to process feelings and experiences related to life as a transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, or intersex person. Support groups are educational and supportive in nature and offer opportunities for self care only. 

36. Self-Injury Recovery & Awareness

Self-Injury Recovery & Awareness or “SIRA” for short, focuses on filling the massive gap of care for the self-injury community by teaching them how to heal from the inside-out, through a peer-to-peer support group model.

S.A.F.E. Alternatives – Dial 1-800-DON’T-CUT (800-366-8288) for self-injury crisis support and therapy referrals.

37. Shout 85258

Shout 85258 free and confidential UK-based text support service is there for moments when you are dealing with self-harm and need support to get to a calmer place.

38. SIFT Listening Support (UK-based)

• You’ll speak with one of our volunteers who are trained in working with people who are affected by self harm.
• It’s a safe, confidential space to share your experiences and emotions around self-harm, and anything else you wish to talk about.
• We can share information and resources with you if you want us to.
• We won’t judge or tell you what to do.
• We are here to support anyone of any age or gender affected by self-harm.

39. Sirius Project Forums & Chat

Our own message boards and chat room are open to anyone who is trying to overcome self-harm. We don’t just focus on simply stopping self-harm, but on finding alternative ways to cope, and on tackling the issues that caused or lead up to the self-harm in the first place.

Although our main focus is on self-injury, people who are trying to overcome other forms of self-harm, such as eating disorders and drug or alcohol misuse, are very welcome. People who have recovered from self-injury or related issues are also more than welcome.

40. SchizoChat

Our chat is a peer support community for people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and other mental illnesses. We are a friendly and welcoming group of people who are here to support each other.

41. My Opioid Recovery Team

MyOpioidRecoveryTeam is a free online community for people living with opioid use disorder and the people who care about them. Here, you can connect with others who truly understand, share your story, and find practical, medically reviewed information about symptoms, treatments, and research.

42. International OCD Foundation Online OCD Support Group

This is a free virtual support group for people living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This is a place for us to support, encourage and learn from each other. While this group is primarily for people with OCD, loved ones and professionals are also welcome to attend and receive support.

This group is facilitated by a team of wonderful peer facilitators who take turns running the group. Each of them has OCD and so truly understands the experience. While the group is free, we welcome donations to cover the cost of running the group. 

43. Hand to Hold® Virtual Support Groups

All support groups are hosted by Hand to Hold’s Family Support Specialists, staff members who have lived experience as a NICU parent. Groups are provided at no cost to NICU parents before, during and after their NICU stay. Available in both English and Spanish.

44. Building Better Caregivers

With the online program, you can login in at any time or day to connect to useful information and support. Caregivers create an anonymous profile so you can communicate comfortably with your workshop peers. Get full access to an alumni community for continued support after your online workshop is completed.

45. Cleveland Clinic Online Bereavement Groups and Events

Cleveland Clinic Hospice Bereavement Support Groups are focused on caring for you through compassionate listening and quality grief education. The free services are provided to anyone needing support on their grief journey.

46. HeartLight Virtual Grief Support Groups

Virtual open support groups offer a dependable, non-judgmental space to connect with others. Regardless of where you are in your process or how long it has been since your loss, you are welcome to join us on Zoom for community and peer support.

Virtual support groups at HeartLight are led by trained peer facilitators who are fellow grievers. Each meeting will last approximately 90 minutes. Group size typically will range from 3 to 10 people.

47. Full Circle Grief Center

Our support groups are designed to care for individuals, families, children, and communities experiencing loss. Our core loss-specific grief groups are led by professionals, often meeting for 8-week sessions to discuss coping strategies for those affected by loss.

All grief support groups are offered free, at no cost to participants. We also provide grief support for communities in the form of individualized 1:1 grief support consultations, group grief consultations, and grief education workshops.

48. American Stroke Association Stroke and Brain Injury Support and Education Group

Meet with stroke and brain injury survivors, caregivers
and loved ones.
This group is free and open to the community.
• Receive information and resources
• Reinforce inner strengths
• Learn self-care strategies
• Develop encouraging peer relationships
• Continue a life of meaning and purpose

49. Action for Happiness Groups

Meet others near you who care about happiness and want to support you to take action. Groups are positive-psychology-based meet-ups created by Action for Happiness. The sessions follow practical themes and offer safe and encouraging connections month after month.

50. Happiness.com Community

Share your story and discover mutual support and compassion. Connect with others to combine wisdom to improve your growth, authenticity and happiness. Sign up and show up – it’s free!

51. Free Religious Trauma Support Group

Because some of our deepest wounds happen in community, community can also become a powerful place for healing. (Sign-up required.)

52. Together Estranged

Together Estranged is a community created by estranged adult children to find belonging and support. We understand how hard it is to feel heard about your estrangement – that’s why we’re here.

Together Estranged (TE) is an entirely volunteer-led organization that provides peer-led support groups and events intended for community connection and mutual support. Participation is voluntary, and attendees are encouraged to share only what they feel comfortable disclosing.

53. Rise Center for OCD and Anxiety Virtual Support Group

Rise Center for OCD and Anxiety is currently offering a free, virtual support group for OCD and related disorders (body dysmorphic disorder, hoarding disorder, body-focused repetitive disorders, illness anxiety, etc). This group is open to individuals who suffer from these disorders, as well as their family and friends. The purpose of the group is to provide a safe space to discuss relevant topics, give support and encouragement, and create a sense of community.

54. Grateful Living Community

Welcome to our global community! We are glad you are here. This is an open space where everyone belongs, and everyone is welcome. We warmly invite you to nourish your daily practice by engaging as a member of our online support communities and through in-person and virtual Grateful Gatherings.

55. KindSpring Kindness Community

KindSpring is a place to practice small acts of kindness. For over a decade the KindSpring user community has focused on inner transformation, while collectively changing the world with generosity, gratitude, and trust. The site is 100% volunteer-run and totally non-commercial. It is a shared labor of love.

56. Good Flippin Vibes

A safe space for adults who want to feel better, laugh more, and connect without judgment. Built on science. Powered by kindness.

57. UNSAID

Every Thursday we meet online: a small group, seven seats, and 90 minutes held by clear rules. You speak as much or as little as you choose. The group listens without advice, judgment, or fixing. Everyone commits to confidentiality: what is said in the Circle stays in the Circle.

58. I-CONNECT Foundation

The I-CONNECT Foundation aims to: serve the older population by connecting socially isolated older adults to our community; help enhance quality of life by providing social connections via technology; and promote brain health through meaningful conversations. Our support communities pair older people with trained volunteers for fun and engaging video chats.

59. KindnessRX Support Groups

KindnessRX offers free online groups and support communities for adults living with mental health challenges, chronic pain, and brain injury. Our community is built around kindness, understanding, and the healing power of being with people who truly get it. These online support communities give you a steady place to land each week.

60. Mayo Clinic Connect Support Groups

Mayo Clinic Connect offers online support communities that connect people. Mayo Clinic Connect is a public website, moderated by Mayo Clinic staff. It connects people to share and learn from each other’s health experiences.

Autoimmune Diseases Support Group

Just Want to Talk Support Group

LGBTQIA Health Support Group

Living with Cognitive Impairment Support Group

Parkinson’s Disease Support Group

Sleep Health Support Group

Smoking & Quitting Support Group

Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases Support Group

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Support Group

Women’s Health Support Group

Final Thoughts on Online Support Communities

Finding people who truly understand what you’re going through can make a difficult or lonely experience feel a little less isolating. Online support communities make that connection possible, even when the people who understand you best happen to live hundreds or thousands of miles away.

The support communities on this list are especially valuable because many focus on experiences that don’t always get much attention elsewhere.

Whether you’re coping with a loss, navigating a major life change, trying to feel less alone, or simply looking for people who get it, there may be a community here for you. You don’t have to participate right away, either.

Sometimes simply reading other people’s stories is enough to remind you that whatever you’re going through, you’re far from the only one.