Some people need regular one-on-one therapy sessions. Others need emergency care. Many need something, but aren’t quite sure what. Support groups are an excellent way to get started with the process of addressing everything from a traumatic experience, to the loss of a loved one and the processing of grief, to peer support for substance use.

Detroit is full of resources all across the spectrum, but that itself is as much of a hurdle as it is a benefit. Where do you start? Which do you pick?

There’s good news: you lose nothing by giving one a try. Even if it doesn’t suit your needs, you can find another and try again.

We’ve put together this guide as a way to find support groups around Detroit, as well as some advice on how to choose one that meets your needs and can help you reach your goals.

If you or a loved one is experiencing a crisis, call 988 for the mental health emergency services line. Support groups are not emergency care; don’t wait to get the help you need.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any mental health condition or replace professional therapeutic care. Every individual's experience with trauma and mental health is unique. Please consult with a qualified mental health professional, therapist, or healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate treatment approach for your specific situation. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, please contact your local emergency services or crisis hotline immediately.

Understanding Support Groups

Support groups aren’t quite like therapy, though they serve a similar purpose.

Broadly speaking, support groups are peer groups, where people who have experienced or are currently experiencing the same things you are all gather to share stories, talk about concerns, share experiences with coping mechanisms, and spread information that can help the members of the group.

Some support groups are led by trained therapists, psychologists, or other specialists. Others are led by experienced peers, but may lack the formality or training of other groups.

Similarly, different groups can have different purposes. Some are focused on peer support to combat substance use. Some are emotional support for caregivers of individuals with serious issues like dementia or cancer. Some are health-focused, some are centered around mental health challenges, and some are for survivors of disease.

The point is, there are many support groups for many possible purposes. In a city like Detroit, there’s almost certainly going to be a support group that suits your needs. The challenge is finding it.

The Pros and Cons of Support Groups

Support groups fill an intermediary role, somewhere between healthcare and psychotherapy. When you’re going through a challenging time in your life, talking to your doctor might not be appropriate if it’s not a medical issue or not an issue that can be solved with medical care. Therapy may help, but sometimes therapists aren’t able to resonate in the right way, and you want a less formalized setting.

And, of course, there’s the matter of cost. Most support groups are free, supported by a nonprofit organization and donations, whereas medical care and therapy can be expensive.

Support groups come with many benefits.

• They help you feel less alone in your issues, knowing that others have experienced the same things.
• They can help you vent and blow off steam, easing distress and reducing anxiety and fatigue.
• They can help you learn to cope with the challenges you face, and assist you with sidestepping the common challenges and points of failure others have gone through on the same path.
• They can help hold you accountable and keep you motivated to stick to treatment plans.
• They can be an educational resource to help you learn more about what you’re dealing with, as well as validating the things you feel when others in your life might not understand.
• They can help connect you with other resources for treatment, care, or even financial assistance when those connections are available.

There are a lot of very good reasons to consider a support group, whether it’s as your first foray into social support and mental healthcare, or as a supplemental addition to regular therapy.

There are a few drawbacks to support groups that are worth being aware of, however.

Since support groups are usually informal and may not be led by trained specialists, sometimes they can be dominated by a few people or often distracted from the main issue at hand, and it can feel like you aren’t getting the attention you need. In rare cases, members might share information meant to be kept in confidence in these groups. And, sometimes the advice given might be outdated, based on an improper understanding of a condition, or ineffective.

Most of those issues are sporadic or rare, but the most significant problem with support groups is simply not fitting in. In particular, many support groups have a religious foundation, and people who don’t want to engage with religion in general, or that religion specifically, won’t fit with the group.

Finding the right support group can take time, but once you’ve found one, it can be a great help for many years.

How to Find a Free Support Group in Detroit

Locating a good support group for your needs doesn’t have to be difficult, but it starts with asking a few questions and learning a few things about the support groups that are available.

Picking the Type of Support Group

One question that’s worth considering is what type of support group you’re looking for.

Mutual or peer support groups are groups of peers who have all been experiencing the same sort of issues, including medical problems, domestic abuse, grief, mood disorders, and other problems. These groups are led by experienced peers, who may have received some training but generally don’t have certification as a therapist or any other professional role.

12-step support groups are groups working through a specific, structured recovery process, the 12-step program originally developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. While there’s a misconception that they are Christian groups, they tend to focus on some kind of spirituality, so they don’t fit for everyone. For some, though, the structured approach is beneficial.

Group therapy is a hybrid between support groups and psychotherapy. These groups are generally led by a certified professional therapist rather than a peer, and are made up of groups of people with similar needs, where the therapist believes the group setting can be beneficial for everyone involved. The downside is that these tend not to be available for free, though they can be covered by insurance.

Online support groups can be any of the above, and can be conducted using video calling apps like Zoom, chat programs for social groups, or even closed community forums or email groups. They can be beneficial for people who aren’t able to attend support groups in person, but they have some drawbacks related to the distance and potential lack of body language or voice.

Evaluating a Support Group

When you find a support group that might work for you, it’s worth talking to the person who leads it to ask them a few questions to see if they can provide you with the support you desire.

Some of these questions can include:

• Is the group limited to specific groups of people, and do I fit within that demographic?
• Do group meetings have a specific duration, or do they last as long as people stick around?
• When, where, and how often does the group meet?
• Does the organizer or moderator of the group have any training or certification?
• What are the confidentiality rules relating to information shared with the group?
• What are the overall values and ground rules for participating in the group?
• Is the group spiritual, secular, or associated with a particular religion?
• Are there any fees to participate in the group, and if so, will insurance cover them?

If you don’t feel like the group is a good fit, you can try another. If you think they might be a good choice, attend a meeting and see. You may be nervous, and you may not want to get into your issues right away, but that’s fine; no support group will pressure you to share right away, and you can get a lot out of simply being there and listening to others who have been in your situation.

Finding Potential Support Groups to Join

When you have some idea of the kind of support group you are interested in joining, you need to find one. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources you can use. Since there are thousands of support groups for all manner of issues all throughout metro Detroit, not to mention throughout southeast Michigan, we can’t list all of them here. Instead, we’ll list resources to help you find them.

Psychology Today is a national publication and, among other things, maintains a directory for support groups. You can browse by city, county, or state, and search for support groups, treatment centers, therapists, and psychiatrists.

You can then filter the results by different needs, whether it’s age range, type of therapy, specialty for the group, or cost.

Each support group listed in Psychology Today includes a description of the purpose of the group, contact information for the group, and information about the individual running the group.

The downside is that relatively few groups are listed in this directory, because the person running the group has to be a member of the site, which is a paid service.

Gilda’s Club Detroit is primarily an organization for cancer support. They have events and activities in several locations around Detroit, as well as virtual meetings. Their calendar includes a wide range of different kinds of therapy groups and support meetings, not all of which are limited to cancer survivors, patients, and caregivers. If their events aren’t for you, they may also be able to point you in the right direction.

Henry Ford, as the most prominent hospital network in the Detroit area, has a lot of resources for patients and members of the community.

• MI MIND, a collaborative quality initiative connecting providers, health systems, and suicide prevention experts together to provide assistance and support.
• The MI MIND support groups list, a PDF with many different support groups across categories like survivors of grief and loss, cancer support, mental health support, substance use, chronic pain, and more.
• Social workers, who can be contacted through the Henry Ford offices, can help you navigate the sea of support options and find ones that work for you.

Other hospitals in the area can also provide similar services.

NAMI Detroit, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is also a good resource to find support groups, mostly centered around general mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. They also have a family support group that meets once a month.

Detroit Peer Respite is an abolitionist group looking to help people with mental health support services, without the fear of anything scary like involuntary hospitalization. While they are still organizing their own offerings, their resource list provides many options, including both in-person and online support programs and groups, mutual aid groups, and other resources.

Beaumont’s search site (which is a mirror of FindHelp) offers a large array of services and support options for everything from food insecurity to housing assistance to physical and mental healthcare. Add your zip code, choose a category, and see what options come up. Note that Beaumont is now known as and part of the Corewell Health group, and you can also use their site to find some resources.

There are also many other resources, including:

• CNS Healthcare’s list of support groups and their appointment request form to meet with them directly.
• Jewish Family Service’s list of support groups (which you don’t need to be Jewish to join).
• The Right Connection, a directory of support groups and support networks in Macomb County, organized by primary concern.
• Michigan’s Peer Warmline, part of the state’s mental health support initiative, which can serve as non-emergency support and can help you find other support groups.
• Michigan State University’s list of mental health resources, including support groups.

Support groups can be an invaluable resource for anyone who is navigating difficult times, whether you’re dealing with grief, substance use, mental health challenges, or supporting a loved one through their own struggles. They can offer you connection, understanding, and practical wisdom from others who truly understand what you’re going through. While they may not be the right fit for everyone or every situation, they’re absolutely worth looking into as part of your mental health journey.

However, if you find that you need more structured, professional support beyond what peer groups can offer, individual therapy and psychiatric care may be the right next step. At BMC-Troy, we provide comprehensive mental health services to the metro Detroit region, treating all age ranges from children to adults, including older adults. Our team of physicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and psychotherapists offers medication management and individual counseling and therapy, including talk therapy, EMDR, PIT, TRE, and more. We provide both in-person and telemedicine appointments to meet your needs.

If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment, please complete our electronic form for a new patient. We will call you back within one to two business days to schedule an appointment. You can also call us during work hours at (248) 528-9000, or leave us a message if it is after hours and we will call you back on the next business day. What you feel and experience is valid, and there’s no shame in seeking help – it’s why we’re here.