A support group puts you with people living with something close to what you are. That can ease the isolation that often comes with a diagnosis, a death, a divorce or a family member's drinking.
Support groups are not therapy. Most are led by trained volunteers or peers rather than licensed clinicians, and they do not assess or treat anyone. Many people use a group alongside counseling, or as a first step before it.
If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.
Meeting days and places below are as each organizer listed them in September 2026. Confirm on the linked page before you go.
The list
1.NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group
NAMI Charlotte; peer-led; in person and virtual
Best for: Adults living with symptoms of a mental health condition
NAMI Charlotte's Connection groups are for any adult who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. They are led by people with mental health conditions themselves, run 90 minutes and meet twice a month.
NAMI Charlotte also lists Connection groups for women and for men, a group for transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming adults, and a virtual New Mothers Support Group. Find current times on its event calendar or through its Program Interest Form.
- Free of cost to participants (per NAMI Charlotte)
- Led by people with mental health conditions
- 90 minutes, twice monthly
- Schedule: namicharlotte.org/calendar/
2.NAMI Family Support Group
NAMI Charlotte; led by family members; locations across Charlotte plus virtual
Best for: Adults with a loved one who has a mental health condition
This group is for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. It is led by family members and follows a structured model so everyone has a chance to be heard.
NAMI Charlotte posts current family groups across Charlotte and online on its calendar, and also runs a Military Families group.
- Free of cost to participants (per NAMI Charlotte)
- Led by family members of people with mental health conditions
- In-person and virtual options
3.NAMI Hope After Suicide Loss
NAMI Charlotte; in person in Davidson and virtual
Best for: Adults who have lost a family member or friend to suicide
Open to anyone 18 and over who has lost a family member or friend to suicide. The page says it is led by a Certified Grief Educator and a peer facilitator trained by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Start with the interest form on the page; the facilitator arranges a call and shares location details. You can attend every meeting or drop in.
- Free of cost (per NAMI Charlotte)
- In person in Davidson on the 2nd Thursday, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (as listed)
- Virtual on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 6 to 7:30 p.m. (as listed)
4.VIA Health Partners grief support groups
Hospice-run groups and workshops; Charlotte office on Little Ave plus virtual
Best for: Anyone grieving a death, including specific kinds of loss
VIA Health Partners, founded as Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region, says any individual in its service area may sign up for its grief support groups or workshops, free of charge, whether or not their loved one was in its care.
Its September 2026 calendar included a virtual Loss of a Parent group for people 40 and younger, a Charlotte group for retired people who have lost a partner, walking grief groups in Lake Norman and an expressive workshop at its Charlotte office.
- Grief groups and workshops free of charge to anyone in its service area (per VIA Health Partners)
- Current schedule on its Grief Support Event Calendar
- Phone: 704-375-0100
5.The Compassionate Friends of Charlotte
Monthly chapter meeting at St. Matthew Catholic Church, Ballantyne
Best for: Parents, grandparents and adult siblings after the death of a child
The Charlotte chapter of The Compassionate Friends is a self-help group for families after the death of a child of any age. Its site says it is non-denominational with no religious or spiritual affiliation, and that all belief systems are welcome.
The chapter notes that its meetings should not be confused with counseling sessions.
- Meets the third Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m. (per the chapter)
- St. Matthew Catholic Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Room 234-235
- Contact: tcf.clt@gmail.com
6.GriefShare groups in Charlotte
Church-hosted weekly groups; in person and online
Best for: People grieving a death who are comfortable in a Christian setting
GriefShare is a video-based weekly group hosted by local churches. Its parent ministry, Church Initiative, describes its materials as Christ-centered and biblically based, so expect a faith framing.
The Charlotte listing showed more than a dozen groups running in fall 2026, at churches including Calvary Church, Central Church, St. Matthew Catholic Church and Grace Lutheran Church, plus online groups. Ask the host church about any cost for materials.
- Hosted by local churches; Christ-centered materials (per GriefShare)
- Groups run in cycles of roughly 13 weeks, per the dates listed
- Current groups and start dates on the Charlotte finder page
7.DivorceCare groups in Charlotte
Church-hosted weekly groups; in person and online
Best for: Separation or divorce, in a Christian setting
DivorceCare comes from the same ministry as GriefShare and uses the same format: a weekly video followed by group discussion, hosted by a local church, with a faith framing.
Fall 2026 listings included groups at StoneBridge Church, Calvary Church and Good Shepherd Church, plus an online group through Elevation Church.
- Hosted by local churches (per DivorceCare)
- Current and future groups listed on the Charlotte finder page
8.Al-Anon/Alateen Area 42 District 5
Meetings across Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Union and nearby counties; in person and online
Best for: Family and friends affected by someone else's drinking
Al-Anon is a mutual support program for people whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking, whether or not the drinker admits a problem or seeks help. Alateen is for young people, mostly teenagers.
District 5 keeps the Charlotte-area meeting list, including in-person, online, Spanish-language, women's and men's meetings. Al-Anon's world service site says Alateen has no fees or dues to belong; ask at a meeting about Al-Anon's own customs.
- Alateen: no fees or dues to belong (per Al-Anon Family Groups)
- Charlotte area: 704-523-1159; toll free 1-877-523-1159
- Up-to-date meeting list and printable PDF at charlottealanon.org/meetings/
9.Safe Alliance Sexual Trauma Resource Center groups
Skills-based, expressive arts and process groups for survivors
Best for: Survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence
Safe Alliance's Sexual Trauma Resource Center lists skills-based groups, expressive arts groups and process groups alongside individual counseling. It serves survivors regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors.
The page says most services are free, while counseling is on a sliding scale. Call the office to ask which groups are running and whether any fee applies.
- Most services free; counseling on a sliding scale (per Safe Alliance)
- Office: 704-332-9034
- 24/7 Greater Charlotte Hope Line: 980-771-4673
10.Recovery Café Charlotte
Promise Resource Network; weekly peer circles at 1401 E. 7th St.
Best for: Ongoing peer connection for people in mental health or substance use recovery
Recovery Café Charlotte is a peer-led membership community run by Promise Resource Network. Members join weekly circles and contribute in ways that suit them, and membership is free.
- Membership is free (per Promise Resource Network)
- Monday to Friday, 12:00 to 3:30 p.m.
- 1401 E. 7th St., Charlotte, NC 28204
How to pick a group
Try a group more than once before deciding. The first meeting is often the hardest.
Notice the framing. GriefShare and DivorceCare are openly Christian; The Compassionate Friends says it has no religious affiliation, and Al-Anon's site says Alateen is not a religious program. Neither approach is better, but one will probably suit you more.
- Who leads it: peers, trained volunteers or a clinician?
- Is it open to drop-ins, or does it run as a fixed series?
- Is there any cost, including materials?
- In person or online, and how big is the group usually?
When a group is not enough
A group offers company and shared experience. It does not replace treatment. If you are struggling to get through the day, if grief feels as heavy months on as it did at the start, or if low mood will not lift, consider seeing a therapist as well.
Our guides to individual counseling in Charlotte and therapists in Charlotte can help, and our list of free mental health resources in Charlotte covers no-cost counseling.
Questions people ask
- Is a support group the same as group therapy?
- No. Group therapy is led by a licensed clinician and is treatment. Most support groups are led by peers or trained volunteers and offer mutual support rather than treatment.
- Are support groups in Charlotte free?
- Many are. NAMI Charlotte's groups and VIA Health Partners' grief groups say they are free, and Al-Anon's site says Alateen has no fees or dues. Church-hosted programs may ask for a materials fee, so ask the host.
- Is there a grief group that is not religious?
- Yes. NAMI Hope After Suicide Loss, VIA Health Partners' grief groups and The Compassionate Friends are not church programs. The Compassionate Friends says it has no religious or spiritual affiliation.
Sources
- What Is Al-Anon and Alateen?, Al-Anon Family Groups
- About GriefShare, Church Initiative
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988 Lifeline
Published by Laura Bass Counseling as general information, not personal advice or an endorsement. Details change: confirm anything you rely on with the organization itself. Published .