Therapy group for young adults in Vietnam and Asia
You can’t practice relationships alone. Group therapy frequently outperforms individual therapy for the things that matter most:
- How you see yourself — self-esteem, confidence, and the stories you carry about who you are
- Loneliness and social anxiety — and why closeness can feel as threatening as distance
- How you relate to others — friends, partners, colleagues, and family — including how you handle conflict, anger, and frustration
- Work, career direction, and what it means to build a life that actually feels like yours
- Major life transitions — a first child, a marriage, a new chapter — and the identity shifts they bring
Connection & support for young adults across Asia
This online group brings together English-speaking young adults (20–40) living anywhere in Asia — whether you grew up in the region, relocated for work, or find yourself navigating life between cultures.
Why this space works
- Intimate & Focused: We strictly cap the group at a maximum of 8 members. This limit is what keeps the space intimate, focused, and genuinely therapeutic.
- Accessible from Anywhere: No matter where you are based in the region, you can log in from the comfort and privacy of your own space.
Meeting details
The group meets online every Wednesday. To help you coordinate across time zones, here is when we gather:
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (IST / GMT+5:30) | e.g., India
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (ICT / GMT+7) | e.g., Vietnam, Thailand, Western Indonesia
8:00 PM – 9:30 PM (SGT / HKT / GMT+8) | e.g., Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan
Can I join?
Everyone begins with a short screening before joining the group. This is a chance for us to meet one-to-one, talk through what brings you here, and make sure the group is the right fit for you — in both directions.
Screening usually involves one to three sessions of 45 minutes each. Together we’ll get to know each other, explore what you’re hoping to work on, and I’ll explain how group therapy actually works — what to expect in a session, how the group holds confidentiality, and how to get the most from it. There’s no pressure to commit until you feel ready.
A space for what you can’t say elsewhere
Many people who come to this group carry something specific: the sense that there is no quite right place to bring what they are actually carrying.
Not because the people in their lives don’t care. But because every relationship comes with its own weight — what the other person needs from you, what they can handle, what would worry them, what would need to be explained or managed afterward. And so the harder things stay private, held quietly, sometimes for years.
The group is not a replacement for those relationships. But it is something those relationships often cannot be: a place where you can speak honestly about what is hard, without managing anyone else’s feelings about it. Where struggle is not a source of shame, but the very thing that makes connection possible.
What you practice here — saying what is true, hearing yourself think out loud, noticing how others respond — tends to change how you move through the relationships outside. That is usually where the real shift happens. For many people, that includes learning to manage difficult emotions like anger and frustration — noticing what sets them off, and finding steadier ways to respond.
What is it like to go to group therapy?
Beginning group therapy can feel unfamiliar, even daunting. Sharing something personal in the presence of others is not something most people have much experience with. It is normal to feel uncertain at first — about what to say, how much to reveal, or whether the group will feel safe.
In practice, most people find that the sense of exposure diminishes quickly. The group develops its own rhythm over time, and what initially felt risky gradually becomes one of its strengths: the experience of being seen and heard not just by a therapist, but by a room full of people who are also working honestly on themselves.
Sessions follow no fixed agenda. What arises — a feeling, a tension, something that happened during the week, a reaction to another member — becomes the material we work with. The therapist’s role is to help the group notice and make sense of what is happening between people, particularly the patterns that tend to repeat across different relationships.
About the group therapist
The group is facilitated by clinical psychologist Tran Ngoc Hieu. Trained and licensed in Norway, with clinical experience spanning inpatient psychiatry, university hospitals, and private practice. He holds a Cand.Psychol. (Psy. D) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Bergen, and is registered with the Norwegian Psychological Association and the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA).
His work is shaped by the conviction that lasting change happens through relationship — not just reflection.
Frequently asked questions
Is group therapy as effective as individual therapy?
Yes. For many conditions—especially social anxiety, depression, and interpersonal issues—group therapy is often more effective than individual sessions. It provides a “social laboratory” where you can receive immediate feedback and support from peers, which is something a 1-on-1 session cannot replicate.
What is the difference between a “Support Group” and “Group Therapy”?
In HCMC, many use these terms interchangeably, but there is a key difference. A peer support group is usually led by volunteers. Our Group Therapy is led by a licensed clinical professional who uses evidence-based psychological frameworks to facilitate growth, ensure safety, and provide clinical interventions.
Do I need to be fluent in English to join?
Our groups are designed to be inclusive. While English is the primary language of facilitation, we are deeply familiar with the bilingual nature of HCMC. We encourage participants to express themselves in the way they feel most comfortable, and our therapists ensure everyone—regardless of their primary language—is fully included.
How much does group therapy cost compared to individual sessions?
Group therapy is one of the most cost-effective ways to access professional care in Saigon. Typically, a group session costs 40–60% less than a private individual session, making it a sustainable long-term option for those seeking high-quality support without the high price tag of international clinics.
Can group therapy help with anger or emotional regulation?
Yes. While the group isn’t an “anger management class” in the formal sense, difficult emotions like anger, irritability, and frustration are exactly the kind of material we work with. Anger often shows up in how we relate to others, and the group is a safe place to notice what triggers it, understand the patterns underneath it, and practice steadier, more honest ways of responding — with support from both the therapist and other members.