Group Therapy

Stand-up comedians are known for baring their souls to massive audiences in the name of entertainment. But a new Tribeca-lauded documentary, Group Therapy, takes it further—showing that sharing our struggles is a crucial first step in protecting mental health.

Released on Prime Video, Group Therapy brings together six of today’s leading stand-up comedians for a candid, touching and humorous conversation revealing the connections between their professional comedy journeys and overcoming their mental health struggles.

Host Neil Patrick Harris guides comic personalities Tig Notaro, Nicole Byer, Mike Birbiglia, London Hughes, Gary Gulman and Atsuko Okatsuka through a group therapy session in front of a live audience. Striking a delicate balance between depth and levity, they take the audience on an emotional journey, shifting from tears to laughter and back again, a powerful reminder of the therapeutic power of sharing.

Although each cast member has a very different story, their shared experience of mental health issues is what unites them. Mike Birbiglia openly discusses his struggles with sleep disorders and anxiety. Gary Gulman is vocal about his life-long battle with depression, Nicole Byer reflects on her experiences with grief and her evolving relationship with body image and societal expectations.

Besides the cast’s revelations, one of the most powerful things about the film is that it accompanies a worldwide mental health risk prevention initiative by one of the world’s leading global health insurers - AXA. The 90 minute “docu-therapy” was co-produced by AXA and Hartbeat, in collaboration with WPP, which developed the concept with Hartbeat, its award-winning team, and director Neil Berkeley. Founded by Kevin Hart, the entertainment company Hartbeat creates content and experiences at the intersection of comedy and culture.

Following its critically lauded premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, Group Therapy has gone on to showcase at global film festivals, including The American Film Institute Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, GlobeDocs Documentary Film Festival, and the inaugural Tribeca Lisbon Film Festival.

More than an award-winning documentary and a boundary-pushing strategy for an insurance brand, Group Therapy represents a unique mental health initiative – at a crucial time when almost one-third of the global population is currently experiencing a mental health condition.

The documentary follows the release of the 5th edition of AXA’s Mind Health report, which paints a worrying picture of the global mental health crisis. Across 16 surveyed countries, 32% of respondents reported experiencing mental health conditions, and younger people are particularly impacted.