Bereavement and Grief Counselling

Somewhere to talk about the person you've lost, at your own pace, with an accredited therapist by secure video.

Accredited therapists Fully confidential Evening & weekend times

Everything is confidentialWhat you say in a session stays in the session.

Secure video, Ireland-wideFrom wherever you feel comfortable, on any device.

No GP referral neededBook online in a couple of minutes.

Evening and weekend timesSessions that fit around work and family.

When someone you love dies, the world outside carries on as though nothing has happened. Yours has stopped. And talking about it can feel impossible, either because the people around you have gone quiet on the subject, or because you don't want to be the one who lowers the mood again.

Support is available without you having to leave the house. Sessions with Online Therapy Works take place by secure video, from wherever you feel able to talk, anywhere in Ireland. No drive, no waiting room, no explaining yourself to anyone on the way in. If you would rather talk with the camera off, that is fine too.

What is online bereavement and grief counselling?

Grief is a normal and natural response to a death or another significant loss. That does not make it small. For most of us, losing someone we love is genuinely life-altering, and the ordinary parts of the day, the shopping, the school run, a name still saved in your phone, are where it tends to catch you.

There are no fixed stages and no timetable, whatever you may have been told. Grief moves around. It can show up as any of the following:

Sadness that arrives in waves rather than steadily
Anger, at the person who died, at a hospital, at yourself
Guilt about what was said, what wasn't said, or how the last few weeks went
Numbness, or the strange sense of watching your own life from a distance
Anxiety, broken sleep, appetite changes, headaches, exhaustion
Poor concentration and a memory that suddenly can't be relied on

Bereavement counselling is a confidential space to say all of that out loud to someone who isn't grieving the same person. You talk it through, you begin to understand your own reactions, and over time you find a way to live alongside the loss. It will not take your grief away, and no therapist should be pushing you to move on. It supports you while you go at your own pace.

How can grief counselling help, and when might I need it?

Counselling gives you somewhere to put the things that are hard to say elsewhere. The resentment. The relief, if there is relief. The parts of the death you keep going back over. It also helps with the practical weight of it: a role that has changed, a house that sounds different, decisions you never expected to be making on your own.

There is no waiting period. Some people want support in the first few weeks; others manage for a year and then find they are struggling on an anniversary. Both are normal. It may be worth reaching out if you notice:

You have withdrawn from people and it has stopped feeling like a choice
Guilt or self-blame that goes round and round without shifting
Work, sleep or eating have been badly disrupted for a sustained period
Arguments and distance at home, or a sense that nobody understands
You are relying on alcohol or anything else to get through the evenings

Most grief, however painful, is not an illness. For a smaller number of people, distress stays severe and disabling for a long time and gets in the way of daily life, and that is worth talking to a professional about. If you are thinking about ending your life, or you are at immediate risk, please contact the emergency services on 112 or 999, go to your nearest emergency department, or call the Samaritans free on 116 123. The HSE's bereavement supports page also lists services you can contact directly.

Not sure if this is the right fit?

A first session is just a conversation.

Book a session Find a therapist →

How does online grief counselling work in Ireland?

It is more straightforward than people expect. You make an enquiry, you agree a time that suits, and you attend regular sessions from somewhere private.

Stage	What happens
Enquiry or booking	You get in touch or book online, usually in a couple of minutes. No GP letter is needed for counselling.
Agreeing a time	Sessions are typically 50 minutes, weekly or fortnightly, with evening and weekend times available.
Attending	A private, encrypted video link arrives by email. Nothing to install, and you join from home or anywhere quiet.

What you need is modest: a reasonably reliable internet connection, a phone, tablet or laptop, headphones if they help you feel less overheard, and somewhere you will not be interrupted for the hour. People have taken sessions from a spare room, a parked car, a shed at the end of the garden.

The advantages are real, particularly if you live somewhere with few local therapists, if travelling is difficult, or if you are caring for someone and can't be away for half a day. Research to date generally suggests that therapy delivered by video can work as well as in-person therapy for many common difficulties, though it is not automatically the right fit for everyone. Your preference matters, so does privacy at home, so does how complex things are for you at the moment. A responsible counsellor will talk that through honestly with you and say so if face to face or another kind of support would serve you better.

What should I expect from my first online counselling session?

The first session is mostly getting to know each other. Your counsellor will ask about the person who died, what is hardest right now, who you have around you, and what you are hoping for. You are not obliged to tell the whole story on day one. Say as much or as little as you are ready to say.

Practical matters are usually covered early on:

How long sessions run and how often you will meet
Fees, payment, and the cancellation policy
Whether there is contact between appointments, and how
What happens if the connection drops mid-session, so neither of you is left guessing
Confidentiality and its limits, including safeguarding, immediate risk to you or someone else, and any legal obligations

After that, the work is collaborative. Some weeks it is talking it through. Some weeks it is a small thing to try, or noticing what sets the waves off. Remembrance work has its place too, letters, photographs, marking a date. You may also spend time on how your relationships and your sense of yourself have changed, because they usually have.

On privacy: sessions should run on a secure, encrypted platform, and your personal information should be handled in line with data protection law, which the Data Protection Commission oversees in Ireland. Your side of it matters as well, so choose a spot where you won't be overheard.

How do I find the right bereavement counsellor or support service in Ireland?

You are allowed to ask questions before you commit to anything. A good counsellor will not mind.

What to check	Why it matters
Accreditation with a recognised body such as the IACP	Confirms training, ongoing supervision and a complaints process
Grief-specific training and experience	Bereavement work differs from general counselling, especially after a sudden or traumatic death
Experience of working online	Holding a session well by video is a skill in itself
Insurance, supervision, data protection	Basic professional safeguards you are entitled to ask about
Fees, availability, an initial call	Lets you check the fit before booking a course of sessions

A counsellor's biography should state their qualifications and their bereavement experience plainly, rather than leaning on general wellbeing language. If you cannot tell what they are trained in, ask.

Which services support bereaved adults and families?

Several Irish organisations offer free support alongside private counselling, and opening hours and referral criteria change, so check current details before you ring.

The Irish Hospice Foundation runs a national Bereavement Support Line and publishes self-help information on grief
Anam Cara supports bereaved parents and families
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ireland and A Little Lifetime Foundation support families after pregnancy loss and the death of a baby
Your GP can advise on local counselling organisations and HSE-listed counselling services

Where can children and young people get support?

Children grieve in bursts, playing one minute and distraught the next, which can worry adults more than it needs to.

Barnardos offers a bereavement helpline and children's bereavement services
Childline, from the ISPCC, is free and available to under-18s
The Irish Childhood Bereavement Network, hosted by the Irish Hospice Foundation, lists services and guidance for families and schools

Younger children are often better supported through age-appropriate approaches such as play therapy. Where a young person is seen online, it has to suit their age and attention, with a parent or guardian involved in consent and clear safeguarding in place.

What support is available after a suicide?

Grief after suicide carries things other losses often don't: shock, questions with no answers, and sometimes shame that is nobody's to carry.

The Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service offers free support to families bereaved by suicide, and availability is listed with the HSE
The Irish 'You Are Not Alone' booklet, along with Safe Harbour resources for adults supporting children bereaved by suicide, is signposted through the same HSE pages
Clare Suicide Bereavement Support provides local support in the mid-west
Text About It offers free 24/7 text support if you need someone at three in the morning

Crisis lines are there for the worst hours. They are not a substitute for ongoing counselling, and using both is sensible.

Frequently asked questions

How much does online bereavement counselling cost in Ireland?

Fees vary between practitioners, so ask before you book rather than after. Counselling in Ireland is largely private, and some health insurance policies contribute towards sessions with an accredited counsellor, so it is worth checking your policy details.

Can I access free or low-cost grief counselling online?

Yes, in some circumstances. Bereavement support from organisations such as the Irish Hospice Foundation, Anam Cara and Barnardos is free. Your GP can also advise on HSE-funded counselling, which may be available depending on your circumstances and eligibility, though waiting times differ around the country.

Can children and young people receive online bereavement counselling?

Teenagers and young people often do well online, and it is a format they are already comfortable in. A parent or guardian is involved at the start and consent is agreed clearly, with the work itself kept confidential to the young person within safeguarding limits. For younger children, in-person and play-based support is usually the better starting point.

Are you ready to take the next step?

If you would like to talk to someone, you can book a confidential video appointment whenever you feel ready. Nothing is committed to before your questions are answered.

When you get in touch, it helps to include:

How you would prefer to be contacted, by email or phone
Roughly when you are free, including evenings or weekends
A line or two about the loss, only as much as you want to write

If this is not the right fit for you, the Irish organisations and helplines listed above will point you somewhere that is, and a GP is a reasonable place to start too.

Reaching out does not mean you are grieving wrongly or failing to cope. It means you would rather not carry all of it on your own.