Therapy for Workplace Issues and Burnout

Space to work out what work is taking from you, and how to get some of it back, with an accredited therapist by secure video.

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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.

Some weeks you can feel it before you even open the laptop. A tightness on Sunday evening. A low dread about Monday. An email you have read four times and still cannot answer. Work has taken up more room than you ever meant it to, and you are tired in a way that sleep does not seem to touch.

Maybe it is one person you dread being in a meeting with. Maybe it is the volume, or the feeling that you are failing at something you used to be good at. Online counselling gives you somewhere to put all of that. Sessions happen by secure video, so you can talk from home, from a spare room, from a parked car between calls, anywhere in Ireland. Nobody at work needs to know you are going.

How can I tell if workplace stress has become burnout?

Ordinary work stress rises and falls. A deadline lands, you push through, and afterwards you recover. Burnout builds slowly, out of pressure that never really lets up, and it does not reset after a weekend or a fortnight in the sun. You go back and within two days you feel the same. The World Health Organization describes burn-out as something that comes from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, with three strands: exhaustion, growing mental distance or cynicism about the job, and a sense that you are getting less done.

	Everyday work stress	Burnout
How it arrives	Tied to a specific demand or period	Builds over months, often without one clear trigger
What time off does	You feel noticeably better	The relief fades within days of going back
How you feel about the work	Pressured, but still connected to it	Detached, flat, going through the motions
Your head	Busy, scattered at times	Poor concentration, self-doubt, a sense of not coping

The emotional signs tend to show up first: dread, irritability with people you actually like, losing interest in work that once mattered, second-guessing decisions you would once have made in a minute. Then the body joins in. Broken sleep, headaches, eating more or barely bothering, a glass of wine that became three, catching every bug going round the office, and never quite switching off in the evening.

It rarely stays at work either. Confidence takes a knock, you are shorter at home than you want to be, and for many people anxiety or low mood settles in alongside it. That is not weakness. It is what prolonged pressure does to people.

Why am I struggling with work?

It is almost never one thing. Usually it is a few of these sitting on top of each other:

Too much work, long hours, or expectations nobody could realistically meet
Little say over how or when you do the job, or responsibilities that were never made clear
Insecure or temporary employment, understaffing, or covering roles that were never replaced
Hybrid and remote work bleeding into evenings, with the phone always within reach
A manager or colleague you find difficult, or bullying and harassment that has become routine
Performance anxiety, fear of being found out, the sense that everyone else knows what they are doing
Redundancy, a promotion that does not sit right, returning after leave, or a role that no longer matches what you value

The Health and Safety Authority treats work-related stress as a workplace health issue rather than a personal failing, and Irish employers have duties around it. Counselling is suitable for all of this, including conflict, bullying and career anxiety. It will not replace a formal complaint or a grievance process, but it gives you a place to think clearly about what is happening and what you want to do. Anything tangled up with it is welcome too: anxiety, low mood, old experiences that this situation has stirred up, anger, low self-esteem, strain at home.

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A first session is just a conversation.

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How can online counselling help with workplace issues and burnout?

The starting point is not a list of stress-management tips. It is an hour that belongs to you, with someone who is not your manager, your partner or your friend, working out what is actually driving the distress. Sometimes that is the job. Sometimes it is what you believe you have to be in order to deserve the job.

Noticing the triggers and patterns, including the ones you stopped questioning years ago
Looking again at beliefs like "if I say no, they will see I cannot handle it"
Working out where boundaries have gone and what a realistic one looks like
Preparing for conversations you have been avoiding, and handling conflict differently
Rest and recovery, which most people are worse at than they think
Rebuilding confidence, and asking honestly what you want work to be

Depending on your therapist and what you need, the work may draw on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, more reflective psychotherapy, practical coping strategies, relaxation, or a values-based look at where your career is going. Online delivery means no commute, evening and weekend times, and continuity if you are travelling, on leave or living somewhere with few local therapists. Talking therapies are a standard first-line recommendation for anxiety and depression in both Irish and UK health guidance, including the HSE.

Honest answer on effectiveness: research comparing therapy by video with therapy in a room generally finds similar outcomes for common difficulties such as anxiety and low mood, so the format itself is unlikely to be what holds you back. What matters more is whether you and your therapist work well together, how severe things have become, and whether the conditions at work can change. Therapy will not make an impossible workload possible.

What happens in an online workplace counselling session?

A private, encrypted video link arrives by email. Nothing to install. You sit somewhere you will not be overheard, headphones on if that helps, and you talk.

Stage	What usually happens
First session	What is happening now, how it is affecting you, some background on your work history and personal circumstances, and what you would like to be different
Agreeing a focus	You and your therapist decide what to prioritise and how to work, often mixing emotional exploration with practical steps on boundaries, rest and communication
Later sessions	Recognising patterns as they happen, trying new responses, preparing for difficult conversations, and reviewing what is shifting

Sessions are usually 50 minutes, weekly or fortnightly, and the pace is yours. Sometimes you will leave with something small to notice or try before the next one. Sometimes it is just about talking it through. A good therapist will not push you to stay in a job, leave a job, or confront anyone before you are ready. That decision stays with you.

How do I find and access the right online counsellor in Ireland?

Before you book, it is fair to check:

Qualifications and accreditation or registration with a recognised body such as the IACP, ICP or PSI, plus professional insurance
Real experience with burnout and workplace difficulties, not just a general list of issues
How they work online: the platform, what happens if the connection drops, how they handle privacy at your end
Fees, cancellation terms, session length, and whether they offer a short consultation first

An initial consultation is the simplest way to see whether the fit feels right. You can book private counselling without a GP letter and without telling your employer. It is your appointment, paid for by you, and no report goes anywhere. The limits to confidentiality are narrow and your therapist will explain them at the start: mainly where there is an immediate risk of serious harm to you or someone else, or a legal or safeguarding obligation. Employer-funded routes work differently, which is worth understanding before you choose.

When should I speak to a GP or seek additional support?

Talk to your GP if the signs are severe or have gone on for months, particularly where:

Sleep, appetite or physical health have been affected for weeks
You are struggling to function day to day, or to work at all
Medication, a diagnosis, a medical certificate or a referral may need to be considered

Counselling sits alongside medical care rather than replacing it. It also does not replace occupational health input, your employer's formal procedures, or proper advice on bullying, harassment and employment rights, which you can look into through Citizens Information or the Workplace Relations Commission.

If you are thinking about ending your life, harming yourself, or you feel you cannot keep yourself safe, please get help now rather than waiting for an appointment. Contact the emergency services on 112 or 999, go to your nearest emergency department, ring Samaritans free on 116 123 at any hour, ring Pieta free on 1800 247 247, or text HELLO to 50808.

Burnout is recoverable. Not overnight, and rarely without something changing at work as well as inside you, but people do come back from it with rest, support, boundaries that hold, and a clearer sense of what they will and will not give.

Frequently asked questions

How long does counselling for workplace burnout usually take?

It varies. Some people feel steadier after six to eight sessions, especially where the focus is a specific situation or a set of boundaries. Where burnout has been building for years, or where older patterns like perfectionism are feeding it, the work usually takes longer. You review it together as you go rather than committing to a fixed number at the start.

How much does online workplace counselling cost in Ireland?

Private counselling fees vary by therapist and are set individually, so always check the fee before booking. Some health insurance policies contribute towards counselling where the therapist is recognised by the insurer, so it is worth ringing your provider and asking what your plan covers.

What is the difference between burnout counselling, an EAP and occupational health support?

They serve different purposes, and you can use more than one.

	Private counselling	EAP	Occupational health
Who arranges it	You	Your employer's provider	Your employer
What it is for	Open-ended therapeutic work on whatever you bring	Short-term support, usually a set number of sessions	Assessing fitness for work and what adjustments may help
What your employer sees	Nothing	Usually only anonymised usage data, not session content	A report, normally shared with your consent

Can online counselling help while I am on sick leave or returning to work?

Yes, and it is a common time to start. Sick leave often brings a strange mix of relief, guilt and dread about going back. Sessions can give the week some shape, help you think through a phased return, and let you rehearse the conversations ahead. Decisions about certification and fitness to work stay with your GP and occupational health.

Are you ready to talk about what is happening at work?

You do not need to be at breaking point, and you do not need a diagnosis or a tidy explanation. If work has been sitting on your chest for months, that is reason enough.

Book a confidential online session at a time that suits, including evenings and weekends
Get in touch first if you would rather ask about fit, availability or fees
No GP letter, no waiting room, and nothing that reaches your employer

Whenever you feel ready, there is someone here to talk it through with you.