You start the day with a clear plan. By eleven you have three tabs open, two half-finished jobs, and a nagging feeling that you have forgotten something important. Again.
If that sounds familiar, ADHD therapy by video might be worth a look.
Therapy for ADHD
Therapy that works with how your ADHD brain works, not against it, 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.
Could online ADHD therapy be right for me?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition. It affects attention, impulse control, activity levels, and the part of thinking that handles planning, starting and finishing things, often called executive functioning. It usually begins in childhood and, for many people, carries on into adult life, as set out in the NICE guideline on ADHD.
The everyday signs people describe include:
- Getting pulled off task by anything and everything
- Forgetting appointments, replies, bills, names
- Putting off the thing you most need to do, then doing it at midnight
- Losing track of time, so ten minutes and an hour feel much the same
- Restlessness, fidgeting, a sense of being driven by a motor
- Starting well and rarely finishing
Plenty of adults come to therapy for what sits around all that rather than the attention itself. Big emotional swings. Rows at home. A work inbox that has become a source of dread. Years of quietly deciding you are lazy or unreliable, and the burnout that follows from trying to out-work it.
So yes, therapy can help adults with ADHD, and no, you do not need a diagnosis first. Assessment and diagnosis are separate clinical services with their own process. Therapy works with what is actually happening in your week, whether ADHD has been confirmed, suspected, or only recently occurred to you.
How does online ADHD therapy work?
Sessions happen by secure video with a therapist who knows ADHD well. You get a private link by email, no software to install, and you attend from home, from an office with the door shut, or from a parked car if that is the only quiet place you have. It means people in Leitrim, Kerry or a commuter town with no local service get the same access as anyone in Dublin.
Early on you and your therapist agree what you actually want to change. Not a generic plan. Maybe it is mornings. Maybe it is the way arguments escalate. The work is shaped around your difficulties, your circumstances, and the things you are already good at.
Is it as effective as sitting in a room with someone? For most common adult difficulties, the research to date suggests video-delivered therapy performs comparably to in-person therapy, though individual findings vary and ADHD-specific trials are fewer. What matters more is fit and honesty with your therapist.
| What people ask about | Online sessions | In person |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there | No commute, so missed sessions are rarer | Travel and parking to plan for |
| Privacy | Needs a quiet room and headphones | Handled by the building |
| Practicalities | Depends on a decent connection | Depends on local availability |
| Suitability | Good fit for most adult ADHD support | Sometimes preferred for higher-risk or complex care |
Not sure if this is the right fit?
A first session is just a conversation.
What can ADHD therapy help me with?
Some of it is practical. Finding a planning method that survives contact with a real week. Working out what to do first when everything feels equally urgent. Breaking a task down far enough that starting stops being the hard part.
- Focus, planning and organising, and finishing what you start
- Time, routines, procrastination and forgetting
- Overwhelm, and what to do when your head is too full
- Strong reactions to feeling criticised, rejected or left out
- Self-criticism, low confidence, and strain in relationships
The rest is quieter work. Understanding why certain situations flatten you, and why others do not, tends to matter more in the long run than any one system. Strategies you understand are the ones you keep using.
You and your therapist review what is working every so often, adjust what is not, and before therapy ends you talk through how to hold on to it. ADHD Ireland also runs support and information for adults, which some people use alongside therapy.
What happens during an online ADHD therapy session?
The first session is mostly you talking and your therapist listening. What is hard right now, what your history looks like, what you are good at, and what you would like to be different in a few months.
| Stage | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| First session | Current difficulties, background, strengths, what you want to change |
| Ongoing sessions | Structured but flexible: reflection, problem-solving, practising a skill |
| Between sessions | Something small to try, notice or track |
| Pace | Usually weekly or fortnightly, 50 minutes, for as long as it is useful |
Between-session bits stay realistic. Test one planning method for a week. Notice when the crash usually hits. Try a way of steadying yourself when a message lands badly. Nothing too intense, and nobody marks it.
Which type of support is best for ADHD?
There is no single right answer, but there are approaches with reasonable support behind them. NICE recommends considering a talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy for adults with ADHD, including where medication has helped but difficulties remain, and where someone would rather not take medication.
CBT helps you spot the thinking patterns that make things worse (I have ruined it now, so there is no point starting) and gives you something different to do with them. Alongside that, therapists often use psychoeducation, which simply means understanding how your own brain works, and mindfulness-based ways of noticing what is happening before you react.
| ADHD therapy | ADHD coaching | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Emotional and psychological difficulties, patterns, relationships | Goals, systems, accountability |
| Typical use | Anxiety, low mood, shame, conflict, self-worth | Practical structures for work and home |
| Regulation | Accredited therapists, professional body oversight | Not statutorily regulated in Ireland |
Which one you need depends on what is bothering you most, and on anything sitting alongside the ADHD.
How do I choose an online ADHD therapist in Ireland?
Check credentials before anything else. Worth looking for:
- Accreditation with a recognised body such as IACP, IAHIP, or, for psychologists, the Psychological Society of Ireland
- Professional indemnity insurance and regular supervision
- Real experience with adult ADHD, not ADHD as a sideline
- An understanding of masking, executive difficulties, and things that often travel with ADHD such as anxiety or low mood
Then there is fit, which is harder to check on paper. Read therapist profiles for how they describe their approach, who they work with, and when they have appointments. You are allowed to change your mind after a couple of sessions.
Feedback shared on the site comes from people who agreed to it, and it is there to give you a feel for the work rather than a promise. Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different experiences of therapy.
Frequently asked questions
How much does online ADHD therapy cost in Ireland?
Fees vary by therapist and by practice, so check the current rate on the booking page before you commit. Skipping the commute and the parking is a small saving worth counting too.
Can I claim online ADHD therapy through private health insurance?
Some Irish health insurance plans contribute towards counselling or psychotherapy, often a set number of sessions per year with a therapist who meets the insurer’s criteria. Cover differs a lot between policies, so ring your insurer and ask specifically about online sessions. The Health Insurance Authority explains how to compare plans.
Can online therapy help alongside ADHD medication?
Yes, and the two are often used together. Medication is prescribed and reviewed by a doctor, usually with your GP involved, as described in the NICE guideline. Therapy deals with what medication does not reach: habits, emotions, relationships, and how you feel about yourself.
How quickly can I start online ADHD therapy in Ireland?
Usually within days rather than months, depending on therapist availability. Booking takes about two minutes, you do not need a GP letter to see a counsellor or psychotherapist privately, and evening and weekend times are available. General guidance on accessing services is on Citizens Information and the HSE website.
Ready to start online ADHD therapy?
You do not have to have it all worked out first. Have a look at who is available and pick a time that suits your week.
- Browse therapist profiles and choose someone whose approach appeals, or book with no preference and be matched
- Pick an appointment time, including evenings and weekends
- Check your email for the secure video link, and join from wherever you feel comfortable
Not sure where to start? Book without choosing a therapist and you will be matched thoughtfully, or get in touch and ask. One small step is enough for now. Book a session whenever you feel ready.