Therapy for Men’s Health

A straightforward place to talk about sleep, stress, sex, mood and everything you've been putting off, 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.

Most men leave it late. You put up with the broken sleep, the short fuse, the thing that has gone quiet in the bedroom, and you tell yourself you will deal with it when work eases off. Work rarely eases off.

Many men in Irish society can still feel it is ‘unmanly’ to talk about their feelings. Fortunately this has been changing in recent decades, and many now see it as a positive to openly talk about worris and concerns, and to express their feelings.

Whatever is going on, confidential and practical help exists for it, and you do not need a tidy explanation ready before you start.

Support for men’s health covers a few different things. Counselling and psychotherapy for how you are feeling. Psychosexual therapy for sexual difficulties.

What men’s health issues can therapy help with?

More than most men expect. Talk therapy is not only for a crisis, and the reasons men come are usually ordinary ones.

Anxiety, low mood and depression, stress and burnout, anger that comes out sideways, trauma, grief, loneliness, low self-esteem
Sexual concerns: erectile difficulties, performance anxiety, loss of desire, premature ejaculation, and the strain of fertility problems
Relationship difficulties, including recurring arguments, disconnection, separation, and the pressures of becoming a father
Living with illness or pain, work pressure, redundancy, retirement, or any big change that has left you flat

The HSE’s information for men is a good starting point for what is available generally.

What type of therapy might be right for me?

The right fit depends on what is happening, not on being a man. Counselling tends to focus on a current difficulty. Psychotherapy goes further back, into patterns that have been running a long time. Cognitive behavioural therapy is more structured: you look at the thoughts feeding the problem and try small things between sessions.

For sexual difficulties, psychosexual therapy or couples therapy can help, though physical causes should be checked too. Erectile difficulties, for example, can have a medical explanation worth ruling out with your GP.

Format	Suits	Worth knowing
Online video	Talk therapy, CBT, couples work, psychosexual therapy	No commute, no waiting room, and you can attend from anywhere private in Ireland
Telephone	A first conversation when video feels like too much	Some helplines are free and anonymous
In person	Some men simply prefer to sit face to face in a room with a therapist	This is down to personal preference if you have an accessible choice compared with online

Is online as good as sitting in a room? For anxiety, low mood and most common difficulties, research comparing video therapy with in-person therapy has generally found similar outcomes, and video sessions are now a mainstream option across the health service. What matters more, based on available research, is the relationship with the person you talk to.

Not sure if this is the right fit?

A first session is just a conversation.

Book a session Find a therapist →

How do I know whether I need therapy or medical treatment?

Often the honest answer is both. Therapy helps with the distress, the avoidance and the effect on your relationships. Medicine deals with what is happening in the body.

Start with your GP for anything new, sudden or unexplained: pain, blood, changes in urination, erectile problems, questions about medication, or sexual health testing
Consider therapy when something has been going on for weeks, you are avoiding people or situations, or it is showing up in your relationships
Expect overlap. Erectile difficulties, pelvic pain, continence problems and life after prostate treatment usually respond best when the physical and the emotional side are both looked at

If you are in severe pain, have sudden physical symptoms, or you are thinking about ending your life, that is an emergency. Ring 112 or 999, go to your nearest emergency department, or contact your GP out of hours. The Samaritans freephone line, 116 123, and the 50808 crisis text service are both available at any hour, and HSE mental health lists current crisis supports.

What happens at the first appointment, and when might I notice a difference?

The first session is mostly a conversation. What brought you, how long it has been going on, your health history and any medication, what your relationships are like, whether you have tried anything before. Nothing too intense.

By the end you should have a plan that fits you and your questions answered. You are meant to be part of that decision, not a passenger in it.

Talk therapy for a focused difficulty often runs six to twelve sessions; longer-standing patterns take longer
Progress depends on the problem, how long it has been there, how often you attend, and what you do between sessions
Common gains: sleeping better, less anxiety, communicating more easily, feeling more like yourself

Nobody can promise you an outcome. Progress should be reviewed as you go, and if it is not helping, a good therapist will say so and point you somewhere better suited.

How can I find the right men’s health support in Ireland?

Counselling and psychotherapy are not yet statutorily regulated here, so accreditation does the work of reassurance. Physiotherapists must be registered with CORU.

Check accreditation with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or an equivalent body, and ask about specific training in men’s mental health, sexual difficulties or pelvic health
Public and voluntary routes: your GP, HSE mental health services, and free or low-cost counselling where eligibility criteria and waiting lists may apply
Connect Counselling offers a free telephone counselling service, including for men who have experienced abuse in childhood
ONE supports ex-service personnel, and the Men’s Development Network runs men’s programmes and support services

Details, eligibility and opening hours change, so check directly with any service before relying on it.

What can I do to support my wellbeing or help another man?

Mental Health Ireland promotes the Five Ways to Wellbeing, which are deliberately unglamorous and that is the point.

Connect: ring your brother back, stay for the coffee after the match
Be active: a twenty minute walk counts
Take notice: one thing you actually noticed today
Keep learning: something small and useless to your job
Give: a lift, an hour, a hand with something

Add the basics on top: regular sleep, watching the drink, and saying something to someone before it builds up.

How can I take the next step?

You do not need a GP letter to book therapy, and you do not need to have worked out what the problem is first.

Book an initial confidential session online in about two minutes, with evening and weekend times available
Get in touch if you would rather talk through which kind of support fits before booking
Sessions are by secure video with accredited therapists, from wherever you feel comfortable, anywhere in Ireland

For anything urgent, physical or otherwise, contact your GP, HSE services or emergency care first. Whenever you feel ready, the rest can start with one conversation.