Therapy for Bullying

Support for what bullying left behind, whether it happened at school, online or at work, 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.

Bullying happens in more places than most people expect. A classroom. A WhatsApp group. An open-plan office where the same person gets talked over in every meeting. And it does not always stop mattering when it stops happening, plenty of people carry something from years ago.

Online therapy gives you a private place to talk that through with an accredited therapist, by secure video, from wherever you feel comfortable. It sits alongside the practical side of things (reporting it, keeping a record, getting advice) rather than replacing any of it.

Am I being bullied, and what types of bullying can therapy support?

Bullying is usually described as repeated or sustained behaviour that harms, intimidates, humiliates or excludes someone, often where there is an imbalance of power. In Irish workplaces, the joint Code of Practice published by the Health and Safety Authority and the Workplace Relations Commission makes the same distinction: an isolated incident of poor behaviour is not bullying, however unpleasant it felt at the time. Reasonable feedback about your work, given fairly, is not bullying either, even when it stings.

Therapy can support any of these, and the online format does not change what you are able to work on:

Verbal bullying: insults, mocking, threats, relentless criticism
Physical bullying: being hit, shoved, or having your things taken or damaged
Social or relational bullying: rumours, being frozen out, other people turned against you
Cyberbullying: messages, group chats, fake accounts, images shared without your consent
School bullying: every school in Ireland is required to have an anti-bullying policy, see gov.ie
Workplace bullying: being undermined, set up to fail, or having your work claimed by someone else
Bullying you experienced as a child and are still carrying now

Common signs include dreading Monday morning, going quiet with friends, avoiding your phone, broken sleep, unexplained injuries, or confidence draining away faster than anything in your life seems to explain.

People often arrive saying they are probably being too sensitive. The impact is what matters, and the responsibility sits with the person doing the harm. Bullying tends to be enabled by ordinary things: group dynamics, someone misusing their authority, anonymity online, and places where concerns get quietly parked.

How can bullying affect my mental and physical health?

It shows up in the body as well as the head. Most people notice a mix of the two.

Where it shows up	What people often describe
Emotionally	Anxiety, shame, anger, loneliness, low self-esteem, low mood, finding it hard to trust anyone
Physically	Headaches, stomach trouble, poor sleep, a racing heart, tight chest, shallow breathing
Day to day	Trouble concentrating, eating more or less, missing school or work, pulling back from people

Distress can carry on well after the behaviour ends, particularly when it went on a long time or happened in childhood. Responses vary a lot and none of them mean you are weak. Some people develop trauma-related difficulties; you do not need a diagnosis, or anyone's agreement that it was bad enough, to ask for support.

Not sure if this is the right fit?

A first session is just a conversation.

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How can online therapy help me recover from bullying?

The first thing counselling offers is somewhere to say what happened out loud, at your pace, to someone who is not part of the situation. From there the work is usually about making sense of your own reactions and loosening the self-blame that tends to attach itself to this.

What people often want to work towards:

Rebuilding confidence that took a hit
Managing anxiety and panic when it arrives
Setting boundaries, including with people you cannot avoid
Getting steady enough to report it, respond to it, or decide not to
Working out what you want next, at work, at school, or in a friendship

Approach	What it focuses on
Person-centred counselling	Being heard without judgement, understanding the effect it has had on you
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)	The thought patterns bullying leaves behind, and practical things to try between sessions
Trauma-informed therapy	Working carefully with memories that still feel raw, without pushing too fast

Which one suits you depends on your age, your history, what you are struggling with now, and honestly what you fancy the sound of. On effectiveness, the picture is reasonably encouraging but not a guarantee: research comparing video therapy with in-person therapy has generally found similar results for anxiety and low mood, and there is support for therapy helping with trauma-related difficulties. Outcomes still vary from person to person, and anyone at serious or immediate risk needs more than weekly sessions.

Therapy also does not replace your school's safeguarding procedure, a workplace grievance process, medical care, or legal advice. It helps you think straight while you use them.

What happens in an online therapy session for bullying?

The first appointment is mostly you talking and your therapist listening. Expect to cover:

What has been happening, and for how long
How it is affecting you, at home, at work or in school
Whether you are safe right now
Who you have around you
What you would like to be different

Your therapist may ask some questions about anxiety, mood or trauma to get a clearer picture, then agree a plan with you. No formal diagnosis is needed. Later sessions might involve going back over what happened, challenging beliefs that took root ("I must have brought it on myself"), practising something small between sessions, and checking now and then whether it is helping.

Sessions run by secure, encrypted video, so there is no commute and no waiting room, which matters if you live somewhere with a long waiting list or no local therapist at all. You do need somewhere private to talk. Headphones help. A parked car counts. What you say stays confidential and your data is protected under GDPR, with the usual exceptions where there is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else, or a child protection concern.

How do I choose an online bullying therapist in Ireland?

Check qualifications, professional membership, and whether they have actually worked with this: bullying, anxiety, trauma, teenagers, or workplace issues, depending on what you need.

Body	Who it covers
IACP	Accredited counsellors and psychotherapists
IAHIP	Humanistic and integrative psychotherapists
PSI	Psychologists

The right credential depends on whether you are seeing a counsellor, a psychotherapist or a psychologist. Statutory registration for counsellors and psychotherapists is being brought in through CORU, so it is worth checking the current position there too. Ask about their approach, how sessions are kept secure, fees, cancellation terms, and experience with your age group. Then use the first session to notice something simpler: did you feel heard?

Frequently asked questions

How much does online therapy for bullying cost in Ireland?

Private counselling in Ireland commonly costs somewhere around €60 to €120 for a 50-minute session, though it varies by therapist and service, so check the fees listed before you book. Some practices offer a reduced rate.

Can I access online bullying therapy through the HSE or health insurance?

The HSE funds counselling in primary care for medical card holders through a GP referral, and services like Jigsaw support young people free of charge, though waiting times apply. Several Irish health insurers contribute towards sessions with an accredited therapist depending on your plan, so ask your insurer directly. Citizens Information explains what is available.

Can children and teenagers in Ireland get online therapy for bullying?

Yes. Teenagers can be seen online with parental consent, and parents are usually involved at the start before the work itself becomes confidential to the young person, within safeguarding limits. Younger children are often better served by in-person or family-based support.

When does bullying require urgent mental health or safeguarding support?

If there is immediate danger, thoughts of suicide, serious physical harm, or a child at risk, that needs urgent help rather than a therapy appointment. Contact your GP, go to your nearest emergency department, or ring 112 or 999.

How can I take the next step towards getting support?

Booking an initial online consultation takes a couple of minutes, with no GP letter needed and evening and weekend times available. You do not need a diagnosis, and you do not need to have decided whether what happened to you counts. That is a fair thing to work out with someone.

If you need help now rather than at your next appointment:

Emergency services: 112 or 999
Samaritans: freephone 116 123, any hour
ISPCC Childline: support for children and young people
Your GP, or your nearest emergency department