Both ways of doing therapy can work well. People have real, lasting change sitting in a room with someone, and people have it sitting at home in front of a laptop. The better fit depends on you, what you are dealing with, the therapist, and the shape of your week.
This article lines the two up honestly: how results compare, the everyday benefits and drawbacks of each, which kinds of therapy suit video, what it costs in Ireland, and the practical things worth checking before you choose.
What is the difference between online therapy and in-person therapy?
In-person therapy is the traditional setup. You meet your therapist at a clinic or private practice, usually for a scheduled session of around 50 minutes, weekly or fortnightly.
Online therapy replaces the room with a secure video call. Some therapists also offer telephone sessions or work partly through therapeutic messaging, though live video is the most common format in Ireland.
Underneath the setting, both formats can use the same approaches and the same goals. What changes is the setting itself, how you communicate, and what the experience feels like day to day. Worth saying plainly: therapy with a qualified professional is different from the growing pile of wellbeing tools online. Things that are not therapy include:
- Mental health and mindfulness apps, however polished
- Automated chatbots and AI companions
- Peer forums and informal online support groups
Some of these are genuinely useful. But they are not a substitute for ongoing work with an accredited therapist. If you are paying for therapy, check that the person is accredited by a recognised Irish body such as the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Is online therapy as effective as face-to-face therapy?
Short answer: often, yes. Research reviews comparing video-based therapy with meeting in person generally find similar results for many common concerns, particularly when sessions are live and run by a qualified therapist. Professional bodies such as the American Psychological Association have published dedicated guidance on practising therapy over video, which itself tells you how mainstream the format has become.
What tends to predict how well therapy goes, in either format, is less about location and more about:
- The relationship you build with your therapist
- Whether the approach suits your particular difficulty
- Showing up regularly and engaging between sessions
That said, it should not be sold as equal for everyone. Effectiveness varies with the person’s needs, the level of risk, and the kind of treatment involved. Some people open up more easily from their own kitchen. Others only relax and trust once they are in the same room as someone. Both reactions are normal.
What are the pros and cons of online and in-person therapy?
Neither option is automatically better, cheaper, or more personal. Here is the honest tally, starting with online therapy. The benefits tend to be practical:
- Real access for people in rural Ireland, where local therapists can be scarce
- No travel time, so a session fits around work or school runs
- More flexibility, with evening and weekend appointments easier to find
- Continuity of care while travelling, moving house, or away at college
- Easier attendance for people with mobility, health, or sensory needs
The drawbacks are mostly about the medium:
- A wobbly internet connection can cut a session short
- Screen fatigue is real, especially after a day of video calls
- Interruptions at home, and the effort of finding genuine privacy
- Fewer visible non-verbal cues, so some nuance gets lost
- Limited suitability in emergencies or for some more complex needs
In-person therapy has its own strengths. The room itself is private and contained, the therapist picks up on full body language, and the trip there and back creates a buffer between the session and ordinary life. Some approaches that rely on movement, play, or close observation also work more naturally face to face.
Its drawbacks are the mirror image of the online ones: travel and parking, fewer local options outside urban areas, less scheduling flexibility, accessibility barriers, and sometimes longer waiting lists compared with public routes through the HSE. Whichever format you lean toward, an accredited therapist matters more than the room or the screen.
Which concerns and types of therapy are suitable for online sessions?
More than most people expect. For many adults, these adapt well to video:
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and structured counselling
- Humanistic and psychodynamic psychotherapy
- Therapy for insomnia and stress
- Sex therapy
- Neuroaffirming therapy for autistic or ADHD adults
Couples and family therapy can work online too, provided everyone has suitable technology, privacy, and clear ground rules. Some therapists run groups this way as well. Partners can even join from different places, which occasionally solves a childcare problem.
Trauma-informed work, including EMDR and somatic approaches, is sometimes delivered online. It needs careful assessment and stabilisation first, and a practitioner trained to adapt the approach safely. If that is you, ask directly about their experience working this way; bodies like the Irish Council for Psychotherapy hold registers of accredited psychotherapists you can check.
Adolescents can do well in either format, depending on privacy at home, maturity, and their own preference. Younger children are a different case: play therapy usually needs a physical room and specialist materials. And there are situations where a therapist is likely to recommend in-person care instead:
- High or rapidly changing risk, or severe symptoms
- Safeguarding concerns
- No genuinely private space at home
- Real difficulty engaging through a screen
- A treatment that needs physical materials or closer observation
How do I decide which type of therapy is right for me?
A short self-audit helps. The same question can point different people in opposite directions:
|
Think about |
Points more toward online |
Points more toward in person |
|
Your week |
No travel time; evening and weekend slots are easier to find |
The trip to the session gives you a clear break from home and work |
|
Where you live |
Rural areas and towns with few local therapists stay open to you |
Simple if you have good options nearby and easy transport |
|
Privacy |
You need a room where you will not be overheard or interrupted |
The consulting room is private by default |
|
Comfort on camera |
You can relax and be yourself on a video call |
Eye contact and conversation feel more natural across a room |
|
Mobility and health |
Helpful when travel is tiring, painful, or hard to plan |
Less decisive if getting out of the house is part of what helps you |
If you go the online route, the basic requirements are modest: a stable connection, a device with a camera, headphones if needed, a private room, and an agreed plan with your therapist for interruptions or a dropped connection.
Confidentiality deserves proper questions too. Ask how sessions and records are protected, whether the video platform is appropriate for confidential healthcare rather than a consumer app, and how the therapist meets Irish and EU data-protection rules. Health information is a special category of data under GDPR, and the Data Protection Commission publishes guidance on how it should be handled.
Then check the person. Look at their qualifications, experience, insurance, and professional membership or accreditation. In Ireland the relevant bodies include the IACP, the Irish Council for Psychotherapy, and the Psychological Society of Ireland. Be aware that professional titles are not all regulated in the same way here. Statutory registration through CORU is being rolled out in stages, so membership of a reputable professional body is currently the most reliable marker. Websites such as Citizens Information are good starting points for understanding health services in Ireland.
Finally, hybrid is a legitimate option. Some therapists combine online and in-person appointments, or move between them as needs and availability change. It is worth asking.
What are the frequently asked questions about online and in-person therapy?
How much do online and in-person therapy cost in Ireland?
Fees vary by therapist, qualification, location, and session type, and online is not always cheaper on the session price alone. The fair comparison includes the full cost: travel, parking, childcare, and time away from work often push in-person higher, even when the hourly fee matches. Lower-cost routes exist too. Your GP can refer you to the HSE’s Counselling in Primary Care service if you hold a medical card, and charitable or community services sometimes offer reduced fees. Some private health insurance policies also contribute toward sessions with accredited therapists, so check your own policy before assuming it will not help.
What happens during an online therapy session?
Less ceremony than people fear. The practical shape usually looks like this:
- You receive a secure video link by email before the session.
- You join from a private space; headphones help if others are home.
- Early on, your therapist confirms your identity, where you are, and what happens if the connection fails.
- From there it runs much like an in-person session: you talk, they listen, and sometimes you agree something small to try between meetings.
Can I combine online and in-person sessions?
Yes, if your therapist offers both. Hybrid arrangements can give you flexibility and continuity, for example video during busy stretches and face-to-face when it matters. Agree the arrangement together and review it from time to time, because your needs, risk level, and treatment approach can shift what suits you best.
How can I take the next step?
A practical way forward: shortlist accredited therapists who offer the format you prefer, and ask for a brief initial consultation. Good questions to bring include:
- How they work, and their experience with your kind of difficulty
- Fees, session length, and usual availability
- How privacy, records, and technology are handled
- What happens in an emergency, or if the format stops suiting you
Your first choice is not permanent. You can review how the format feels after a few sessions and switch to in-person, online, or a hybrid rhythm with your therapist. If you would like to start online, you can choose a therapist and book a session in a couple of minutes, with evening and weekend times available across Ireland.
One important note: therapy booking services are not for emergencies. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999. If you need to talk to someone right now, the Samaritans are free on 116 123, day or night.