Online CBT Therapy Ireland

Practical, structured therapy for anxious thoughts and unhelpful patterns, with an accredited CBT 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 thoughts keep coming back no matter how sensible you are about them. The email you have reread five times. The same argument replaying at two in the morning. The task you have put off so long that starting it now feels worse than avoiding it again.

CBT works on that pattern directly. Sessions happen by secure video, so you can meet a qualified therapist from your sitting room, from the office once everyone has gone home, or from anywhere in Ireland with a reasonable internet connection. No commute, no waiting room, no explaining yourself at a reception desk.

What is online CBT therapy and how does it work?

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a structured, goal-focused way of working that looks at how thoughts, feelings and behaviours feed each other. Expect the worst about a meeting, feel sick about it, cancel the meeting, and the expectation gets a little stronger. CBT interrupts that loop at a point you can actually reach.

Online, this happens in a private video appointment. In the first few sessions you and your therapist name the difficulty and agree what you want to be different, then you work towards it week by week. It is the same conversation you would have sitting in a room, on a screen instead.

CBT deals mostly with what is happening now. Earlier experiences come into it where they explain why a pattern took hold, but the work stays in the present.

Therapist-led CBT is not the same thing as an app, an online course or a workbook. Self-help material can genuinely help, and NICE guidance on depression in adults lists guided self-help among the options for less severe difficulty. The difference is that a person is watching the pattern with you.

	Therapist-led online CBT	Self-guided CBT (app, course or workbook)
Who shapes the work	A therapist, around your situation	You, from a fixed set of material
Pace	Adjusted as you go	Whatever you can keep up yourself
When it gets difficult	Someone notices and stays with it	Most people quietly stop
Cost	A fee per session	Often free or low cost
Suits	Patterns that have not shifted on their own	A first step, or something alongside therapy

What can online CBT help me with?

CBT is used for a fairly wide range of everyday difficulties, and it is the approach NICE recommends for generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults. People come to it for:

Anxiety, constant worry, and panic attacks
Depression and low mood
Work stress and burnout
Social anxiety, phobias, and obsessive or compulsive patterns
Low self-esteem and harsh self-criticism
Sleep difficulties, and coping with a big change like a separation, a new baby or redundancy

The signs it may suit you are usually plain enough. Thoughts that circle. Things you have started avoiding. A habit that helps for an hour and costs you more later. A sense of being stuck in the same loop and knowing it, which is the frustrating part.

Whether it is the right fit depends on what is going on for you, what you want from therapy, and how much risk is involved. An initial session is the honest way to work that out, and sometimes the answer is that a different approach suits you better.

One thing to be clear about: this is not an emergency service. If you are in crisis or worried about your safety, contact your GP or your local emergency department, or call 112 or 999. Samaritans is free on 116 123, day or night, and Pieta is free on 1800 247 247.

Not sure if this is the right fit?

A first session is just a conversation.

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What happens during an online CBT session?

The first appointment is mostly you talking and your therapist listening. What is happening at the moment, a bit of relevant background, what you would like to be different. By the end you should have a rough shared plan rather than a finished one.

After that, sessions have a loose shape.

Stage	What tends to happen
Naming the problem	You get specific about what is actually happening, and when
Spotting the pattern	You start noticing the thought and the behaviour that follow each other
Testing it	You question the thought, and try a different response in real life
Keeping it	The skills stay with you once sessions end

The techniques themselves are practical: reframing a thought, breaking a worry into what can and cannot be acted on, stepping back into an avoided situation one manageable stage at a time, planning activity when motivation has gone. Your therapist may suggest something small to try between sessions. If it does not happen, that is information, not a failing.

Is online CBT as effective as face-to-face therapy?

For many common difficulties, research comparing therapist-led internet CBT with in-person CBT has found broadly similar results, including a 2018 review and meta-analysis by Carlbring and colleagues covering a range of conditions. No one can promise you a particular outcome, and any therapist who does is overselling.

What makes it work is the same online as in a room. The principles do not change; the delivery does. What changes for the better is access: therapy at eight in the evening, from a town with no therapist in it, without half a day lost to travel.

Change tends to last when the skills get used between appointments rather than only discussed in them. That is where a course of CBT earns its keep.

Any reviews published on this site come from people who have attended sessions here and have given permission for their words to be used. We do not publish invented or purchased testimonials.

How do I choose an online CBT therapist in Ireland?

Counselling and psychotherapy titles are not yet fully protected in Ireland, so it is worth checking credentials before you book anyone. Reasonable things to look for:

Accreditation with a recognised body such as the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy or, for psychologists, the Psychological Society of Ireland
Specific CBT training, not just a general mention of CBT
Experience with the thing you are bringing
Insurance, supervision, and a clear written agreement about fees and confidentiality

Every therapist here is accredited, and each profile sets out their training and the difficulties they work with most. You can read the profiles and pick someone yourself, or book with no preference and be matched. If the first person does not feel right after a session or two, say so and we will move you. That happens, and it is not awkward.

Appointments are available anywhere in the Republic of Ireland. You need a private space where you will not be overheard, a phone, tablet or laptop with a camera, and a steady connection. Headphones help more than people expect. The video link is encrypted and arrives by email, with nothing to install, and your notes are held in line with GDPR.

Frequently asked questions

How much does online CBT therapy cost in Ireland?

Fees vary between therapists and are shown on each profile before you book, so there are no surprises. Therapy in Ireland is largely private and paid for directly, though Citizens Information sets out the limited free and low-cost options that exist through the HSE and voluntary services.

How many CBT sessions will I need?

Fewer than most people fear. A course of CBT is often somewhere between six and twenty sessions, and NICE guidance for generalised anxiety disorder describes high-intensity CBT as typically 12 to 15 weekly sessions, sometimes fewer. You and your therapist review it as you go rather than committing upfront.

Can I claim for online CBT through private health insurance in Ireland?

Often partly, depending on your plan. Most insurers contribute a set amount towards a limited number of counselling or psychotherapy sessions a year, and cover usually depends on the therapist being accredited, so ring your provider and ask what your policy allows. The Health Insurance Authority can help you compare plans. Tax relief on qualifying health expenses is given at the standard rate of 20%, although not all therapy costs qualify, so check Revenue's guidance on health expenses before assuming.

How can I start online CBT therapy?

Starting takes about two minutes, and no GP letter is needed.

Look at the available appointments, including evenings and weekends
Choose a therapist, or book with no preference and be matched
Book and pay securely online, with no account to set up
Your confirmation and private video link arrive by email

If you are not sure where to start, there is a short free call to talk through whether this is the right fit. It is a practical chat about options, not a therapy session.

Cancellation terms are set out when you book, so read them then rather than later. Before the first appointment, all you need is a private space and a rough sense of what has been on your mind. You do not have to have it organised. That is what the first session is for.

View available CBT appointments and book your first online session whenever you feel ready.