Online Marriage Counselling Ireland

Marriage counselling for disconnection, recurring rows and rebuilding trust. Together, 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.

Maybe you are having the same argument on a loop, and neither of you can remember how it starts any more. Maybe there is no argument at all, just two people being polite to each other in the same kitchen. Or something happened, and you are both still standing in the middle of it, not sure whether to talk about it or step around it.

Whatever brought you here, you can get proper support without either of you driving anywhere. Online marriage counselling with Online Therapy Works is private, confidential relationship therapy by secure video, with a qualified relationship counsellor, available anywhere in Ireland. You can book a session in a couple of minutes whenever you feel ready.

What is online marriage counselling, and what can it help us with?

It is relationship therapy, held over a secure video call instead of in a room. A counsellor works with the two of you together, follows what is actually going on between you, and shapes the work around what you both want from it. You can sit side by side on the sofa or dial in from two different places.

Couples come to us with all sorts of things. Some of the most common are:

Communication that has stopped working, and arguments that repeat with the same ending
Trust that has been damaged, including after an affair
Emotional distance, or feeling more like flatmates than partners
Difficulties with intimacy and sex
Pressure from parenting, money worries, or caring for a parent
Big changes: a new baby, a job loss, illness, a move, retirement

What counselling does is slow things down enough for both of you to see the pattern you are caught in, rather than just the last row. You practise listening to each other without bracing for a fight, and you get to say the harder things with someone in the room who can hold the balance. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy describes relationship counselling in similar terms.

You do not have to be in crisis to come. Plenty of couples book because something is off and they would rather not wait until it is worse. Others come when separation is on the table and they want to think it through properly, together, instead of in the middle of a bad evening.

How does online marriage counselling work?

The practical side is straightforward. You book online or send an enquiry, we match you with a counsellor experienced in couples work if you have no preference, and a private encrypted video link arrives by email. Nothing to install. You do not need a GP letter to see a private counsellor in Ireland, and you can self-refer, as Citizens Information explains for private health services generally.

Stage	What happens
Enquiry or booking	A short form or call, then a confirmed appointment time
Before the session	A secure video link by email, to both of you if you are joining separately
First session	Your history as a couple, what each of you is finding hardest, what you want to be different
Later sessions	Noticing the patterns, practising how you talk to each other, small steps between meetings

That first session is mostly listening. Your counsellor will ask how you met, what the last year or two has been like, and what each of you would notice if things improved. Both of you get time to speak. Sessions run 50 minutes, usually weekly or fortnightly at the start, and the pace is something you agree together rather than a fixed programme.

Not sure if this is the right fit?

A first session is just a conversation.

Book a session Find a therapist →

Is online counselling as effective as meeting a counsellor in person?

For many couples, yes, provided both of you can take part safely and are willing to engage with it. Based on available research, online delivery appears to work comparably well for common relationship and mental health difficulties, and professional bodies including BACP now treat it as an ordinary way to attend.

The practical gains are real, particularly in Ireland. No drive to a clinic after work. No childminder needed for a 7pm slot. If you live in a county where the nearest couples counsellor is an hour away, or the waiting list is long, online opens a door that was fairly well shut.

The usual worry is that a screen makes things feel less personal. Most couples stop noticing the camera within about ten minutes, and some find it easier to say difficult things from their own sitting room. That said, be honest about the limits: broadband drops out, privacy at home is not always possible, and some situations need face-to-face or specialist crisis support instead.

What matters most is not the format. It is whether you trust your counsellor, whether you both turn up willing, and what kind of difficulty you are working with.

Is online marriage counselling right for us?

It suits married couples, long-term partners, couples living apart or in different countries, and people who cannot name one problem but know the connection has gone. Same-sex and unmarried couples are equally welcome.

You can also come on your own. If your partner is not ready, individual relationship counselling still helps you understand your own patterns, what you need, and what you want to do next. It is not a lesser option.

Counselling is not there to keep you together at any cost. Some couples rebuild. Some decide to separate and use the sessions to do it with less damage, especially where children are involved. Both are legitimate outcomes.

One important exception. If you feel frightened of your partner, cannot speak freely in front of them, or are experiencing coercive control or abuse, joint sessions are not appropriate and can make things more dangerous. Individual support is the right route, and Women's Aid offers confidential information and a national freephone helpline.

How do we choose the right online marriage counsellor in Ireland?

Look for accreditation first. In Ireland that usually means membership of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), or registration with the Psychological Society of Ireland for psychologists. Accredited therapists work to a code of ethics, keep up professional development, and bring their work to clinical supervision, which is what keeps the service safe rather than just well meaning.

Beyond the letters after a name, worth checking:

Specific training and experience in couples work, not only individual therapy
Clear fees and a cancellation policy you can read before booking
Appointment times that suit two working schedules, including evenings and weekends
Whether both of you feel equally heard in the first session, and a willingness to say so if not

Our counsellors work collaboratively and without taking sides. We do not publish client testimonials, because couples counselling is private and we would rather not ask people to hand over their story as marketing. Ask us anything you want to know about a therapist's background before you book.

What do we need for a private and comfortable online session?

Not much, honestly. A reasonable internet connection and a device you trust.

A laptop, tablet or phone that is charged, with a working camera and microphone
Headphones, especially if others are in the house
A quiet room with a door that closes, and ten minutes either side of the session
Somewhere that is not a car you are driving, a café, or an open-plan office

Sessions are held on a secure encrypted platform and are confidential. Your counsellor keeps brief notes, stored securely, and you have rights over that information under data protection law, as set out by the Data Protection Commission. Confidentiality has limits, which your counsellor will explain at the start: mainly where there is a serious risk to you or to someone else, or a legal obligation. Our full privacy policy is linked in the footer of every page.

If you are joining from different locations, each of you gets your own link. If the connection drops, reconnect using the same link; if it will not hold, your counsellor will phone and you can agree what to do with the rest of the time. Agree between yourselves that neither of you records the session, and if there is something you particularly want raised, say so early rather than in the last five minutes.

Frequently asked questions

How much does online marriage counselling cost in Ireland?

Fees for private counselling vary between therapists and services, so there is no single national figure. Our current fees are shown on the booking page before you confirm anything, with no account to set up. Some Irish health insurance policies contribute towards counselling, though cover for couples work can be narrower than for individual therapy, so it is worth ringing your insurer and asking directly.

How many counselling sessions do couples usually need?

There is no set number. Some couples come for six or eight sessions around one specific difficulty and that is enough. Others work for longer, particularly where trust has been broken or the distance has built up over years. You and your counsellor review it as you go, and you are free to stop whenever you want to.

Is online marriage counselling suitable if our relationship is in crisis?

Relationship distress, even severe distress, is something counselling can work with, and a crisis point is often when couples finally make contact. It is different from immediate danger. Counselling is not an emergency service and we are not available around the clock. If you or anyone in your home is at immediate risk, call 112 or 999. For urgent mental health concerns, contact your GP or, out of hours, Samaritans on freephone 116 123. If the issue is abuse or coercive control, contact Women's Aid or Men's Aid Ireland for confidential support.

How can we take the first step?

You can book an initial online appointment directly, or send an enquiry through the form on onlinetherapyworks.ie if you would rather ask something first.

The form asks for your name, email, a phone number, and a few lines about what you are looking for
We normally reply within one working day
We will suggest a counsellor with couples experience, or confirm the time you picked
Sessions are by secure video, 50 minutes, available across Ireland, including evenings and weekends

You do not need to have worked out what the problem is, or agree on it, or know what to say. Plenty of people send the form with something vague like "we keep having the same row and I'm tired". That is enough to start with.