Sometimes you just need somewhere to say it out loud. Talk therapy gives you that: a private, confidential hour with someone trained to listen properly and help you make sense of what is going on. Sessions here happen by secure video, from wherever you are in Ireland. No referral needed, no judgement.
Online Talk Therapy & Counselling
A private hour to say it out loud, with a trained therapist who listens properly, by secure video from wherever you are in Ireland.
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.
What is talk therapy and how does it work?
Talk therapy means working with a trained therapist to look at your thoughts, feelings, behaviour, relationships and the things that have happened to you. You talk, your therapist listens, asks questions, and helps you notice what keeps coming up.
The words people use for this overlap a lot, and that confuses nearly everyone at the start:
- Talk therapy and talking therapy are general terms for the same kind of support.
- Counselling often describes shorter work on something current and specific.
- Psychotherapy usually goes deeper and runs longer, though the line between them is blurry.
The training and qualifications behind each title do vary, which is why accreditation matters more than the label. The HSE uses talk therapy as an umbrella term in much the same way.
What it is not: being told what to do. Nobody hands you a plan for your life. You set what you want to work on, and the two of you go at it together, at your pace.
What problems can talk therapy help me with?
People come for all sorts of reasons. Anxiety and panic. Low mood and depression. Work stress and burnout. Grief. Trauma. Feeling worthless, or exhausted by trying to be perfect. Rows at home that keep going the same way.
You do not need a diagnosis, and you do not need to be able to name the problem. Plenty of people arrive saying some version of "I don't feel like myself and I can't tell you why." That is enough to start with.
What tends to shift over time:
- You spot your own patterns earlier, before they run away with you.
- You get practical ways to handle the hard moments rather than white-knuckling them.
- Conversations at home and at work get a bit easier.
- Difficult feelings feel less like something to be afraid of.
If you need help right now: talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are thinking about harming yourself or someone else, or you are in immediate danger:
- Call 112 or 999, or go to your nearest emergency department.
- Call the Samaritans free, any hour of the day or night, on 116 123.
- Contact your GP, or see the urgent support options listed by the HSE and Pieta.
Not sure if this is the right fit?
A first session is just a conversation.
What types of talk therapy are available, and which one is right for me?
We work in a few main ways, depending on what you need:
- Person-centred and relational counselling, where the relationship itself does much of the work.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), structured work on the thinking patterns that feed anxiety and low mood.
- Integrative psychotherapy, drawing on more than one approach as the work goes on.
- Couples and marriage counselling, for conflict, disconnection, trust and the big life changes.
- Therapy for teenagers, age-appropriate and confidential to the young person within safeguarding limits.
Broadly, some approaches are structured and goal-focused, with something small to try between sessions. Others are more open, following where your experience leads and taking time over patterns that go back years. Neither is better. It depends on what you want, what suits how you think, and what you have tried before.
Still not sure? That is normal, and it is exactly what a first conversation is for. Nothing commits you to months of anything.
What happens when I start talk therapy?
Starting is more ordinary than people expect. Booking online takes about two minutes and you do not need to set up an account. Evening and weekend times are available.
- Reach out. Book directly with a therapist whose profile appeals to you, or book with no preference.
- Initial assessment. A short conversation about what is going on and what you are hoping for.
- Get matched. If you have not chosen a therapist yourself, you are matched with one who fits.
- Begin sessions. A private, encrypted video link arrives by email. Nothing to install.
That first session usually covers what brought you, what you would like to be different, a bit of relevant background, and anything you want to ask. Your therapist should also be clear with you about confidentiality, cancellations, and how sessions will run.
Sessions are typically 50 minutes, weekly or fortnightly, and the plan gets reviewed as you go.
Does talk therapy work, including when sessions are online?
Talking therapies are recommended as a first-line treatment for common difficulties like anxiety and depression by bodies including NICE and the NHS. That said, outcomes vary with the difficulty, the approach, how much you engage, and, most of all, the relationship between you and your therapist.
Be realistic about it. Progress is usually gradual. Some weeks feel harder than the one before, particularly when you start opening something you have been keeping shut. It is worth checking in with your therapist every so often about whether this is helping, and saying so honestly if it is not.
On the online question: services in Ireland and the UK now routinely deliver talking therapy by video and phone, and many people find the practicalities work better for them.
| Practical thing | Online sessions | In-person sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | None. No commute, no parking, no waiting room | Depends on how close a therapist is to you |
| Where you are | Home, a parked car, anywhere private | The therapist's room |
| Access outside cities | The same whether you are in Leitrim or Dublin 4 | Harder in rural areas and smaller towns |
| What you need | A steady connection, a device, headphones help | Nothing technical |
| Privacy | Nobody sees you arrive anywhere | Away from home, which some people prefer |
Online Therapy Works is online only. Every session is by secure video.
How can I access talk therapy, and what does it cost in Ireland?
You can come to us directly. There is no GP letter or referral needed for counselling in Ireland, and we work with adults, couples and teenagers anywhere in the country. If medication might be part of the picture, involving your GP early is sensible.
| Route | How you get in | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Private therapist (including us) | Book directly, no referral | Paid per session; fees are listed before you book |
| Your GP | Ask about referral options locally | Varies; medical card holders may have options |
| HSE mental health services | Usually via GP referral | Free, though waiting times vary by area |
| Employee assistance programme | Through your employer, confidentially | Free, usually a set number of sessions |
| Charities and community services | Direct contact or referral | Free or reduced-cost places |
Our current fees are set out on the booking page, so you know the figure before you commit to anything. Many Irish health insurance policies contribute towards counselling or psychotherapy with an accredited therapist, so it is worth checking yours, and we can provide a receipt for a claim.
Free and lower-cost supports exist too, and Citizens Information and the HSE both list them. Self-help resources and support groups can sit alongside therapy. They are not a replacement for urgent or specialist care.
Frequently asked questions
How long does talk therapy usually take to work?
There is no fixed answer, and be wary of anyone who gives you one. Some people feel a bit lighter after two or three sessions simply from saying things out loud. Focused work on one specific difficulty often runs somewhere between six and twenty sessions, while longer-standing patterns take longer. You and your therapist review it as you go.
How do I choose a qualified talk therapist in Ireland?
Counselling and psychotherapy titles are not yet fully restricted in Ireland, so check credentials yourself. Look for accreditation with a recognised body such as the IACP, experience with the thing you are bringing, and a clear explanation of fees and cancellations. Then trust your gut on the first session: feeling comfortable with the person matters as much as their letters after their name.
- Accredited with a recognised professional body
- Experience with your particular difficulty
- Clear about fees, session length and cancellations
- Someone you feel you could be honest with
Is talk therapy private and confidential?
Yes. What you say stays between you and your therapist, and sessions here run on an encrypted video platform. There are narrow legal and safeguarding limits, mainly where there is a serious risk to you or someone else, or a child protection concern, and your therapist will explain those at the start rather than leaving you to wonder.
Are you ready to take the first step?
You do not need to have it worked out before you get in touch. Plenty of people book with nothing more than a vague sense that something has to change.
Book a session online in a couple of minutes, or get in touch if you would rather ask a question first. From there it is a short initial conversation, a match with a therapist who suits what you are bringing, and a first session at a time that fits around work and family.
Whenever you feel ready. It will keep.