Maybe your teenager has gone quiet and you don't know how to ask. Or you are the teenager, reading this at midnight because saying it out loud feels like too much. Either way, this page explains what online therapy for young people actually involves, in plain terms.
Online Teen & Youth Therapy Ireland
Age-appropriate therapy for teenagers, with parents involved the right amount. Sessions from wherever your teen feels comfortable.
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.
Could online therapy help me or my teenager?
Therapy for a young person is mostly talking, with someone whose job is to listen properly and who won't be shocked by any of it. Sessions happen by secure video, so a young person can join from their own room, anywhere in the country.
The sorts of things young people bring to sessions:
- anxiety and panic, including the social kind that makes a group chat feel like a test
- low mood, losing interest in things that used to matter, sleeping badly
- school and exam pressure, or the pressure they put on themselves
- grief, loss, and big family changes like a separation
- friendship fallouts, bullying, and what to do about it online as well as in person
- identity, including questions about sexuality or gender, and LGBTQ+ concerns
- social media, comparison, and learning to set boundaries with friends and with parents
The practical side matters more than people expect. No long drive after school, no waiting room, evening and weekend times, and you are not limited to whoever happens to practise near your town. That last one counts if you live somewhere with a long wait or no local youth service at all. The HSE lists the wider range of supports available to children and young people in Ireland.
Is it suitable? Based on the research available so far, talking therapy delivered by video appears to work broadly as well as meeting in person for common difficulties like anxiety and low mood, and talking therapies including CBT are recommended for young people by bodies such as NICE. That said, it depends on the young person. Some take to a screen easily. Some need a while. It also depends on whether they have somewhere private to talk and whether there are safety concerns that need a different kind of care.
How does online therapy for young people work?
Starting is deliberately simple, because the hard part is deciding to do it at all.
- You get in touch, or fill in the booking form. A parent or guardian usually makes first contact for a younger teenager.
- We ask a few short questions about what is going on and what would help.
- We talk through preferences: age, gender of therapist, anything specific you want them to be familiar with.
- We match the young person with a therapist and arrange a first appointment, often within days rather than months.
Sessions here are by secure video. A private link arrives by email and there is nothing to install. Some other services offer phone or text-based support instead, and if being on camera feels like too much at the start, say so at the enquiry stage and we will talk about what is workable.
What is needed at the young person's end: a phone, tablet or laptop with a camera, a connection that mostly holds up, headphones, and a room where nobody can overhear. Headphones do a lot of quiet work here.
And if it isn't the right fit? That happens, and it isn't a failure. Tell us and we will arrange someone else. Nobody needs to explain why.
Not sure if this is the right fit?
A first session is just a conversation.
What happens in the first online therapy session?
The first session is mostly the therapist introducing themselves and explaining how this works. There is no expectation that a young person pours everything out in the first fifty minutes. Some say very little the first time, and that is fine.
Usually it covers:
- what is going on at the moment, and how long it has been like that
- a bit of background, including family, school and friends
- what the young person is good at and who they have around them
- what they would like to be different, even if that is vague at this stage
- how confidentiality works, when a parent would be contacted, and when sessions will happen
Questions are welcome in both directions. A young person can ask a therapist about their experience, say they would rather not discuss something yet, or ask to keep the camera off for part of a session. Trust is built over time, not requested up front.
Who will provide the therapy, and what approaches might they use?
Therapy for a young person is only as good as the person doing it. Our therapists are accredited with a recognised Irish professional body such as the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy or the Psychological Society of Ireland, hold Garda vetting for work with under-18s, and bring their work to regular clinical supervision.
Matching takes account of age, what the young person is dealing with, how they prefer to communicate, and any specific experience you ask for, such as neurodiversity or LGBTQ+ mental health.
The work itself might be counselling, longer-term psychotherapy, or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which looks at the thoughts that keep circling and what to do with them. Nobody can promise which approach suits before meeting a young person; the therapist will talk it through rather than announce a plan. Sometimes family sessions or a separate piece of work with parents is suggested, where that would genuinely help.
Will parents be involved, and are sessions confidential?
For under-18s, most Irish services ask for consent from a parent or guardian, and what is required can depend on the young person's age and maturity as well as the provider's own policy. The legal position on consent to health treatment in Ireland is summarised by Citizens Information. We confirm exactly what is needed in your situation before the first session, so there are no surprises.
Confidentiality is the part young people ask about most, so here it is plainly:
| What parents usually get | What stays between the young person and their therapist |
|---|---|
| Confirmation of attendance and appointment times | What is actually said in the room |
| A general sense of how things are going | Specific worries, family frustrations, relationships, mistakes |
| Contact if there is a serious concern about safety | Anything the young person isn't ready to share yet |
The limits are the important bit, and the therapist explains them to the young person directly. If there is a serious risk of harm to them or to someone else, or a child protection concern, the therapist has to pass that on. Wherever possible they will tell the young person first and involve them in how it happens.
If you are a parent bringing this up at home: ask rather than announce, listen to the objection properly, don't quiz them after sessions, and let the privacy be real. "I'll book it, you don't have to tell me anything" is often what makes a teenager say yes.
If you are a young person who wants therapy and doesn't know how to say it, one line is usually enough. Something like: "I've been struggling for a while and I want to talk to someone who isn't you." You can also send a parent this page and let it do the explaining.
When might online therapy not be the right kind of support?
This is not a crisis service and there is nobody monitoring messages between sessions. Online therapy is not the right fit when there is immediate danger, an acute mental health crisis, a serious child protection concern, a need for intensive specialist care, or simply nowhere private and safe to join a session from. If you are unsure, get in touch and ask before booking. We would far rather point you somewhere better suited.
For urgent help in Ireland:
- In an emergency, or if a young person is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999, or go to the nearest emergency department
- Contact your GP, or the out-of-hours GP service in your area
- Text About It, a free 24-hour crisis text service, text HELLO to 50808
- ISPCC Childline, free and available 24 hours a day on 1800 66 66 66
- Jigsaw, free mental health support for young people, with online and in-person options
Frequently asked questions
What ages can access online youth therapy in Ireland?
We work with teenagers and young people, and we confirm the exact age range and any consent requirements when you first get in touch, since these differ by service. For comparison, Jigsaw supports young people aged 12 to 25 free of charge, and ISPCC Childline is there for anyone under 18.
How much does online teen therapy cost, and is funding or low-cost support available?
Fees are confirmed before you book anything, so you can decide with the real number in front of you. Free and low-cost options exist too: Jigsaw is free, ISPCC Childline is free, and the HSE lists publicly funded services. Some health insurance policies contribute towards counselling sessions, so it is worth checking yours before you assume it doesn't.
How quickly can a teenager start therapy, and how long does therapy usually last?
Waiting weeks for a first appointment is one of the main reasons young people give up on the idea, so we keep the start short.
| Stage | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| Enquiry | We reply and ask a few short questions |
| Match and first session | Arranged for the next available suitable slot, including evenings |
| Ongoing sessions | Typically weekly or fortnightly, 50 minutes each |
| Length of the work | Sometimes six to eight sessions, sometimes longer, reviewed as you go |
How can I arrange an online therapy appointment?
You can book an initial consultation, or just ask us a question first. Both are confidential, and neither commits you to anything.
Useful to include in a first message:
- the young person's age
- a sentence or two about what is going on
- who is making contact, parent, guardian or the young person
- times of day that suit for sessions
We reply to enquiries promptly, usually within one working day. For younger teenagers a parent or guardian should make first contact; older teenagers often get in touch themselves and we take it from there. That first conversation is where age eligibility, consent, suitability, therapist availability, session format and fees all get sorted out, before you commit to anything at all.
No rush. Whenever you feel ready.