Quick answer. Online therapy is psychotherapy or counselling delivered by secure video, so you can meet a therapist from home or anywhere private in Ireland. It suits many people and concerns, and research suggests it can be as effective as in-person work for common difficulties such as anxiety and depression. It is not right for everyone — for example, where there is immediate risk or a need for local crisis care, in-person or local services may be more suitable.
Psychotherapy, Counselling and Talk Therapy: Start Here
People use words such as psychotherapy, counselling, therapy, talk therapy, therapist, psychotherapist, psychologist and psychiatrist in different ways. A useful first step is to separate general information from the practical question of what kind of support may fit your situation.
Understand the terms
Find a practical route
This site is educational and cannot decide what support is right for you. For source and review boundaries, see how this mental health information is written and reviewed and the disclaimer.
Online therapy in Ireland can offer a steady way to meet for psychotherapy or counselling by secure video when this is clinically suitable. It can help when travel, location, work, caregiving, health, disability, or privacy needs make in-person sessions harder to arrange.
Video therapy, German-speaking therapy and research
Online therapy is available by video where it is clinically and practically suitable. New supporting pages now explain what to expect from video therapy, what research says about online therapy, and how German-speaking therapy can work for people in Ireland or German-speaking expats where cross-border work is appropriate.
- What to expect from online therapy by video
- Online therapy research and evidence
- German-speaking online therapy in Ireland
- HSE free and low-cost talk therapy routes
- HSE urgent mental health help
Dr Jonathan Haverkampf offers online psychotherapy and counselling by Zoom where online work is appropriate. This page is the main online therapy hub on this site. It is separate from the online counselling hub because online therapy is a substantial service route in its own right.
Online therapy hub
Use this page as the main starting point for online therapy in Ireland with Dr Jonathan Haverkampf. It connects practical booking routes, therapy topics, privacy and suitability questions, and safer alternatives when online work is not enough.
Start here
Related online guides
- Online counselling in Ireland
- Online therapy and online counselling in Ireland
- Therapist near me, or online therapy?
- CBT therapy in Dublin and online
- Talk therapy in Dublin
Common therapy routes
When online therapy may fit
Online therapy may fit when you have enough privacy to speak freely, a reliable internet connection, and a situation that can be worked with safely between scheduled sessions. It may be used for anxiety, OCD, depression, grief, trauma-related questions, relationship patterns, stress, self-understanding, and therapy that focuses on communication, meaning, behaviour, feelings, or relationships.
- You can attend from a private room where you will not be overheard.
- You can use a stable device and connection, ideally with headphones.
- You know what to do locally if risk increases between sessions.
- You want a regular therapeutic conversation rather than a crisis or emergency response.
When online therapy may not be enough
Online therapy is not a crisis service. It may not be suitable if you cannot stay safe, someone else is monitoring or intimidating you, you cannot speak privately, technology is unreliable, or urgent medical, safeguarding, addiction-detox, psychosis, severe eating-disorder, or local emergency support is needed. In those situations, local urgent services or face-to-face assessment may be safer.
Privacy, location and technology
Online therapy needs practical planning. Before a first appointment, it helps to check where you will sit, whether anyone can overhear you, what happens if the call drops, and what local support is available if something becomes urgent. If you are outside Ireland, online work has to be considered carefully because local law, professional rules, privacy, emergency services, and clinical suitability can vary.
Online therapy, online counselling and online CBT
People use different words when searching: online therapy, online counselling, online psychotherapy, online CBT, virtual therapy, teletherapy, or online therapist. The words matter less than the quality of the therapeutic relationship, the professional background, the clarity of the boundaries, and whether the approach fits what you need. The related pages explain CBT, talk therapy, professional titles, and the difference between online therapy and self-help apps or AI tools.
How to begin
If online therapy seems like a possible fit, you can make an appointment, check the fees, or send a brief practical enquiry. Keep first contact brief and avoid sending private clinical detail by email or contact form. The first appointment can then be used to understand what is happening, whether online work is suitable, and what kind of next step would be safest and most useful.
Questions people often ask
Is online therapy the same as in-person therapy?
It is the same kind of therapeutic conversation, but the setting is different. Online work needs more explicit attention to privacy, technology, emergency planning, and whether video sessions are clinically suitable.
Can online therapy help anxiety, OCD or depression?
It may help many people with anxiety, OCD, depression, stress, grief, relationship patterns, and self-understanding, but suitability depends on the person, the risk level, privacy, and the kind of support needed. This page cannot assess your individual situation.
Is online therapy an emergency service?
No. If there is immediate danger, inability to stay safe, severe confusion, urgent medical symptoms, or risk of serious harm, use local emergency services or crisis support rather than waiting for an online appointment.
Community support and online therapy boundaries
A public anxiety forum can help with general discussion and feeling less alone. Online therapy or counselling is the route for individual support; a public forum is not private therapy, diagnosis, crisis care, or medication advice.
Online Therapy and Other Support Routes
Online therapy can be useful when it fits the person's situation. These linked pages help readers compare online therapy with public, low-cost and urgent support routes.