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.
At its core, psychotherapy is a professional setting in which you can put words to things that have become painful, confusing, frightening, or repetitive. It has a structure, but it is still a human conversation with a trained mental health professional. Over regular sessions, you may look at emotions, thoughts, body reactions, choices, relationships, and the patterns that keep resurfacing.
The new types of psychotherapy guide compares CBT, psychodynamic, integrative, ACT, systemic and sensorimotor terms, and explains how they differ from occupational therapy and professional titles.
You may hear it called talk therapy or talking therapy. Some people come because of anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma, grief, or relationship difficulties. Others do not have an easy label for what is wrong. They may simply feel stuck, keep meeting the same difficulty in different forms, or want a clearer picture of themselves.
Quick answers about psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a talking treatment that helps a person slow down and make sense of what is going on. It is not a matter of a therapist handing out advice. Good psychotherapy is collaborative. The therapist listens, asks careful questions, reflects patterns, and works with the person on safer or more helpful ways forward.
When people look for help, they may search for counselling, therapy, a psychotherapist, or psychotherapy in Dublin. The name matters less than the work itself. The professional should be properly trained, work within ethical boundaries, explain the limits of confidentiality, and describe how their approach may fit the particular difficulty.
What does psychotherapy do? It offers a steady place to deal with distress, symptoms, relationships, and repeated patterns, and to find more workable ways of responding. Is a psychotherapist the same as a psychologist? Not necessarily. A psychotherapist is trained in psychotherapy. A psychologist has psychology training and may offer therapy depending on role, registration, and training. How does psychiatry fit? Psychiatry is a medical specialty, although some psychiatrists also practise psychotherapy. Counselling and psychotherapy overlap too; in practice, fit and training matter most.
For readers who want more specific routes, there is a guide to psychotherapy and counselling in Dublin and online, as well as comparisons of CBT and IPT and CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy. There are also reflective companion hubs for psychotherapy and literature and psychotherapy and film.
Source and review note: this page was reviewed on 12 May 2026 with reference to NIMH, the HSE talk therapy guide, and the American Psychiatric Association. It is educational and cannot diagnose, provide individual advice, or replace a personal assessment. If there is immediate risk or someone cannot stay safe, use local emergency services or urgent mental-health support now.
Start with the question you have
Anxiety and panic
Psychotherapy can help explore worry, avoidance, body symptoms, panic attacks, and the patterns that keep anxiety going.
OCD and intrusive thoughts
Therapy may help with intrusive thoughts, compulsions, reassurance loops, and the anxiety that surrounds them.
Depression and low mood
Psychotherapy can offer a place to understand withdrawal, self-criticism, loss of energy, hopelessness, and relationship patterns.
Trauma and PTSD
Therapy can support careful work with the effects of frightening, overwhelming, or repeated experiences when the timing and approach are right.
Grief and loss
Psychotherapy can help people make room for grief, change, and complicated feelings without rushing the process.
Relationships and communication
Many people use psychotherapy to understand repeated patterns, conflict, distance, attachment, boundaries, and communication.
What psychotherapy is
At its simplest, psychotherapy is a professional space for speaking honestly and thinking carefully about what is happening in your inner life and relationships. The work may involve feelings, thoughts, memories, body sensations, habits, communication, conflict, avoidance, loss, fear, shame, hope, and change.
A psychotherapist does not simply give advice or tell you what to do. They listen, ask questions, help you notice patterns, and work with you to understand what may be maintaining distress or making change difficult. In some approaches, there may also be structured tasks, practice between sessions, skills work, or exposure exercises.
What happens in a psychotherapy session
- You usually begin by talking about what brought you to therapy and what you hope may change.
- The therapist may ask about symptoms, relationships, work, family, health, medication, risk, previous help, and what has supported you before.
- You can ask practical questions about confidentiality, fees, cancellations, online sessions, session length, and the therapist’s approach.
- Over time, sessions may focus on repeated patterns, emotional reactions, difficult memories, beliefs, behaviour, communication, and choices.
- Progress is usually reviewed rather than assumed. If therapy is not helping, it is reasonable to say so and discuss a different focus, pace, or referral route.
What psychotherapy can help with
Psychotherapy may be useful when distress is persistent, severe, confusing, repeated, risky or interfering with everyday life. It can be used on its own, alongside medical care, or alongside medication when medication is clinically appropriate and has been discussed with a qualified prescriber.
- Anxiety, worry, and panic.
- OCD, intrusive thoughts, and compulsive patterns.
- Depression, low mood, and loss of interest.
- Trauma, PTSD and the after-effects of overwhelming experiences.
- Grief, bereavement, and major life changes.
- Relationship difficulties, attachment, boundaries, and communication.
- Stress, burnout and feeling unable to keep going.
- Self-understanding, identity questions, life transitions, and recurring patterns that feel hard to change alone.
Psychotherapy, counselling, psychology and psychiatry
These words overlap, but they do not mean exactly the same thing. Counselling is often used for focused or more immediate difficulties, while psychotherapy may also work with deeper or longer-standing patterns. In practice, the boundary depends on the practitioner’s training, the approach, and what the person needs.
Psychology is the study of mind and behaviour. Psychologists may work in assessment, research, health services, education, or therapy, depending on their role and training. Psychiatry is a medical specialty: psychiatrists are doctors who can assess mental health, diagnose mental disorders, prescribe medication, and in some cases also provide psychotherapy.
Different approaches to psychotherapy
For one focused example of how therapy approaches differ, see CBT vs IPT: interpersonal therapy compared with CBT. It explains how cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy organise the work differently, while still allowing room for an integrative psychotherapy approach.
There is no single kind of psychotherapy. Approaches differ in how structured they are, how much they focus on present behaviour, early experience, relationships, emotions, body states, communication, trauma, meaning, or practical skills. A good fit depends on the person, the difficulty, the therapist’s training, and the goals of the work.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focuses on links between thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and behaviour, often with structured practice.
- Psychodynamic or psychoanalytic psychotherapy explores emotional patterns, relationships, early experiences, and less conscious meanings.
- Humanistic and integrative psychotherapy often emphasises the whole person, the therapy relationship, self-understanding, and adapting the work to the individual.
- Systemic, couple, and family therapy looks at patterns between people, not only inside one person.
- Interpersonal therapy focuses on mood and relationship patterns, especially where relationships and life changes are central.
- Trauma-focused therapies, including EMDR where appropriate, may be used for traumatic memories and PTSD symptoms.
- Communication-focused therapy looks closely at communication with oneself and others, and how meaning, emotion, and connection can change.
Online psychotherapy
Online psychotherapy, online counselling and online therapy can be useful routes when they are clinically suitable. If you are considering Zoom sessions, the online counselling Ireland page explains privacy, technology, location, safety and first-appointment questions.
How to know whether psychotherapy may be worth considering
It may be worth speaking to a qualified professional if symptoms are persistent, severe, risky, worsening, or affecting sleep, work, relationships, study, appetite, substance use, physical health, or everyday functioning. You do not need to wait until things are unbearable.
If you are unsure, the not sure if therapy is right page may help you think through the next step. A first appointment can also be used to clarify what is happening and whether psychotherapy, counselling, medical assessment, or another support route would fit best.
Questions to ask before starting
- What training, registration, or accreditation does the practitioner have?
- Do they have experience with the type of difficulty you want to work on?
- What approach do they use, and why might it fit your situation?
- What are the fees, cancellation policy, session length, and likely review points?
- What are the limits of confidentiality, especially around risk and safeguarding?
- If medication is relevant, who can discuss prescribing questions with you? Medication decisions need to be discussed with a qualified prescriber.
- If sessions are online, what is the plan for privacy, technical problems and urgent local support?
Psychotherapy in Dublin and online
Dr Jonathan Haverkampf offers psychotherapy and counselling in Dublin and online by Zoom. The first appointment is usually a place to understand what has been difficult, ask practical questions, and consider whether working together is appropriate.
You can also read about fees, use the appointment page, or make contact with a brief practical question.
When urgent help is needed
This page is for general education and orientation. If there is an immediate risk of harm, overdose, severe self-harm, or you do not feel able to keep yourself or someone else safe, contact local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department. In Ireland, you can call 999 or 112. You can also contact Samaritans in Ireland on 116 123 for 24-hour listening support.
Sources and further reading
This page was written as educational information and last reviewed on 11 May 2026. It is not a diagnosis, crisis service, or substitute for individual professional advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a structured form of talking with a trained mental health professional. It can help people understand emotions, thoughts, behaviour, relationships, and repeating patterns, and find safer or more helpful ways forward.
Is psychotherapy the same as counselling?
The terms overlap. Counselling is often used for focused or immediate difficulties, while psychotherapy may also work with deeper or longer-standing patterns. In practice, the difference depends on training, approach, and need.
Do I need a diagnosis to start psychotherapy?
No. Many people start psychotherapy without a formal diagnosis. Others come after a diagnosis because they want help understanding symptoms, relationships, emotions, coping patterns, or next steps.
Can psychotherapy be online?
Yes, where it is clinically and practically suitable. Online psychotherapy needs privacy, a reliable connection, and a plan for what to do if urgent local support is needed.
Reading and film as reflective support
Some people find it easier to start with a book, film, story, or scene and then bring the reflection into therapy. The guides on books for anxiety and overthinking and mental health movies offer gentle ways to use reading or viewing without turning either into diagnosis or pressure.
Choosing the right professional
If you are unsure whether you need a psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist, or counsellor, the professional-difference guide explains the terms and links them to service fit.
Related Guide: Social Rhythm Therapy
Where sleep, routine, relationships, and mood changes seem closely connected, the guide to social rhythm therapy explains IPSRT and how rhythm disruption can be discussed safely in therapy, especially around bipolar disorder and mood stability.