Sometimes life gets heavy. Perhaps you’re lying awake at 3 am with thoughts racing, or you’ve noticed that familiar knot in your stomach has become a constant companion. Maybe you’re just feeling stuck, not in crisis exactly, but not thriving either. Whatever brought you here, you’ve taken an important step simply by reading this.
Individual counselling and psychotherapy provides a confidential space where you can explore what’s really going on for you. At Mind and Body Works, our qualified therapists work one-to-one with over 2,000 clients weekly across our Dublin and Galway centres, as well as online, helping people navigate everything from anxiety and depression to life transitions and relationship difficulties.
What Is Individual Counselling and Psychotherapy?
Individual counselling is a collaborative process between you and a trained therapist. Unlike chatting to a friend or family member (however well-meaning they might be), therapy offers something different: a structured, confidential relationship specifically designed to help you understand yourself better and develop practical strategies for change.
Your therapist isn’t there to give advice or tell you what to do. They’re trained to help you explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours in a way that leads to genuine insight. Think of it as having a skilled guide while you navigate your own internal landscape. They won’t walk the path for you, but they’ll help you see it more clearly.
Research consistently demonstrates that talking therapies work. A national evaluation of Ireland’s Counselling in Primary Care service found that 47% of clients achieved full recovery after an average of just 8 sessions, with a further 15.5% showing significant improvement. These gains were maintained at 12-month follow-up. This isn’t a quick fix that fades; it’s lasting change.
Who Benefits from Individual Therapy?
The short answer? Almost anyone. Therapy isn’t just for people in crisis. While it certainly helps during difficult times, many people use individual counselling as a tool for self-development, gaining clarity about their values, improving their relationships, or simply understanding why they do the things they do.
That said, certain challenges particularly respond well to one-to-one therapeutic work.
Low Self-Esteem and the Inner Critic
That harsh inner voice that tells you you’re not good enough, smart enough, successful enough: it’s exhausting to live with. Many people assume this internal criticism is just ‘who they are’ or that it keeps them motivated. In reality, it usually does neither. It just keeps them small.
Therapy helps you recognise where these beliefs came from and challenge whether they’re actually serving you. It’s not about becoming arrogant. It’s about developing a more balanced, compassionate relationship with yourself.
Anxiety and Depression
If you’re struggling with anxiety or low mood, you’re not alone. According to Aware’s 2024 national survey, over half of Irish adults (53%) report experiencing what they believe was depression at some point in their lives, while 17% have received a diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Among 25-34 year olds, that figure rises to one in four.
The impact isn’t trivial. Nearly three in ten people experiencing depression say their mood is so low on most days that they can’t function. For anxiety, 60% report that it makes work and daily responsibilities genuinely difficult, a significant increase from 45% the previous year.
Individual therapy helps by getting to the root of these experiences rather than just managing symptoms. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), for instance, helps identify and challenge the thought patterns that fuel anxiety. Psychotherapy explores deeper underlying causes, often patterns established in childhood that continue affecting us as adults.
Work Stress and Burnout
The modern workplace can be relentless. Three in five Irish employees report that their mental health has declined due to workplace stress, with financial concerns, heavy workloads, and job insecurity among the primary triggers.
Burnout isn’t a weakness. It’s what happens when chronic stress goes unaddressed. Therapy provides space to examine what’s driving your exhaustion, set healthier boundaries, and reconnect with what matters to you beyond your job title.
Life Transitions and Identity Questions
Major life changes, whether chosen or unexpected, often leave us feeling unmoored. Becoming a parent, ending a relationship, relocating, career changes, bereavement, retirement: these transitions challenge our sense of who we are. Sometimes the difficulty isn’t that something terrible has happened, but that life has shifted in ways we weren’t prepared for.
Individual therapy creates space to process these changes, grieve what’s been lost, and gradually build a sense of self that accommodates your new reality. It’s about making sense of where you’ve been and gaining clarity about where you want to go.
Relationship Difficulties (When You Need Your Own Space First)
While we offer couples counselling for those wanting to work on their relationship together, sometimes you need to understand your own patterns first. Perhaps you keep choosing partners who aren’t good for you. Maybe conflict always escalates in ways you don’t understand. Or you’ve noticed you struggle with intimacy, even when you desperately want connection.
Individual therapy helps you explore your attachment style, communication patterns, and the beliefs about relationships you absorbed growing up. Understanding yourself more deeply often transforms how you relate to other
Therapist Qualifications
All our counsellors and psychotherapists hold recognised professional qualifications and maintain membership with Ireland’s leading regulatory bodies: the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP), or the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). These bodies maintain rigorous standards for training, ongoing supervision, and ethical practice.
This matters because counselling and psychotherapy aren’t protected titles in Ireland. Technically, anyone could call themselves a counsellor. Working with an accredited practitioner ensures you’re seeing someone who’s been properly trained, undergoes regular supervision, and is bound by a professional code of ethics.
How Individual Therapy Works at Mind and Body Works
Making First Contact
Getting started is straightforward. You can browse our therapists’ profiles online and book an appointment with them directly through our website. If you’re unsure which therapist or approach might suit you best, you can email enquiries@mindandbodyworks.com or call 01 6771021 and we’ll help match you with someone appropriate.
When you reach out, it helps to mention your availability and give a brief sense of what you’d like to work on. Don’t worry about having all the answers. Most people don’t when they first make contact.Â
Your First Session
The initial session is largely about getting to know each other. Your therapist will explain how they work, discuss confidentiality, and begin understanding what has brought you to therapy. There’s no pressure to reveal everything at once. Trust builds gradually.
You’ll also discuss practical matters: how often you’ll meet, how many sessions you might need, and fees. Many people start with an open-ended arrangement and review progress after six sessions or so. Others prefer to agree on a fixed number from the outset. There’s flexibility to do what works for you.
Session Frequency and Duration
Sessions typically run between 50 and 60 minutes and are usually held weekly. This regular rhythm allows the therapeutic relationship to deepen and gives you time to process and apply insights between sessions. Some people move to fortnightly sessions once they’ve made good progress, or attend more frequently during particularly difficult periods.
Psychoanalytic sessions however don’t follow the same timeframe and duration is generally between 30 to 50 minutes.Â
Our therapists work Monday to Friday from 8 am to 10 pm, and Saturday 9 am to 6 pm, so there’s usually a time that works, even with a demanding schedule.
In-Person or Online?
You can attend sessions face-to-face at our Dublin or Galway centres, or work with your therapist online from anywhere in Ireland. Online therapy has become increasingly popular, and research shows it’s just as effective as in-person sessions for most issues. It removes commuting time, offers privacy, and means you can work with a therapist whose approach suits you regardless of geography.
Therapeutic Approaches We Offer
Different approaches suit different people and different issues. All our therapists are trained in evidence-based methods, and many integrate multiple approaches depending on what’s most helpful for you.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is one of the most researched therapeutic approaches. It examines how what you think affects how you feel and act, then equips you with practical tools to interrupt cycles that aren’t serving you. It tends to be more structured and present-focused, making it particularly effective for anxiety, depression, and specific phobias.
Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
These approaches look beneath the surface to understand how past experiences, particularly early relationships, shape your present difficulties. If you find yourself repeating the same patterns despite knowing better, or feel disconnected from parts of yourself, this deeper exploration can bring lasting change. It requires more time than short-term therapies but addresses root causes rather than just symptoms.
Psychoanalytic session duration is generally between 30 to 50 minutes.Â
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
Originally developed for trauma, EMDR helps process distressing memories that remain ‘stuck.’ Through bilateral stimulation (often eye movements), it enables your brain to reprocess traumatic material so it no longer triggers such intense reactions. It’s particularly effective for PTSD, anxiety related to specific events, and phobias.
Humanistic and Integrative Therapy
Humanistic approaches emphasise your innate capacity for growth and self-actualisation. The therapeutic relationship itself becomes the vehicle for change, as your therapist offers unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness. Many of our therapists take an integrative approach, drawing on multiple traditions to tailor therapy to your specific needs.
Addressing Common Concerns About Therapy
What If I’m Not ‘Bad Enough’ for Therapy?
This concern keeps countless people suffering unnecessarily. There’s no threshold of misery you need to reach before you’re allowed help. If something is bothering you enough to read this page, it’s worth talking about. Prevention and early intervention are far more effective than waiting until you’re in crisis.
What About the Cost?
Therapy is an investment, and we won’t pretend otherwise. Fees vary depending on your therapist, and you can see each therapist’s rates on their profile. Some health insurance policies offer partial cover for psychotherapy, so it’s worth checking with your provider directly. We also offer low-cost counselling with trainee therapists. For many people, the real cost is continuing without help, in terms of wellbeing, relationships, and lost productivity.Â
Will It Really Be Confidential?
Absolutely. What you discuss with your therapist stays between you in almost all circumstances. The only exceptions involve legal and ethical obligations, primarily situations where there’s risk of serious harm to yourself or others, or child protection concerns. Your therapist will explain this fully in your first session.
I’m Worried About Being Judged
This is one of the most common fears people have about therapy, and one of the first things that evaporates once you’re in the room. Professional therapists are trained not to judge. They’ve heard it all, and their role is to understand you, not evaluate you. In fact, many people find therapy is the first place they’ve ever felt truly accepted as they are.
Stigma around mental health is declining, though it hasn’t vanished entirely. Aware’s research shows that 45% of people who delayed seeking support cited shame or fear of judgement as a barrier. But here’s the thing: 81% of people experiencing depression and anxiety are now taking action to address it, up from 74% the previous year. Seeking help is increasingly normalised because more people are doing it.
Therapists Qualifications
All our counsellors and psychotherapists hold recognised professional qualifications and maintain membership with Ireland’s leading regulatory bodies: the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP), or the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI). These bodies maintain rigorous standards for training, ongoing supervision, and ethical practice.
This matters because counselling and psychotherapy aren’t protected titles in Ireland. Technically, anyone could call themselves a counsellor. Working with an accredited practitioner ensures you’re seeing someone who’s been properly trained, undergoes regular supervision, and is bound by a professional code of ethics.
Counselling vs Psychotherapy: What’s the Difference?
Honestly? The terms often describe a similar experience, which many find confusing. Broadly speaking, counselling tends to focus on specific current issues and may be shorter-term. Psychotherapy often involves deeper exploration of how past experiences shape present patterns and may take longer.
In practice, the boundaries blur considerably. What matters more than the label is finding a therapist whose approach resonates with you and whose expertise matches what you’re working on. All our practitioners are trained to adapt their work to what each client needs.
Taking the Next Step
Reading about therapy is one thing. Making that first contact is another, and it can feel like a significant step. If you’re not ready yet, that’s okay. The information here will still be here when you are ready.
But if part of you is ready, even the smallest part, consider reaching out. You don’t need to have your problems figured out or your story perfectly articulated. You just need to be willing to begin.
You can browse our therapists and book directly online, or contact us if you’d like guidance finding the right match. Email enquiries@mindandbodyworks.com or call 01 6771021. We’re here Monday to Friday 8am-9pm and Saturday 9am-6pm.
Whatever you’re carrying, you don’t have to carry it alone.
Quick Facts: Individual Counselling at Mind and Body Works
Locations: Dublin, Galway, and Online (anywhere in Ireland)
Session length: 50-60 minutes (Psychoanalytic sessions 30-50 minutes)
Session frequency: Typically weekly (fortnightly by arrangement)
Hours: Mon-Fri 8 am-10 pm, Sat 9 am-6 pm
Fees: Vary by therapist (see individual profiles)
Cancellation: 24-48 hours notice required
Contact: 01 6771021 or enquiries@mindandbodyworks.com