Private, compassionate support for substance and behavioural addictions — tailored counselling, family support, and realistic recovery plans across Dublin and online throughout Ireland
You know something needs to change. Whether it’s the morning ritual you can’t break, the behaviour that’s taken over your evenings, or watching someone you love struggle — that nagging sense that things have spiralled is what brought you here. And that’s actually a powerful first step.
At Mind and Body Works, we understand addiction isn’t about weakness or moral failing. It’s that overwhelming compulsion where “wanting” becomes “needing”, where one activity dominates your life despite the damage it’s causing. You might be lying about the time spent gambling. Perhaps you’re cancelling plans to stay home and drink. Or maybe you’re the partner who’s exhausted from covering for someone else’s behaviour.
What We Treat
Let’s be clear about what we mean by addiction. It’s any behaviour repeated despite significant negative consequences — and yes, that covers more ground than you might think.
Substance addictions include alcohol (still Ireland’s most common struggle), illicit drugs from cannabis to cocaine, and prescription medicine misuse — those painkillers that somehow became essential, the anxiety medication you can’t imagine living without.
Process or behavioural addictions are equally real. The compulsive gambling that started as a bit of fun on match days. Gaming sessions that stretch until dawn. Pornography use has warped your relationships. Shopping sprees that leave you broke but briefly euphoric. Even work — that socially acceptable addiction nobody questions until you’re having panic attacks at 2 am about emails.
We also treat the messy reality of co-occurring issues. Because addiction rarely travels alone, does it? There’s usually anxiety riding shotgun, depression in the back seat, or unresolved trauma driving the whole thing. Our integrated approach means we don’t pretend these are separate problems requiring separate solutions.
Flexible Formats That Fit Your Life
In-person counselling happens at our Dublin and Galway clinics, where you can sit across from someone who gets it. There’s something about being in the room together, isn’t there? The full presence, the dedicated space away from your usual environment.
Online counselling works brilliantly for shift workers, rural Ireland residents, or anyone who finds the privacy of their own space more comfortable. Same quality, same connection, just through a secure video link. A client in Kerry recently told us online sessions saved her four hours of driving weekly — time she now spends with her kids.
We offer individual sessions for deep personal work, couples counselling when addiction has fractured trust, family therapy to address systemic patterns, and group programmes where peer support becomes its own form of therapy.
Timing-wise? Weekly sessions work best for most. But sometimes you need an intensive burst to break through, or fortnightly check-ins to maintain progress. We adapt to what you need as you engage in the process, not the other way round.
Harm Reduction — Meeting You Where You Are
Not everyone’s ready for complete abstinence. Maybe you can’t imagine life without any drinks, but you’d like to stop the blackouts. Perhaps quitting gambling entirely feels impossible, but you want to protect your mortgage payments.
Harm reduction means we work with your goals, not our agenda. We provide safer use education and offer practical strategies to minimise damage. Because reducing harm is valuable in itself, and sometimes it’s the bridge to bigger changes later. Or sometimes it’s enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does addiction treatment actually take?
Honest answer? It varies wildly. Some people need 12 weeks of focused work on a specific issue. Others benefit from a year or more of deeper therapy addressing trauma and long-standing patterns. Initial crisis stabilisation might take 4-6 weeks, while building a solid recovery typically needs at least 3-6 months. The old “28-day cure” model? That’s usually just the beginning. We’ll give you a realistic timeline after assessment, but recovery unfolds at its own pace.
Do you treat gaming and internet addiction? They’re not “real” addictions, are they?
They’re absolutely real addictions, and yes, we treat them. When gaming dominates your life, damages relationships, affects work or education, and you can’t stop despite negative consequences — that’s addiction. Same brain pathways, same compulsive patterns, equally serious impact. The shame around behavioural addictions often prevents people from seeking help. Your struggles are valid, whether the addiction involves substances or behaviours.
What if I’ve tried counselling before and it didn’t work?
Previous attempts aren’t failures — they’re information. What approach was used? Was the timing right? Did you connect with the therapist? Were the underlying issues like trauma or mental health conditions addressed? Sometimes people need several attempts before something clicks. Different approaches work for different people at different times. We’ll explore what didn’t work before and try something new. Your past attempts show courage, not failure.
