How to access culturally sensitive mental health services in Ireland

Getting through the day can be difficult when you’re feeling low, stressed or anxious, especially if you are unsure of where to turn to for help. Sometimes, managing these difficult feelings on your own can seem like the safest option, and that’s understandable. However, ignoring low mood, stress, or anxiety for a long time without mental health support can lead to becoming overwhelmed. It can also harm your physical health in the long run.

If you would like more information on when to consider seeking professional support and how to access it, check out our article on accessing mental health support after moving to Ireland.

Alternatively, you might have already decided that it’s time to reach out for emotional support from a mental health professional or service. The remainder of this article addresses some of the fears or concerns you may be experiencing as you take that first step.

In particular, you will find an answer to the question: Where can I turn to for culturally sensitive, inclusive therapy or mental health support? Culturally sensitive or culturally appropriate support is support which respects your unique cultural background, socioeconomic circumstances, religion, and neurotype, as well as your ethnic, racial, gender, and sexual identities.

What if I’m afraid to access professional support?

While everyone has the right to mental health support, some of us experience significant barriers to accessing mental health services, including:

• Little to no access to high-quality translation services
• Not enough culturally-sensitive mental health services that are free or low-cost
• Difficulties navigating a complex health service

These barriers can be challenging to face alone and can lead to a sense of mistrust, especially if you’ve had distressing experiences of interacting with the health service in the past.

Culturally sensitive mental health services

While it’s important to acknowledge these barriers and the distress they can cause, staying informed on the services that do exist may help you develop a sense of trust in the services. Cairde provides a list of culturally sensitive mental health services available in Ireland, some of which offer support in a range of languages.

Additional services are given below:

Black Therapists Ireland

Black Therapists Ireland has a directory of black therapists across the country. You do not need to be of black heritage to see any of the therapists in their directory, but they aim to offer everyone the option of working with a black therapist. Many of the therapists in the directory offer both online and face-to-face consultations.

Find out more about Black Therapists Ireland.

Insight Matters

Insight Matters is an affordable counselling service that seeks to accommodate diversity in their work. They have experience working with the mental health of migrant people and the issues that migrant people and ethnic minorities might face in Ireland today. Their counsellors receive training on issues like prejudice, racism, discrimination and LGBTI+ issues.

Find out more about Insight Matters.

MyMind

MyMind provides both face-to-face and online counselling. Their website allows you to filter therapists based on language. They are located in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, with other MyMind partners based throughout the country.Their fees are based on a sliding scale, which means the amount you pay will depend on your own situation.

Find out more about MyMind.

Spirasi (Spiritan Asylum Services Initiative)

Spirasi are a specialised service working with survivors of torture in Ireland. They offer therapy and psychological support to survivors of torture, and they also offer befriending programmes, english language classes, and Medico-Legal Reports.

Find out more about Spirasi.

Finding a culturally competent private counsellor or psychotherapist

If you are in a position to pay for a private counsellor or psychotherapist, consider looking for an inclusive psychotherapist or counsellor through the main accreditation bodies for counselling and psychotherapy in Ireland. Accreditation bodies, such as the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP) and the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) set best practices and ensure a high standard of professional training among their members. They also have registers of counsellors and psychotherapists that you can browse on their websites.

Some fully qualified and accredited private counsellors and psychotherapists have training in cultural competence and are dedicated to providing a safe space for people of all backgrounds to discuss their unique challenges. You can find out more information on how to find a culturally inclusive counsellor or psychotherapist in our article on inclusive therapy.

Read about how to access counselling and psychotherapy in Ireland.

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