Affordable treatment for mental health

If you’re suffering from a mental health problem like depression or anxiety, or even if you’re just feeling a bit low, it’s really important that you seek help for this. Maybe this help is simply having a chat with a trusted family member or friend, but you may need some professional or medical help as well.

There is a common perception that care for mental health is expensive and can be difficult to access. It is true that there are some treatment options out there that are costly. However, there are plenty of free and low cost options out there, and some of these may be of massive help to you. Here are some options for looking after your mental health when money is an issue:

Pieta House

Pieta House provides therapy sessions to people who are in suicidal distress and people who are self-harming. They have 13 centres located all around Ireland.

What services do they provide? 

Pieta House provides face-to-face therapy sessions to people in suicidal distress and those who engage in self-harm.  

How to get in touch

You can find contact details for your local centre on the Pieta House website. Simply call them to book an appointment. 

You can also contact their free phone and text listening services at any hour of the day by phoning Freecall 1800 247 247 or you can simply text HELP to 51444.

How much does it cost? 

Services with Pieta House are completely free of charge.

Childline

Childline is a free and confidential listening service for children and young people. You don’t need to be mentally ill or in distress to get in touch with Childline – even if you just want a chat, they are there to listen.

What services do they provide? 

Childline provide phone, text and online listening services. You can contact Childline by phone on 1800 666 666, text by texting ‘Talk’ to 50101, or chat online. You can contact them 24 hours a day.

How much does it cost? 

Childline is 100% free of charge.

Traveller Counselling Service

Traveller Counselling Service is a mental health service run specifically for Travellers. You can talk to them about depression, anxiety, bereavement, or other issues.

What services do they provide?

It is a face-to-face counselling service, located in Phibsborough, Dublin City Centre, Bray, Tallaght, Fingal, Clondalkin, and Tullamore. You can book an appointment by calling 086 308 1476. You can find out more on the Traveller Counselling Service website.

How much does it cost? 

The Traveller Counselling Service is free of charge.

Samaritans

Samaritans is a listening service for anyone who is in distress or upset about something. You do not have to be suicidal or depressed to call Samaritans, although this is one of the things that they may help with.

What services do they provide? 

They provide a 24 hour phone, text and e-mail listening service. You can contact them by telephone on 116 123, text them on 087 2 60 90 90 or e-mail them on [email protected].

How much does it cost? 

In the Republic of Ireland, their phone and text service is completely free of charge. However, do be aware that if you are in the UK, there is a charge for their phone service.

Niteline

Niteline is a phone listening service, specifically for college students. It is run by and for the students of ITT, ITB, MU, NCAD, NCI, RCSI, TCD & UCD, and their affiliate colleges.  You don’t have to be depressed or have a mental illness to call, but this is one of the things you may call about.

What services do they provide?

Niteline is a phone service. You can contact them by calling 1800 793 793. They are open every night of term between 9pm and 2:30am.

How much does it cost? 

Calls to Niteline are free of charge.

Aware

Aware is a service for people affected by stress, depression, bipolar disorder and mood related conditions. You can contact them for support and further information on appropriate treatment. 

What services do they provide?

Aware offers listening and information services on both telephone and email. You can contact them by telephone on 1800 80 48 48 (Monday to Sunday from 10am – 10pm) or via email on [email protected] (expect response within 24 hours). 

They also provide free support groups that offer a chance to talk openly about depression and anxiety with others who may be going through similar experiences. You can find a list of your local support groups on the Aware website. 

How much does it cost? 

Aware’s e-mail and support group services are completely free of charge. Their phone service is charged at standard local and network rates.

Shine

Shine is a listening and information service for people suffering from depression or anxiety and their family members. You can contact them for further information on mental illness, or just for a listening ear.

What services do they provide?

You can receive e-mail counselling services by contacting [email protected] or by filling out the form found here. Shine aims to respond to emails within a 24 hour period between Monday and Friday (except bank holiday Mondays). All e-mails are answered by a trained psychotherapist. 

How much does it cost? 

Shine’s e-mail service is completely free of charge. Their phone service is charged at standard local and network rates.

Jigsaw

Jigsaw is a support service offered by Headstrong, a youth mental health organisation, for youth aged 12 to 25. They have 13 centres in different locations around the country. You can find your nearest Jigsaw centre on the Jigsaw website.

What services do they provide?

Jigsaw offers one-on-one support sessions, where you can get advice and support about your mental health. These sessions are confidential and non-judgemental and you can make an appointment through their website.

How much does it cost? 

All Jigsaw services are free of charge.

GROW

GROW facilitates support meetings all over the country for people suffering with mental illness. They also provide meetings specifically for young adults.

What services do they provide? 

GROW arranges meetings in which attendees learn a practical psychology of mental health, known as the GROW Program. Members provide mutual support in undertaking certain tasks that encourage a healthy change in thinking, behaviour and/or relationships. 

You can join an online group or one of their face-to-face groups. They also provide a phone listening service by calling 1890 474 474.

How much does it cost? 

GROW meetings are completely free of charge. Calls are charged at LoCall rates.

MyMind 

MyMind is a counselling and therapy service based in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

What services do they provide? 

MyMind provide a wide range of counselling and therapy services, including cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and psychoanalysis. They will help you decide which option is right for you. They offer face-to-face, online and over the phone sessions for young people across Ireland. You can book an appointment on the MyMind website. MyMind do not keep waiting lists so they generally have appointments available . If you are aged between 16 and 18 you will need your parents permission to have an appointment – they must set up the online account for your appointment. Their opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 10pm and Saturday from 9am to 7pm.

How much does it cost? 

MyMind offers reduced rates for those over 18 who are students, unemployed people, and part-time employed people. Their rate for students and the unemployed is €20 per session, and their rate for part–time employees (up to 20 hours per week) is €30 per session. The regular fee, if you are in full-time employment or under 18 is €50 per session. 

If you’re on a very limited budget, this may still seem quite expensive. However, as their website points out, they are significantly less expensive than the average counselling sessions.

Moodgym

Moodgym is an online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programme that helps manage symptoms of depression and anxiety.

What services do they provide? 

Moodgym provides a free online course  in which you complete various exercises over an extended period of time, that aim to encourage positive thinking habits, improve overall mental health, and build up your ability to cope with upsetting or stressful situations. 

How much do they charge? 

Moodgym costs between €25-€30 ($39 AUD) for one year’s access.

NHS Inform

NHS Inform is a website that offers information and advice to anyone experiencing troublesome thoughts, feelings and actions.

What services do they provide? 

NHS Inform provides various self-help guides covering conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, panic and sleep problems.

How much do they charge? 

NHS Inform is completely free of charge.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

CAMHS treats young people up until the age of 16 or 18 if in full time education.

What services do they provide?

You have to be referred to CAMHS by your GP. They provide counselling, therapy, medication, speech and language therapy. Find their regional contact details on the HSE website.

How much do they charge? 

This is a free service. For more information on attending CAMHS read our factsheet, Attending a CAMHS service.

Helplink.ie (Helplink Support Services)

 

Helplink.ie (Helplink Mental Health)

Helplink is a charity that provides counselling, information and education mental health services (for free or at low costs) online nationwide and internationally.

What services do they provide?

Helplink provides online low cost counselling services for young people and students nationwide, 7 days a week: 9AM to 9PM Monday to Friday & 12PM to 6PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

They also provide a free online counselling service for Irish citizens returning home or living abroad (aged 16+); also available 7 days a week. All their counsellors are Garda vetted, qualified (minimum level 8) and insured. They also provide an online platform with video and podcast libraries around the topics of mental health and emotional wellbeing called mindhacks.ie. 

How much does it cost?

The discounted counselling appointment fee is €30 for young people (who aren’t employed or are only part-time employed), full-time students and for part-time counselling students. You will need to provide proof of your status (i.e. student card) to avail of this rate.

For young people under the age of 18, the appointment price is determined by which fee category your parents and/or guardians fall into.

The Irish abroad counselling service is free as is the platform with the video and podcast libraries.

College / School Counsellors

If you’re a student, there will be free counselling services at your school or college.

What services do they provide?

Generally, they will offer free a counselling service, that can help you cope with a range of issues, including depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses. At college, sometimes there may be waiting lists for these, but if it’s an emergency, let them know, and they may be able to see you sooner.

How much do they charge? 

These counselling services are nearly always free of charge to students.

Low cost counselling and therapy

Many counselling and therapy centres offer free or low cost services, depending on your financial situation. Find a therapist in your area on the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy website.

Medical cards and GP cards

It is worth noting that depending on your income or the income of your parent/guardian, you may be eligible a medical card or a GP card. Certain counselling services will provide free or reduced cost services if you hold a medical card. 

If you are prescribed antidepressants or other medication, a medical card may also cover the cost of this. A GP card will not cover the cost of medication or counselling, but it will cover your GP visits, which can be a big help.