HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a psychotherapist in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A psychotherapist in Ireland costs €60–€130 per session, typically around €90. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a psychotherapist in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers psychotherapist work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — CBT is a structured, goal-oriented therapy focusing on changing negative thought patterns and behaviours.
- How does therapist's qualifications change the price?Experience buys you fewer mistakes as much as faster work. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does session length change the price?Time on the job is the largest part of the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does complexity of the issues being addressed change the price?The work cannot be scheduled until this is known. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Group Therapy — group therapy sessions involve multiple participants sharing their experiences under the guidance of a psychotherapist — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a psychotherapist job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register is open yet
Counselling and psychotherapy are designated for statutory regulation in Ireland and the register is not open. CORU lists counsellors and psychotherapists among the professions to be regulated, alongside psychologists, and separately lists the ten registers that are open today — counselling, psychotherapy and psychology are not among them. Two consequences follow, and they matter in opposite directions. Nobody practising today can be CORU-registered, so a claim to be is describing something that does not exist and is the clearest warning sign there is. And the titles are not protected yet, so anyone may use them: what distinguishes one practitioner from another is the training and the accrediting body, not the word on the door.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
The qualification, the length of the training and who awarded it — ask for all three, then look the awarding body up yourself; Accreditation by a professional body, by name, and whether it holds a register you can search and a complaints procedure you could use; Whether they are in clinical supervision, which is the ordinary standard in this work and the thing a client never thinks to ask about; Professional indemnity insurance, the insurer and the limit; The fee, the session length, the cancellation terms and how the work ends, in writing before the first session; Garda vetting where the client is a child or a vulnerable adult, which is a legal requirement for that work under the National Vetting Bureau Acts.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect professional indemnity insurance — ask for the insurer and the limit. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers psychotherapist work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — CBT is a structured, goal-oriented therapy focusing on changing negative thought patterns and behaviours.
A good answer: Experience buys you fewer mistakes as much as faster work. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Time on the job is the largest part of the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The work cannot be scheduled until this is known. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Group Therapy — group therapy sessions involve multiple participants sharing their experiences under the guidance of a psychotherapist — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a psychotherapist job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect professional indemnity insurance — ask for the insurer and the limit — couples Therapy — couples therapy helps partners improve communication and resolve conflicts.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the psychotherapist starts, and an itemised invoice after — individual Therapy Sessions — psychotherapists provide one-on-one therapy sessions, focusing on personal issues like anxiety, depression, or trauma.
Getting the quote right
- Therapist's qualifications — experience buys you fewer mistakes as much as faster work.
- Session length — time on the job is the largest part of the price.
- Complexity of the issues being addressed — the work cannot be scheduled until this is known.
- Couples Therapy — it decides how much of the job can be done at once.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: therapist's qualifications — experience buys you fewer mistakes as much as faster work
- They will not talk about it: session length — time on the job is the largest part of the price
- They will not talk about it: complexity of the issues being addressed — the work cannot be scheduled until this is known
- A price for the psychotherapist before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the psychotherapist has begun
What a psychotherapist costs: €60–€130 per session
The figures are for the job, per session, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Individual therapy and Couples therapy each carry their own band. Psychotherapist price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Psychotherapists near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstTherapist's qualifications — experience buys you fewer mistakes as much as faster work — that is what the psychotherapist is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneSession length — time on the job is the largest part of the price — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfComplexity of the issues being addressed — the work cannot be scheduled until this is known — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherCouples Therapy — it decides how much of the job can be done at once — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the psychotherapist is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, therapy is a confidential process, fostering a safe space for open dialogue.
- Individual Therapy Sessions
- Psychotherapists provide one-on-one therapy sessions, focusing on personal issues like anxiety, depression, or trauma.
- Couples Therapy
- Couples therapy helps partners improve communication and resolve conflicts.
- Group Therapy
- Group therapy sessions involve multiple participants sharing their experiences under the guidance of a psychotherapist.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- CBT is a structured, goal-oriented therapy focusing on changing negative thought patterns and behaviours.
- Individual Therapy
- One-on-one sessions focused on personal issues, allowing clients to explore their thoughts and feelings in depth.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- A structured approach that helps clients identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a psychotherapist: questions people ask
The cost of therapy can vary based on the therapist's qualifications, location, and session length. More experienced therapists or those with specialisations may charge higher rates.
Most therapy sessions last between 50 to 60 minutes. However, some therapists may offer longer sessions, especially for specific needs or intensive therapy.
Availability for same-day appointments varies by therapist. While some may offer emergency sessions, it's generally advisable to book in advance for regular therapy.
Psychotherapy generally does not include medical treatment or medication management. If you require these services, you may need to consult a psychiatrist or another healthcare professional.
Counselling and psychotherapy are designated for statutory regulation in Ireland and the register is not open. CORU lists counsellors and psychotherapists among the professions to be regulated, alongside psychologists, and separately lists the ten registers that are open today — counselling, psychotherapy and psychology are not among them. Two consequences follow, and they matter in opposite directions. Nobody practising today can be CORU-registered, so a claim to be is describing something that does not exist and is the clearest warning sign there is. And the titles are not protected yet, so anyone may use them: what distinguishes one practitioner from another is the training and the accrediting body, not the word on the door.
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in health & wellbeing
Psychotherapists near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- CORU — public protection FAQs: which registers are open
- CORU — Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board FAQs
- CORU — update on the statutory regulation of psychologists
- Value-Added Tax Consolidation Act 2010, Schedule 1 — exempt activities
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Courts Service — small claims
- Revenue — STRESS COUNSELLING (Medical and miscellaneous services) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only