Psychology vs GP Mental Health Consultation — Which Is Right for You?
This is the question most patients have before booking, and the honest answer is that it depends on what you need.
A GP Mental Health Consultation is more appropriate if you:
- Are experiencing mental health symptoms for the first time and want an initial clinical assessment
- Need a clinical assessment to determine the most appropriate level of care
- Want safety-netting and a care plan from a doctor who can also address the physical health dimension of your mental health
- Need a referral to psychology or psychiatry coordinated through a GP assessment
- Are managing a mental health condition at GP level and need a medication or management review
A Psychology Specialist Consultation is more appropriate if you:
- Have already had a GP assessment and been advised that psychological therapy is appropriate
- Want structured, evidence-based psychological therapy — CBT, trauma-focused therapy, ACT, or other modalities — rather than a medical assessment
- Need a formal psychological assessment — for ADHD, specific learning difficulties, or other conditions requiring psychological testing
- Have a complex psychological presentation that requires specialist psychological formulation and treatment
- Want to engage in ongoing therapeutic work with a qualified psychologist
- Are seeking a second opinion on a psychological diagnosis or formulation
Not sure which to book? Start with our GP Mental Health Consultation. Your doctor will assess your presentation and advise on whether specialist psychology is the most appropriate next step.
Therapeutic Approaches Used
Our psychologists use evidence-based therapeutic modalities — selecting the approach most clinically appropriate for your specific presentation and goals. Approaches used include:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)The most extensively researched psychological therapy, with strong evidence for anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, health anxiety, and many other presentations. CBT focuses on the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours — identifying unhelpful patterns and developing more adaptive responses.
Trauma-Focused TherapyIncluding Trauma-Focused CBT and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) — evidence-based approaches for PTSD, complex trauma, and trauma-related presentations.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)A third-wave cognitive behavioural approach focused on psychological flexibility — learning to relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fighting them, and clarifying personal values as a guide for meaningful action.
Mindfulness-Based ApproachesIncluding Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) — particularly effective for recurrent depression and anxiety — and mindfulness-based stress reduction integrated into other therapeutic modalities.
Behavioural ActivationA structured, evidence-based approach for depression focused on increasing engagement with meaningful activities and breaking the cycle of avoidance and low mood.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)Focused on the relationship between interpersonal difficulties and psychological symptoms — particularly effective for depression in the context of relationship difficulties, grief, or life transitions.
Schema TherapyFor complex, longstanding psychological difficulties rooted in early life experiences — addressing deeply held beliefs about the self, others, and the world that maintain current difficulties.
Your psychologist will discuss the most appropriate therapeutic approach for your specific presentation during the initial assessment. The choice of therapy is always collaborative and based on the clinical evidence for your particular difficulties.
Conditions Commonly Assessed and Treated
- Anxiety Disorders
- Generalised anxiety disorder — persistent worry and physiological anxiety symptoms
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Social anxiety disorder — fear of social situations and scrutiny
- Health anxiety and illness anxiety disorder
- Specific phobias
- Agoraphobia
- Separation anxiety
- Mood Disorders
- Depression — mild, moderate, and recurrent
- Persistent depressive disorder — chronic low-level depression
- Bipolar disorder — psychological support alongside psychiatric management
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Postnatal depression and perinatal mental health
- Trauma & PTSD
- Post-traumatic stress disorder — single incident and complex trauma
- Complex PTSD — trauma arising from prolonged or repeated traumatic experiences
- Childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences
- Adjustment disorder following traumatic or stressful life events
- OCD & Related Conditions
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder — assessment and ERP-based treatment
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Health anxiety with compulsive checking behaviours
- Hoarding disorder
- Eating & Body Image
- Disordered eating patterns — restrictive, binge, or compensatory behaviours
- Body image difficulties
- Psychological assessment and support for eating difficulties at outpatient level
- Coordination with specialist eating disorder services where indicated
- Relationship & Life Difficulties
- Relationship difficulties — communication, conflict, attachment patterns
- Life transitions — relocation, career change, relationship breakdown, bereavement
- Grief and loss — including complex grief
- Work-related stress and burnout
- Identity and self-esteem difficulties
- Cultural adjustment and expat psychological challenges
- Neurodevelopmental & Psychological Assessment
- ADHD assessment — formal psychological assessment for adults
- Specific learning difficulty assessment — dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia
- Autism spectrum assessment — initial assessment and referral coordination
- Cognitive assessment — memory, attention, and executive function concerns
- Psychological assessment for occupational, educational, or medico-legal purposes
- Other
- Insomnia — CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I), the gold-standard psychological treatment
- Chronic pain — psychological management of persistent pain conditions
- Long-term condition adjustment — managing the psychological impact of chronic physical illness
- Performance anxiety — academic, professional, and sporting contexts
What Your Consultation Includes
Initial Psychological AssessmentYour first session is a comprehensive psychological assessment — covering your current difficulties, psychological history, developmental background, family context, previous mental health support, and your goals for therapy. This assessment forms the basis of your psychological formulation and treatment plan.
Psychological FormulationYour psychologist will develop a formulation — a clinical explanation of how your difficulties developed and are maintained — that guides the therapeutic approach. This is shared with you collaboratively and forms the foundation of your treatment.
Evidence-Based Therapeutic InterventionStructured psychological therapy using the modality most clinically appropriate for your presentation — delivered via secure video call to the same standard as in-person psychological therapy.
Goal Setting and Progress MonitoringYour psychologist will work with you to set clear, meaningful therapeutic goals and monitor progress throughout your sessions — using validated outcome measures to track clinical change.
Between-Session SupportPsychological therapy works best when the work continues between sessions. Your psychologist will provide between-session exercises, reading, and practice tasks tailored to your therapeutic goals and current stage of treatment.
Onward Referral Where IndicatedWhere your presentation requires input beyond the scope of outpatient psychological therapy — including psychiatric assessment, specialist eating disorder services, or inpatient care — your psychologist will advise and coordinate appropriate referral.
Psychological Assessment
Formal psychological assessment is a distinct service within our psychology consultation offering — separate from therapy, and requiring dedicated assessment sessions using standardised psychological testing instruments.
Assessment services available include:
ADHD Assessment for AdultsA comprehensive psychological assessment for adult ADHD — covering clinical interview, validated rating scales, cognitive assessment where indicated, and a formal written report with diagnostic conclusions and recommendations. Particularly relevant for adults who were never assessed in childhood or whose difficulties were not recognised until adulthood.
Specific Learning Difficulty AssessmentFormal assessment for dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and other specific learning difficulties in adults — producing a formal report suitable for educational institutions, employers, and professional bodies.
Cognitive AssessmentAssessment of memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed — relevant for patients with concerns about cognitive changes, brain injury, or neurodevelopmental conditions.
Formal psychological assessment involves multiple sessions and produces a written report. If you require assessment, discuss this specifically when booking so the appropriate time and structure can be allocated.
A Note on Confidentiality
Everything discussed during your psychology consultation is confidential and protected under Irish and EU data protection law.
There are limited circumstances in which confidentiality may need to be considered — where there is a serious and immediate risk to your life or the life of another person. Your psychologist will discuss confidentiality fully at the start of your first session, including the specific circumstances in which it may need to be modified.
CORU-registered psychologists in Ireland are bound by the CORU Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics — which sets out clear standards for confidentiality, record-keeping, and professional practice.
Support for Expats and International Residents
Psychological difficulties are disproportionately common among expats and international residents — driven by cultural adjustment, isolation, family separation, identity disruption, and the cumulative stress of building a life in a new country. These difficulties are real, clinically significant, and frequently undertreated because accessing psychological support in a new country is itself a barrier.
Our psychologists provide consultations in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, and Romanian — and are experienced in the specific psychological challenges facing international communities in Ireland, including:
- Cultural adjustment and acculturation stress
- Isolation and social disconnection
- Identity and belonging difficulties
- Relationship strain under relocation pressure
- Grief for home, family, and previous life
- Work-related stress in an unfamiliar professional culture
Discussing psychological difficulties in your first language is not a luxury — it is a clinical necessity. Nuanced emotional experience cannot be fully expressed or therapeutically processed in a second language.
Why Patients Choose Us
CORU-registered psychologistsAll psychology consultations are conducted by psychologists registered with CORU — Ireland's statutory health and social care professions regulator. CORU registration is the standard of psychological qualification in Ireland and the credential patients should insist on when choosing a psychologist.
Evidence-based therapy — not generic supportOur psychologists use structured, evidence-based therapeutic approaches — CBT, trauma-focused therapy, ACT, EMDR, and others — with a treatment plan, measurable goals, and clinical outcome monitoring. This is not open-ended supportive counselling — it is structured specialist psychological treatment.
Formal psychological assessment availableFormal psychological assessment for ADHD, specific learning difficulties, cognitive concerns, and other conditions is available through our psychology service — producing written reports suitable for educational, occupational, and clinical purposes.
Same-day and advance appointmentsAvailable seven days a week including evenings and weekends — because psychological difficulties do not follow office hours and the barrier to accessing therapy should be as low as possible.
Multi-lingual psychological therapyConsultations available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech, and Romanian — the only psychology service in Ireland providing specialist psychological therapy in all five languages.
Continuity of carePsychological therapy requires a consistent therapeutic relationship. Our platform supports ongoing sessions with the same psychologist — building the therapeutic alliance that evidence consistently identifies as one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes.
