Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler, today announced the launch of talking therapy sessions on a no cost basis to individuals impacted by the pandemic.
NGO partner MyMind will provide up to 16,500 counselling and psychotherapy sessions, in over 15 languages, through a €1 million dedicated fund.
“This funding is part of the €10 million, once off, additional allocation for mental health announced on Budget Day to further enhance the experiences of people using mental health services and supports.” said the Minister.
“The talking therapy sessions are for people particularly impacted during this time, whether through personal experience of COVID-19, for example: bereavement, isolation, depression, anxiety; working on the front line; or through the economic effects of the pandemic including those working in the creative arts, entertainment or hospitality.”
The delivery of these supports is a continuation of an initiative that commenced in 2020 that was funded from the Sláintecare Integration Fund. As part of this initiative MyMind delivered approximately 22,000 counselling and psychotherapy sessions to date.
All talking therapy appointments delivered through this project will be provided by MyMind and will be carried out online via video call or phone call. Full eligibility criteria can be found on MyMind’s dedicated web page: COVID-19 Project: Free online counselling (video and phone) – MyMin