Traditional face-to-face therapy or a structured courses are possibly the most effective ways to treat your anger, but I do appreciate that whether due to costs, of work or child commitments it can be difficult to go down this route, but there are other options open to you, which I am going to discuss in this article.
You might use them as a first step, if you are not sure about therapy or courses, or use them will doing therapy or to keep up the skills you learnt on a course, either way, they are open to you should you wish to explore them further.
Official Health Service Executive (HSE) Resources
The HSE is Ireland’s national health service and provides a range of reliable, evidence-based information on mental health, including anger and stress.
- HSE.ie Mental Health Section: The HSE website has dedicated pages on understanding and managing anger. They offer practical tips, explain the causes and symptoms, and provide guidance on when and how to seek professional help. This is a trustworthy source of knowledge and with so much information and mis-information readily available on the internet, it is important to get your advice from properly qualified therapists, government bodies, and reputable mental health sites.
- YourMentalHealth.ie: This HSE-run information hub provides various guides and links to services, and stories from people with lived experience. It’s an excellent site for understanding how anger might connect to other issues like stress or anxiety.
Irish Charities and Non-Profit Organisations
Many Irish charities offer free services, from helplines to support groups and online resources.
- Mental Health Ireland: This national charity promotes positive mental health. Their website offers a resources library with free downloadable booklets and practical worksheets on topics like problem-solving and managing your thoughts, which are key skills in anger management.
- Aware: While Aware’s primary focus is on supporting people affected by depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety, their services are highly relevant given the strong link between these conditions and anger/irritability. They offer free support groups nationwide, a helpline, and educational programmes.
- Samaritans: If you are feeling overwhelmed by anger, distress, or any difficult emotion and need to talk to someone immediately, the Samaritans offer a free, confidential listening service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is an invaluable in-the-moment resource.
- Freephone: 116 123
- Men’s Development Network: This organisation is dedicated to men’s health and wellbeing. Crucially, they offer a number of free counselling sessions for men facing various challenges, including relationship issues and conflict, which are often linked to anger.
- Contact: Derek on 086-8590983 or John on 086-4586319.
Free Online Therapy and Support
Several platforms provide free or low-cost digital mental health services to people in Ireland.
- Turn2Me: You have probably come across this organisation before if you have done any internet search on mental health. It (as far as I am aware, and advise you to check with them first) offers a fantastic service providing up to six free one-to-one counselling sessions with a qualified professional. They also run free online support groups on topics including anger management, where you can connect with others who share similar experiences.
- MyTherapist.ie Resources: My own website of course has around 30 articles at the last count, giving practical advise on managing anger. Start free, then build momentum — our anger management Ireland guide lists both free and professional resources so you can choose the right level of support.
Self-Help Worksheets and Guides
Any form of anger management involves practical exercises and the following sites provide free worksheet style exercises, as I do I on this site in anger category or anything relating to CBT.
- HSE Self-Help Guides: The HSE often links to self-help CBT workbooks and guides that can teach you to manage unhelpful thoughts and reframe difficult situations.
- Mental Health Ireland Worksheets: Their resource library includes tools like a “Problem Solving Worksheet” and a “What I can control worksheet,” which are directly applicable to managing anger triggers.
- Your Downloadable Anger Management Plan: The workbook provided in our “Creating a Personal Anger Management Plan” article is a comprehensive free tool to guide your self-help journey.
I always advocate for a stepped care approach, which means you start with the least intensive option before progressing the next, and as such I would say, regardless of your financial situation, start with the options above, and if they do not help, then move onto either a course or one to one therapy.
