If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 112 or 999, or go to your nearest emergency department.
Finding the right mental health support can be hard at the best of times. In a rural area, where services are spread out and it is not always obvious who to call, it can be harder still.
This guide gathers the main options available to people in West Cork, from urgent help to longer-term support. Numbers and details were checked in September 2026, but services do change, so it is worth confirming on the provider's own website.
If you need to talk to someone now
These services are free and available at any hour.
- Pieta: freephone 1800 247 247, or text HELP to 51444. A 24 hour crisis helpline for anyone thinking about suicide or self-harm, staffed by qualified therapists.
- Samaritans: freephone 116 123, day or night, 365 days a year. For anyone who is struggling, whatever the reason.
- Text About It: text HELLO to 50808. A free, 24 hour text service with trained volunteers.
Samaritans and Pieta will also talk to someone who is worried about another person.
Start with your GP
For most people, the GP is the way into HSE mental health services. A GP can assess what is going on, discuss treatment options including medication where appropriate, and refer you to the local community mental health team or to counselling.
If you do not have a GP, or cannot get an appointment quickly, say that it is about your mental health when you ring. Many practices will prioritise it.
Out of hours: SouthDoc
SouthDoc provides the out-of-hours GP service for West Cork, including Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Bantry, Dunmanway, Castletownbere and Schull. Call 0818 355 999. It is by appointment, with no walk-in service, so phone first.
HSE services
- HSE mental health information line: freephone 1800 111 888, any time. Useful for finding out which services exist and how to access them.
- Community mental health teams: specialist HSE teams for people with more complex or ongoing needs. Access is usually through a GP referral.
- Counselling in Primary Care: short-term HSE counselling for adults with a medical card, arranged through a GP referral.
- Inpatient care: the Centre for Mental Health Care and Recovery, on the grounds of Bantry General Hospital, is the inpatient mental health unit for West Cork. Admission is through clinical referral rather than walking in.
For young people
Jigsaw offers free, confidential mental health support for young people aged 12 to 25. Jigsaw Cork is based at Wandesford Quay in Cork city, and also offers support online, which makes it more accessible from West Cork. Call 021 245 2500 or visit jigsaw.ie.
Ongoing support and peer groups
- Aware: freephone 1800 80 48 48, 10am to 10pm, seven days a week. Support for depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, including support groups and courses.
- Grow: 0818 474 474. Peer support groups for people with mental health difficulties, based on the idea that people can help each other recover.
Where complementary therapies fit
Alongside medical care, some people also find complementary approaches helpful for specific issues such as anxiety, sleep or habits. Hypnotherapy is one of these. It is not a crisis service, and it is not a substitute for assessment by a GP or treatment from a mental health team.
A responsible practitioner will ask about your wider health, and will suggest seeing a GP where that is the better first step. If you want to understand how the different talking therapies compare, this comparison of hypnotherapy, CBT and counselling sets out where each tends to fit.