This year, UL Éist will be running different webinars to target issues that are reported commonly in drop-in and individual sessions. We have created the webinar below to help equip you with skills to manage the difficult transition to online learning. This webinar covers psychoeducational information on anxiety and cognitive/behavioural strategies for managing anxiety related to this. This includes recognising the fight/flight response, beliefs about worry, control, challenging your thinking, organisational skills and relaxation.

>>>>You can watch the video here<<<<

This section provides self-help resources for mental health management during COVID-19. Even within the second lockdown, this is undoubtedly a stressful time, with great change imposed on all of us. Many will find the pandemic anxiety-provoking. This is normal. Remember- there are useful strategies and practical/psychological tasks that you can do to reduce stress and anxiety, even in times of crisis.

• UL Éist's Guide for Managing Uncertanity
• World Health Organisation: Managing Stress
• Managing Stress and Anxiety during COVID-19
• Fun Choice of Technology during COVID-19
• Creating Hope and Staying Positive while facing COVID-19 (free, six week online programme including podcasts, relaxations techniques and practical tasks)
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Podcasts (full e-book available, here)
• COVID-19 Anxiety Workbook (courtesy of The Wellness Society)
• Collection of free mental health webinars covering a range of topics, updated regularly (hope, life balance, minding your mental health, mindfulness, thinking patterns)
• HSE Bereavement Support Helpline: 1800 80 70 77 (read more here)

We also invite you list to our very own guided meditation resource which will help you ground yourself in this moment, reducing stress and helping you to relax. You may also be eiligible for free online counselling via MyMind Free Online Counselling: COVID-19 project.

UL Éist - Student Counselling and Wellbeing Service is a free and confidential service which is available to all registered UL students. We run a stepped-care model of service which provides low-medium level support within a high-demand environment, tailoring support to the individual. The stepped-care model works by providing the least intensive, yet effective, intervention appropriate to the presenting needs of each individual. Students with high level, intensive needs, chronic difficulties, or entrenched problems can be referred to specialist support services, as determined by their presentation.

A student’s relationship with UL Éist begins with the drop-in service. Here they meet an Assistant Psychologist (AP) for 15-20 minutes. Drop-in runs twice daily during week days (10am - 11am & 2pm - 3pm) and students do not need to make an appointment prior to attending. Students complete intake forms on an iPad prior to meeting with an Assistant Psychologist. Please note, intake forms must be filled out no later than 10 minutes prior to the end of drop-in. Drop-in permits students the space to express their concerns and emotions. The APs and Clinical Psychologists then work to formulate a support plan, placing the student at the appropriate ‘step’ for their presenting issues and needs within the stepped-care model.

Step 1

Students may be offered up to four one-to-one cognitive-behavioural support sessions with an AP, giving them a space to work on coping skills and changing of thought processes related to their presentation/concerns. The one-to-one nature of the sessions allows for tailoring of support to the student’s individual needs. The service also provides on-line wellbeing and mental health advice and information. 



Step 2

Students who may not be suitable for cognitive-behavioural support or who prefer to explore their difficulties are placed at step 2 of the model. Here students are offered up to six sessions of talk therapy with one of the counsellors.



Step 3

In some circumstances, following review and discussion with the Head of Counselling, the student may be offered further sessions. Step 3 comprises of 1-6 additional sessions and a subsequent review. 



Step 4

Should the student require further support they may be directed to a specialist service (e.g. community mental health, rape crisis, drug and alcohol services). In some cases referral to specialist services may be decided at drop-in and in consultation with the Head of Service.



The service is staffed by qualified and experienced Clinical Psychologists, Student Counsellors, Intern/Trainee Psychotherapists, and Assistant Psychologists. Together they provided an extensive array of skill, expertise, and knowledge, equipping them to work with a wide range of personal issues. 

First Seven Weeks of UL have made a short video on how to find the counselling service, which can be found here

Contact Number: 061 202327

Email: counselling@ul.ie

Location: CM-073 (Due to COVID-19, the physical service is closed until further notice, but we remain operational via remote working)

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For formal feedback, commendations, complaints about the counselling service use the feedback link on the right-hand side of this page.