Counselling Service
About
Mary Immaculate College provides a professional Counselling Service available to all students, free of charge during the academic year. We are currently offering a blended service of online and on-campus in-person therapy sessions. Whilst many students only need one or two session to address their issues, we are able to offer students up to six counselling sessions a semester, generally weekly with each session lasting up to 50 mins.
We also run a range of support groups, workshops, talks and well-being courses for students.
Maidir linn
Soláthraíonn Coláiste Mhuire gan Smál Seirbhís Comhairleoireachta ghairmiúil atá ar fáil do gach mac léinn, saor in aisce, le linn na bliana acadúla. Tá coinní ar fáil againn ar an gcampas agus ar líne araon chun freastal ar riachtanais éagsúla na mac léinn agus chun an tacaíocht a chur ar fáil ar an mbealach is áisiúla dóibh.
Cuirimid spás sábháilte faoi rún ar fáil inar féidir leat plé a dhéanamh ar d’eispéiris, straitéisí déileála a fhorbairt agus do leas agus do dhea fholláine a fheabhsú. Cé nach ndéanaimid measúnuithe síceolaíochta ná diagnóisí meabhairshláinte, is féidir linn cabhrú leat ciall a bhaint as na dúshláin atá agat agus, más cuí, cabhrú leat teacht ar sheirbhísí eile a d’fhéadfadh a bheith tairbheach duit.
Cé nach mbíonn ach seisiún nó dhó ag teastáil ó go leor mac léinn le dul i ngleic lena gcuid deacrachtaí, is féidir linn suas le sé sheisiún comhairleoireachta in aghaidh an tseimeastair a thairiscint do mhic léinn, de ghnáth ar bhonn seachtainiúil, agus maireann gach seisiún suas le 50 nóiméad.
Ar aon le seisiún duine ar dhuine, reáchtálaimid réimse grúpaí tacaíochta, ceardlann, cainteanna agus cúrsaí folláine do mhic léinn freisin.
General Information
One-to-One Counselling support for MIC Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students
The service here at MIC offers all students a safe, confidential, reflective space to talk about your difficulties and explore the potential for change, build on your self-care and develop strategies to address your problems or mental health condition. We provide up to six sessions of Counselling with follow-ups if necessary. Further referrals are made as necessary to specialized or specific services inside and outside of MIC.
Most MIC students prefer to work with their Counsellor in person. But if you are on placement or off-campus we can arrange for you to have sessions via TEAMS or phone ( please see guidelines on the sidebar).
Support is provided for many issues, such as: Stress, panic/anxiety attacks, crisis pregnancy, loneliness, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, bereavement, exam stress, post-abortion, depression, relationships, sexual/emotional/physical abuse, gender issues, bullying, confidence/self-esteem issues, feeling suicidal, family issues, addictive behaviours, and others.
Postgraduate Research Students
We recognise that, while postgraduate researchers are not immune from the many issues that can affect all students, Postgraduate are unique in their experience of College and life more generally. Completing a research degree is different to other kinds of study or employment you will have previously undertaken, and therefore it brings unique challenges as well as opportunities.
Our Counsellors understand these distinct experiences and so the support we offer takes these into account. We also recognize that you may be an international student with particular pressures that come from working away from your home and family. We also offer workshops, talks and groups throughout the academic year. Also check out the Postgraduate sections on TalkCampus and the Wellbeing Workshops, Groups & Events link.
We Welcome Diversity
All our Counsellors understand that being a student from a minority group, whether that is due for example to your sexuality, gender, ethnicity, disability, being neurodivergent, can impact in different ways on your mental health and well-being. We are committed to ensuring that Counselling is as accessible as possible, so you are very welcome to meet with us to discuss how we can meet your individual needs.
How to Arrange Counselling
How to Arrange to Meet a Limerick Campus Counsellor
Counsellors are available to meet students in-person and online via Teams Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.
If you are an undergraduate or Limerick-based postgraduate student, the quickest way to meet with a counsellor on the day you need support is to attend our drop-in service, available Monday to Friday from 11.00am to 12.45pm in T311/T312. During these times, a counsellor will be available to meet with you and discuss any concerns you may have. If further support is needed, appropriate follow-up arrangements will be made.
If you are studying off campus or for some reason cannot make drop-in hours, then send an email with “Limerick Student” in the subject line to: counselling@mic.ul.ie and we will get back to you to arrange an alternative initial meeting.
How to Arrange to Meet a Thurles Campus Counsellor
Counsellors are available to meet students in-person Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10am-4pm and online via Teams Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.
If you are a MIC Thurles student, the quickest way to meet with a counsellor on the day you need support is to attend our drop-in service, available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12.00pm to 1.00pm in Room 217. During these times, a counsellor will be available to meet with you and discuss any concerns you may have. If further support is needed, appropriate follow-up arrangements will be made.
Please note: No appointment or referral is required to attend a drop-in session at either campus.
Students in Crisis
If you are feeling unsafe or in a Suicidal Crisis/Emergency it is very important that you keep yourself safe by reaching out to gain support and contact immediately:
- Your GP
- If your life is in imminent danger, please call 999.
- Pieta House: Freephone 1800 247 247 or Text HELP to 5144
- The Samaritans: (Free-call) 116 123
Other supports include:
- Shannondoc: 0818 123 500
- A&E dept. for mental health crisis: 061 301 111
- AWARE: 1800 804 848
- Rape Crisis: 1800 311 511
Are Counselling Sessions Confidential?
Many students are understandably concerned that what they talk about with their Counsellor is confidential. You can be assured that all MIC Counsellors abide by a strict code of professional ethics which means that other than exceptional circumstances* nothing a student talks about is disclosed to anyone outside of the service/supervision process without the student's expressed permission. Exceptions* are dictated by law and are circumstances regarding safety/at risk situations, the disclosure of ongoing child abuse, or if records are subpoenaed by law. Please note:
- Your attendance at Counselling will not go on your academic records.
- We will not communicate that you attend Counselling or provide any personal details to others e.g. lecturers, parents, guardians or your GP without your expressed permission.
- We do not provide any Medical-Legal Reports.
Guidelines for Online and Telephone Counselling
Protecting your own privacy
- When a telephone/online-counselling session is offered, you will receive a call at your scheduled time or have received a link for the secure online session via Microsoft Teams. You need to be in a private location where you can speak openly without being overheard or interrupted by others to protect your own confidentiality. If you choose to be a in a place where there are people or others can hear you, your Counsellor cannot be responsible for protecting your confidentiality.
- If you feel you will not be able to access a private place to speak with a Counsellor please let us know.
- To help your privacy we suggest you wear a headset and reduce as much as possible the chance of interruptions for the duration of your scheduled appointment.
Connection Loss
- Distractions at home can interrupt the phone call or online appointment, this could also occur for the Counsellor if they too are working remotely.
- During Online Sessions: If we lose our connection during a Teams session, your Counsellor will call you to troubleshoot the reason for lost connection. If they cannot reach you, they will remain available to you during the entire course of your scheduled session, should you manage to reconnect.
- If the loss of connection is not resolved, you can opt to continue the session over the phone or reschedule your appointment.
Phone Sessions
- Please ensure your phone is charged and your connection is good in advance of the session.
- Phone connection might fail before or during the Counselling session, if this occurs your Counsellor will call you back twice before the assigned time ends for your session and follow up with a text if the session ends abruptly.
- Body language, or non-verbal reactions to what you are discussing are not always picked up over the phone. For example, if you become emotional or shivering you may need to ask for the session to pause whilst you fetch a tissue or a drink, turn on the heating or get a coat. You may also feel that you need to describe your feelings, thoughts, and/or actions in more detail than you would during a face-to-face/Teams session.
Recording of Sessions
Please note: We kindly ask that participants do not record sessions or take screenshots. This helps ensure that everyone feels comfortable sharing and participating.
Accessing Sessions from Abroad
We would like to make our online support available to all students even when you are accessing college online from your home which may not be in Ireland. We are aware however that in some countries, or in some local areas within a country, receiving online Counselling is not permitted or the Counsellor needs specific permission or licenses which as Irish based practitioners we do not have. It will be up to you to let the Counselling service know if you are aware of any legal restrictions to receiving online support.
Information for Concerned Parents/Guardians
Supporting your Emerging Adult Child
We do not offer a crisis service so if there is immediate risk to the safety of the person you are concerned about please contact your GP or the Emergency Services.
For Non-Urgent Concerns
When a young person begins their studies at MIC it can be both an exciting and challenging time for parents and guardians. Some students settle into student life quickly and you can relax knowing they are enjoying new experiences. Others may not adjust so well and in such a situation you may become concerned that they are not enjoying student life, making friends or doing well in their studies. If the young person you care for is unhappy it can leave you feeling upset and powerless to help.
There are staff at MIC who are here to support students if they are struggling in some way. The first step is to urge the young person you are concerned for to seek the appropriate College support:
- Disability Support through the Access Office
- Academic learning support
- Chaplaincy
- Medical Service
- Student Union
Student Counselling
If your concerns are around your child’s mental and emotional well-being, then the first step is to encourage them to contact the service themselves. It is our policy to only initiate contact with a student who has already engaged with our service and NOT on the basis of a parent/guardian’s request.
If your child is unwilling to access support you can email the counselling team at Counselling@mic.ul.ie to arrange to speak to a member of staff about your concerns. Please note that apart from very exceptional circumstances, if a student attends the MIC Counselling Service no-one outside the counselling team would know they have attended, what was discussed, and nothing will be entered on their academic or medical records. This confidentiality agreement with the student extends to parents and guardians so whilst we can listen to your concerns and offer general advice, unless agreed with the student in advance, we cannot share any information about your child, even if you only want to know if they have contacted us.
Mary Immaculate College respects students as independent adult learners and is obligated under data protection law to hold your child’s personal data confidentially. We do appreciate that this can be distressing and frustrating for parents and we aim to help within these limitations.
Online Mental Health Support
Remember that all MIC students can access free online anonymous mental health support through the Togetherall platform anytime, any day. Please encourage your child to register with their MIC email and to become familiar with the resources and peer-support available: TalkCampus
Wellbeing Workshops, Groups & Events
Meet others on the journey towards wellbeing.
The Counselling Service offers a range of groups, webinars, and workshops throughout the academic year, delivered both in person and online via Teams. Keep an eye on this page and the Counselling Service Instagram for upcoming dates and further details. Alternatively, you can contact counselling@mic.ul.ie, using "Groups" in the subject line, to find out more.
The Body Project is an exciting opportunity to join a group that benefits the individual students who take part, as well as contributing to a culture change in the wider campus community?
All genders are affected by the pressures to conform to appearance ideals and the project is relevant to all students whether male, female, trans*, non-binary.
Aims of the project:
- Define the appearance ideal and explore its origin
- Examine the costs of pursuing this ideal
- Explore ways to resist pressures to fit the appearance ideal
- Learn how to challenge our body-related concerns and cultural pressures for looking a particular way
- Learn new ways to talk more positively about our bodies
What’s involved?
To take part in the Project you will need to commit to 4 x 1 hour weekly workshops. The maximum size of each group will be 8 and is co-facilitated by other MIC students who have already been part of a group.
The sessions are safe, confidential, fun, thought provoking and effective in facilitating change. It is not therapy and no personal disclosure of struggles with food or body image is asked of participants.
- We also offer an additional, optional session for students on education programmes to explore how you can bring the ideas and principles of the Body Project into your future work in the classroom.
Where and when will the groups take place?
The first in-person ( Limerick & Thurles campus) groups will start in October 2026. If you are interested in learning more or signing up for one of the groups just email Neil.Collins@mic.ul.ie and put BODY PROJECT in the subject line.
Teaching with Balance is a small, four-session wellbeing group for student teachers preparing for teaching placement. Placement can be exciting and rewarding, but it can also bring pressure, uncertainty and times when things feel a little overwhelming. For some students, managing energy, organisation, concentration, sensory demands or unexpected changes can add another layer to the experience.
Offered by the MIC Student Counselling Service, the group is a supportive, practical space to prepare for placement, share ideas with others and discover strategies that work for you. The aim is not to tell you the ‘right’ way to manage placement, but to help you find ways of staying steady and looking after yourself.
Across four sessions, we’ll explore practical ways to manage stress and stay grounded, reduce overwhelm, organise your time and energy, navigate strong emotions, receive feedback without losing confidence, and keep perspective when things don’t go to plan. Along the way, you’ll build your own toolkit of strategies to take with you into placement.
Most importantly, Teaching with Balance is a reminder that you are going on placement to learn — not to prove that you already know it all. Things won’t always go to plan, and that’s okay.
For more information email neil.collins@mic.ul.ie
Webinars and Workshops
Being a research student can be rewarding, challenging, and sometimes isolating. Our in-person workshops and Teams webinars provide a space to explore topics relevant to your wellbeing and connect with others who understand the postgraduate experience. Keep an eye on the Counselling Service Instagram for upcoming dates and events. In the meantime, previous students have found this resource very useful:
Looking after your wellbeing can make a real difference to your academic experience and success. Throughout the academic year, we offer a series of in person workshops & online webinars via Teams exploring practical ways to support your wellbeing while studying.
Topics may include:
- Tackling Procrastination
- Managing Anxiety
- Small Changes for Success
- Perfect or Good Enough?
These webinars provide an opportunity to learn useful strategies, reflect on your own experiences, and connect with ideas that can help you thrive both personally and academically.
Keep an eye on the Counselling Service Instagram for upcoming dates and details.
Looking for a space where you can be yourself and connect with other neurodivergent students?
Our Neurodivergent Student Meet-Up is a relaxed, welcoming small group where you can meet fellow students who may share similar experiences of navigating college life. Whether you're looking for connection, shared understanding, practical ideas, or simply a space where you don't need to explain yourself, you're very welcome.
Together, we'll explore topics such as:
- Connecting with fellow students who understand you
- Gaining insight into your own unique lived experiences
- Sharing ideas for self-care and navigating college life
- Building confidence, community, and a sense of belonging
The group alternates between facilitated sessions led by Melanie Brown, one of the counsellors, which may include discussions, presentations, or creative activities, and peer-led meet-ups, offering a more informal opportunity to chat and connect with others.
There's no pressure to attend every week. Feel free to come along regularly or simply drop in when it suits you. We hope to create a supportive community where you can learn from others, share experiences, and find encouragement throughout your time at MIC.
Keep an eye on the Counselling Service Instagram for upcoming dates and details or contact Melanie.brown@mic.ul.ie
Your final year is about more than assignments, placements, and graduation. It's also a time of reflection, change, and looking ahead. This series of six sessions, offered throughout the academic year, provides a space to pause and consider what matters most as you prepare for life beyond MIC.
Together, we'll explore topics such as reflecting on your college journey, making the most of your final year, coping with uncertainty about the future, navigating changing relationships, and intentionally creating new connections and a sense of belonging after graduation.
Look out for dates and further details here, on the Counselling Service Instagram page, or by contacting paula.seth@mic.ul.ie.
Remembering Stories is a small, four-session group for students who have experienced the death of someone important to them. The group offers a gentle and supportive space to connect with other students who understand loss, while remembering loved ones through stories, reflection and shared listening.
Rather than focusing on “moving on”, Remembering Stories recognises that the people we have lost can continue to be an important part of our lives. There is no right way to grieve, no set timeline, and no pressure to share more than feels comfortable.
Across the four sessions, students will have opportunities to remember the person who died, share memories and meaningful connections, and explore the ways their influence and stories continue to be carried forward.
For more information email neil.collins@mic.ul.ie
TalkCampus: Connect, Chat & 24/7 Peer Support
TalkCampus is a safe, anonymous online community offering peer support from students around the world. It is a place to share life’s ups and downs, connect with others who understand and feel less alone -without judgement.
You can post, chat, join groups, journal and access wellbeing resources whenever you need them - even at 2am. The community is professionally moderated 24/7 to help keep it safe and supportive.
TalkCampus is free to all MIC students. Simply register using your MIC email address.
Student life can be tough. You don’t need to go it alone.
Staff
Volunteer. Connect. Make a Difference.
Want to support other students, meet people from around the world and build some great skills along the way?
The TalkCampus Peer+ Program gives you the chance to become a trained TalkCampus Buddy - someone who offers a listening ear, encouragement and peer support to other students in the TalkCampus community. It’s all online and flexible, so you can volunteer in your own time and in a way that works around college life.
Along the way, you’ll:
- Learn practical skills in listening, empathy and communication
- Get training in boundaries, self-care and supporting others
- Connect with a global community of students
- Gain real-world volunteering experience and certification for your CV
- Most importantly, help another student feel heard, understood and a little less alone
A little of your time can make a real difference to someone else - and you’ll learn plenty along the way too.
- About
- Guidelines for Online and Telephone Counselling
- Information for Concerned Parents/Guardians
- Wellbeing Workshops, Groups & Events
- TalkCampus: Connect, Chat & 24/7 Peer Support
- Staff
- Volunteer. Connect. Make a Difference.
