Records released to the University Observer under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that the average wait time to receive counselling through UCD was approximately one month in the 2024/25 academic year.
Records released to the University Observer under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed that the average wait time to receive counselling through UCD was approximately one month in the 2024/25 academic year.
The average wait time for students to receive an appointment upon presenting themselves to UCD Student Counselling Service in 2024/25 was 24.94 working days (i.e., excluding weekends). With the addition of the expected number of weekends in a month (between eight to ten days), this brings the average waiting time to 33.94 days.
The average wait time for students to receive an appointment upon presenting themselves to UCD Student Counselling Service in 2024/25 was 24.94 working days (i.e., excluding weekends).
The 2023/2024 academic year had similar waiting times for students seeking counselling, with an average wait time of 23.76 working days. This reveals that the waiting time for counselling increased slightly in the 2024/25 academic year, by a little over one working day. With the inclusion of an average number of weekend days to this figure, the total average waiting time in 2023/24 was 32.76 days.
UCD students can register their interest in receiving counselling through the UCD Student Counselling Registration Form. In order to access the form, students must be logged into their UCD Connect account. The online form is open during weekdays between 9.30am until 2pm.
On their webpage, UCD Student Counselling Service states that, “While we strive to meet every student's needs, please be aware that wait times may vary based on demand and we cannot predict the length of time you will be expected to wait. During times of peak demand we will provide updates where possible.” Alongside, the webpage directs students to various additional support services available to UCD students.
In a comment to the University Observer, one student, Sean, noted that he found the wait period to receive counselling to be frustrating, stating that, "Starting counselling can be quite a hard task, although given a sufficient amount of stress the motivation to go eventually wins out.” Sean continued, “You pull out your laptop, sign the form, and wait. They got back to me a month later, with no communication in-between. I found the wait a bit stressful, I wonder how those in more dire situations feel waiting so long."
“You pull out your laptop, sign the form, and wait. They got back to me a month later, with no communication in-between. I found the wait a bit stressful, I wonder how those in more dire situations feel waiting so long."
This experience was echoed by another student, who wishes to remain anonymous. “I recall registering with the Student Counselling Service in October 2025 to access therapy sessions. I had to fill in two forms listing out reasons for counselling, after which I was waiting to be accepted to be seen for over a month,” they said. “Honestly, during this period I’d forgotten that I’d signed up for counselling itself.”
Sabrina, another student who spoke to the University Observer about their experience regarding counselling in UCD, expressed her disappointment with the long wait times that she has experienced. “I was having a major struggle with my mental health in January, and I thought the UCD Student Counselling service would be helpful.” Sabrina claims that she faced difficulty in accessing the form when she first attempted to register her interest in January. “First their website didn't work, and I was unable to fill their Google Form. When it worked after a week, I was put on a waitlist with no estimate of wait time. It’s end of March and I still have no response.”
“First their website didn't work, and I was unable to fill their Google Form. When it worked after a week, I was put on a waitlist with no estimate of wait time. It’s end of March and I still have no response.”
Another student, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed their difficulty in accessing counselling through UCD. “A lot of us international students end up dealing with depression and mental health issues, and it’s already really hard without the support of immediate family. That’s why having these resources be promoted and easy to access is so important.” They continued, “I think if it had been easier to communicate about and apply for, I certainly wouldn’t have dealt with many of the mental health issues I suffered from last year - of which they really affected my grades and schoolwork.”
Another student, Lidiya, told the University Observer that she had a positive experience of UCD Student Counselling Service, noting that she had applied for counselling early during term time and thus believes she avoided being on the waitlist for an extended amount of time. “The UCD counselling service has helped me so much in terms of getting my foot through the door for mental health support. Availability for UCD mental health facilities should definitely be increased so more people can access the same aid that I had been so lucky to receive,” Lidiya stated.
In comparison to the wait times for UCD students, Trinity College Dublin’s Student Counselling Service has significantly lower wait times. According to the Trinity Counselling Services annual report, wait times for the 2024/25 academic year was on average 4.9 days for initial assessment. The wait time for further counselling following initial assessment was 8.5 days. In the 2023/24 academic year, the wait time for initial appointments was 8.6 days, and 28.8 days for further counselling. Trinity Counselling Service credits this reduction in wait times between 2023/24 and 2024/25 with the introduction of same day drop-in appointments - a flexible, non-crisis option for students to speak with a clinician and receive support with zero waiting time - along with a 1.6% drop in students availing of counselling services. Trinity Colleges has a student body of approximately 22,000 students, in comparison to UCD’s student population of approximately 38,000 students.
According to the Trinity Counselling Services annual report, wait times for the 2024/25 academic year was on average 4.9 days for initial assessment. The wait time for further counselling following initial assessment was 8.5 days.
According to records released to the University Observer, in the 2024/25 academic year, 2,136 students presented themselves to UCD Student Counselling Service. 892 students of these students attended counselling on campus, whilst 1034 vouchers were allocated to students to receive external counselling, i.e., off-campus through third party counsellors. Additionally, 557 repeat vouchers were allocated to students continuing their counselling beyond the standard number of sessions granted by the first voucher, or returning to counselling following the use of the first voucher.
In the 2023/24 academic year, 2,105 students contacted UCD Student Counselling Service to indicate their interest in receiving counselling. 994 students were offered counselling appointments on campus, and 923 of these students went on to attend counselling on campus. 999 initial vouchers for external counselling services were allocated to students. (The number of repeat vouchers distributed in the 2023/24 academic year was not included in the records received.)
Between September 2024 to August 2025, UCD spent €693,099 on external counselling services. In the previous academic year, between September 2023 to August 2024, UCD spent €739,476 on external counselling services.