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What’s the right service for me?
We believe the best support options for you are the ones that provide the right “dose” for your needs. For example, if you had a headache, you would want to take the right amount of medicine to treat it without taking too much more than you needed for relief. The same is true for our mental health!
With this in mind, the services available to you are listed below in order from lowest “dose” to highest “dose”. This means options closer to the top of this page will be quicker and demand less of your time and energy. We all have various mental health needs at different times in our lives, sometimes we need more support and sometimes less. Our goal is to help folks with higher needs have access to the support they need to make positive change in a way that is responsive and helps them get their needs met.
Options near the bottom of the page might ask for multiple weeks or months of time, energy and commitment from you. The best options for you are the ones that meet your needs and that you will be ready and able to follow through on. Make a SNAP session booking with one of our clinical team to help guide you.
What is a SNAP session?
A SNAP session is a student’s first meeting with SCS and stands for a “Support & Needs Assessment Planning” session. During a SNAP appointment you will meet with one of our clinicians for a conversation about what you are experiencing and to identify what resources might be helpful to meet your current needs. The goal of this appointment is to get you connected with the most effective and least time/energy intensive option to get your needs met. For some students, the clinician may determine that starting with individual therapy is not the best first step. Please know that no matter what the recommended first step is for you, if things are not going the way you hoped we can connect you with a different resource so that you can continue to work on and achieve the goals you set for yourself.
To book a SNAP appointment using our online booking system, please click here.
Additionally, during Term time only, the Service offers two first come, first served drop-in SNAPs every weekday between 10.30 am and 12:00 pm. These cannot be pre-booked or reserved. To avail of this option, you must be present in the SCS by 11:30 am the latest and willing to wait to be seen.
Silver Cloud is an online, self-directed mental health programme based on Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy. Our Silver Cloud programmes are effective, supportive, flexible and user-friendly.
WHO is Silver Cloud best suited for? Any student who is experiencing mild to moderate mental health concerns (including stress, anxiety, or depression) could benefit from this service. In addition, anyone who is looking to build resilience or learn some healthier coping skills would be a great fit. It is also an ideal first step for those with very busy schedules since it is self-directed and always available online.
WHAT can I expect from engaging with this service? There are many different Silver Cloud Courses available (e.g., stress management, anxiety, depression, body image, and building resilience). Some include weekly feedback (online) from a member of the Trinity counselling team. Others operate as a self-help programme without an online supporter. For all the courses, you will engage with a multi-media online programme to learn about your mental health and engage in facilitated activities to reflect on your needs and plan for positive change.
WHEN am I expected to engage with this service? Silver Cloud programmes are 6 to 8 weeks long. If you can commit about an hour a week to this programme that is likely to help you to get the best results. These programmes are available all year round.
WHERE do I engage with this programme? This service is entirely online!
WHY should I engage with this service over others listed? This programme is ideal for anyone with a busy schedule or is looking for a low-intensity way to brush up on their coping skills and increase their mental health.
HOW do I sign up? Take the wellbeing quiz and sign up at https://ie.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/tcd/
Skill Sessions are 30-minute sessions with one of our Assistant Psychologists who help you identify and learn a specific coping, communication, or resilience skill during a structured meeting.
WHO is this service option best suited for? Anyone looking for support to cope with a specific mental health concern (including coping with anger, stress, unhelpful thoughts, difficult emotions) or build positive mental health skills (including healthy communication skills, building a wellness toolbox, or increasing self-compassion)
WHAT can I expect from engaging with this service? You can expect to have learned more about a specific issue you are working through and several new skills to help you cope with that concern.
WHEN am I expected to engage with this service? Skills Sessions are usually conducted over the course of one to two 30-minute meetings.
WHERE do I engage with this service? Skill sessions can be conducted via Zoom or in person (in line with government guidelines)
WHY should I engage with this service over others listed? Skill sessions are an ideal option for anyone who is generally managing well but is looking for guided support to build on their skills to manage difficult life experiences.
HOW do I sign up? Discuss this option with your counsellor or you can email the service at student-counselling@tcd.ie for more information.
We offer several weekly drop-in support groups at SCS tailored to a variety of different topics, concerns, and identities.
WHO is this service option best suited for? Drop-in groups are perfect for anyone looking for feedback, encouragement, and guidance when working through a particular mental health concern or anyone who is part of a community with specific needs or concerns to come together in a facilitated space to build connections and find support.
WHAT can I expect from engaging with this service? You can expect to meet with a group of like-minded students and 2 SCS group facilitators in a confidential and supportive environment.
WHEN am I expected to engage with this service? Most drop-in groups are hosted once a week – you can come for multiple weeks in a row or as needed, that is the beauty of drop-in services!
WHERE do I engage with this service? Groups meet in the SCS, 3rd Floor, 7-9 South Leinster Street.
WHY should I engage with this service over others listed? There are some aspects of therapy that can only happen in the context of a group.
HOW DO I SIGN UP? You don't need to sign up, just come along.
For a list of our drop-in groups please click here.
Peer Support is all about one student listening to another student and providing information and support when necessary. Organised by the Student 2 Student team, Peer Supporters are available for any student in the College and are there for anything you might want to talk through with them. You don't need to be in distress or crisis to talk to a Peer Supporter, but they can help with the larger problems as well as the smaller things.
If you would like to request a meet up with a Peer Supporter or if you are interested in volunteering as a Peer Supporter, please visit our Student2Student Peer Support page for more details on the options available to you.
At SCS we have a dedicated staff of trained mental health clinicians ready to work with students for 1:1 counselling in a short-term therapy model.
WHO is this service option best suited for? Anyone experiencing significant or chronic mental health concerns or students who have tried some of the options listed above and still feel they need more support.
WHAT can I expect from engaging with this service? If your SNAP support plan recommends 1-to-1 therapy, you will be assigned to an SCS counsellor, who will meet you initially for 3 sessions. Depending on your needs, your counsellor may extend your sessions in groups of 3. This is to review your progress and changing needs, and to ensure we are providing you with the right amount of therapy.
WHEN am I expected to engage with this service? Individual counselling sessions are generally scheduled bi-weekly and last for 50 minutes.
WHERE do I engage with this service? Individual counselling sessions can take place in-person, on Zoom, or by telephone where needed.
WHY should I engage with this service over others listed? You should consider individual counselling if you have a significant or long-standing mental health concern, have experienced a trauma, or you otherwise believe you need a higher level of support and care to make positive changes with your mental health.
HOW do I sign up? Please click here to book a SNAP appointment using our online booking system.