In the emotionally demanding context of higher education, therapists serve as vital pillars of student well-being. Yet, their own need for sustained psychological resilience and support remains unexplored and fully addressed. This conceptual paper explores how both new and experienced therapists within university counselling units define, experience, and practice self-care within their professional realities. The paper is theoretically grounded in the Ethics of Care, which foregrounds relational interdependence and the moral imperative to care for those who care; Emotional Labour Theory, which highlights the psychological toll of managing others’ emotions; and the Socio-Ecological Model, which frames practitioner well-being as a result of interactions between individual, interpersonal, organizational, and systemic factors. Through a review of relevant literature and informal qualitative anecdotes of professional experiences shared by both novice and experienced therapists, the paper addresses the following questions:(1) How are the increasing and complex mental health needs of university students shaping the demands placed on counselling staff?(2) What forms of emotional labour are required of student counselling staff, and how do these affect their personal and professional well-being? (3) What structural or cultural barriers within universities hinder sustainable care for counselling staff?(4) How do newer vs. more seasoned practitioners experience institutional support and navigate self-care differently?These questions emerge from a growing body of literature that highlights the intensifying mental health needs of university students, the resulting emotional labour and burnout experienced by counselling staff, and the insufficient institutional structures in place to support their well-being. It aims to generate critical insights into how institutions can move beyond individualised self-care rhetoric to implement systemic, relational, and structural responses that uphold the well-being of those who bear the emotional and psychological weight of supporting the student community.

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