University Psychology Services Face Collapse Amid Staff Shortages
The Psychologists' Union in the Histadrut labor federation is warning that university psychological counseling services are on the verge of collapse due to staff departures and increasing difficulty in recruiting and retaining psychologists. Ahead of a meeting with the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday, the union is demanding an immediate resolution to the crisis and the extension of the public sector psychologists' salary reform to university counselors.
Last Thursday, psychologists from university counseling services, supported by the union, protested outside the Ministry of Finance in Jerusalem. They called for an end to negotiation delays and to ensure that the academic year does not begin with inadequate mental health support for students. These services provide students with psychological treatment, crisis intervention, and referrals, with their importance amplified by the ongoing war, extended reserve duty, and rising mental distress among young people. A Knesset committee meeting in February 2026 noted a rise in student demand for psychological services from 18% in 2024 to 25% in 2025.
Despite growing demand, the employment conditions for university psychologists remain significantly lower than those of their counterparts in the public sector. The union argues this disparity leads to professionals leaving, hinders recruitment, and jeopardizes the services' continued operation. A new salary agreement for public sector psychologists was signed in April 2025, introducing new salary structures and benefits to improve recruitment and retention, but it did not include university counselors.
Negotiations to include university services in the reform began a year ago. While initial proposals involved partial application and exclusion of significant economic rights, the Histadrut claims that the Ministry of Finance is now obstructing the finalization of an agreement, despite reaching understandings on most key issues. The union insists on the full application of the reform's principles, with only minor technical adjustments, warning that a partial agreement will not allow universities to compete for psychologists and will not stop the exodus of staff or the service's deterioration.
Dr. Yuval Hirsh, chairman of the Psychologists' Union, stated that university counselors support students during difficult times, especially during the war, but lack the salaries and conditions to recruit and retain staff. He urged the Ministry of Finance to remove obstacles and reach an agreement, warning that students will ultimately pay the price. Yehall Feiglin, an intern psychologist, echoed these concerns, highlighting that low salaries have already caused departures and that difficulty in hiring new staff could reduce treatment availability, particularly for reservists and vulnerable youth who rely on these services as their only accessible mental health support.
