The proposed contribution deals with students´ preferences between online and face-to-face forms of psychological counselling in the context of technological development and changing social interaction at the university. The aim of the study is to identify how digitalisation and global trends, including the COVID-19 pandemic, affect students' access to psychological help and to mental health. The research is based on a combined methodology that includes a primary questionnaire survey conducted anonymously online and physically among students at the University of Žilina and a secondary analysis of statistical data collected from the non-profit organization IPčko for the year 2024. The secondary analysis revealed that the most common reasons for seeking psychological help among young people are feelings of loneliness and fear, thoughts of ending life, self-harm, stress, pressure to perform, anxiety, panic, depression and internet-related phenomena. In 2024, 66% of the help provided was through online platforms and 34% through face-to-face counselling. The primary survey showed that almost half of students are not well informed about psychological counselling options at university, with 56% of respondents preferring face-to-face counselling and 33% preferring a hybrid model that combines online and face-to-face sessions. In addition, 65% of students see digital technology as an important tool to improve access to psychological help. Based on these findings, the paper proposes specific actions that include increasing awareness of the available counselling services, implementing workshops to address the most common problems of students, and building a university online platform that supports the hybrid model of counselling. The results of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of current student needs and offer valuable recommendations for optimizing psychological support in a period of social and technological change.

Keywords: Psychological counselling, university students, online counselling, digitalisation, technological development.