Irish national reports and studies have indicated the rising prevalence of suicidality among students and an ever-increasing demand for counselling in HEIs over the last decade. Client suicidality has been associated with the most stressful and distressing work-related occurrence within the counselling and psychotherapy profession. While studies identified in the literature review explored the experience of counsellors working with suicidal clients in various organisational settings and as lone practitioners, there have been no research studies of counsellors working with client suicidality in Ireland's HEIs. Therefore, this study seeks to gain a deep understanding of participants' lived experiences of working with student suicidality in the context of their roles within Irish HEIs. Eight in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded, then transcribed and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The findings of the data analysis of the interviews were presented as three group experiential themes generated from the interpretation of the data; these included (1) Navigating a Delicate Tightrope, (2) On a Precarious Edge of Responsibility and (3) Needing A Safety Net. The perceived prevalence of student mental health issues and suicidality in Irish HEIs seems to have presented challenges for participants of this study. All participants report facing higher caseloads, complex client presentations, and the emotional burden of working with suicidal students. The study’s findings indicated that participants have felt trapped, or “caught” by the weight of their professional responsibilities, which in turn exacerbated their stress and sense of vulnerability. The overall findings provide insight into participants' perceptions of professional responsibilities and their need for professional boundaries, self-care, and a supportive work environment to respond effectively to students at risk of suicide. The implications for counsellors, supervisors and service managers suggest a focus on creating supportive person-centred and adequately resourced work environments, and access to regular personal and group supervision to mitigate the fear associated with responsibility and accountability when working with student suicidality.