Purpose The level of mental alertness among students who are in need of study in the preparatory year – Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University. The level of self-competence of female students who are in need of study in the preparatory year – Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University. To learn about the relationship between mental alertness and self-competence among students who are in need of study in the preparatory year – Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University. Design/methodology/approach The researchers used the experimental method by following the experimental design with two measurements, tribal and posterior, for two groups, one experimental and the other control, due to its suitability to the nature of this research. Research sample: the research community included female students stumbling in the scientific path of Rayyan, the second semester of the academic year 2020–2021 AD, where the researchers selected the research sample in a deliberate manner from the stalled students of 25 students and a random sample of 10 female students was withdrawn to conduct the exploratory study. The number of the basic research sample is 15 female students. Reasons for selecting the search sample: all of the sample members are female students stumbling in the scientific path of Al-Rayyan for the academic year 2020–2021 and all sample members agree to apply the research. Findings The researchers refer to this to the virtual psychological guidance program-specific objectives, as well as the follow-up of the scientific principles and principles and the legalization of the measurement tools used in the research and the diversity of the program within the parts of the program and the training sought to develop the ability to manage pressures and emotions and training in social skills, awareness and self-awareness and the use of exercises relaxation, breathing and modern self-help, as well as the use of different methods and techniques such as the method of dialogue, discussion, awareness of feelings and problem-solving, which led to a change in behavior and personal characteristics, which led to a change in behavior and personal characteristics, leading to the development of behavior and personal characteristics. Originality/value The study aims to design a hypothetical psychological counseling program as a method of health care and its effect on the level of mental alertness and the level of self-efficacy of students who have struggled to study at the Deanship of the preparatory year – Imam Abdul Rahman bin Faisal University. The researchers used the experimental approach and applied this study on a sample of 25 students from the students who failed to study at the Deanship of the preparatory year for the second semester of the academic year 2020–2021 AD and the most important results were that the psychological counseling program as a method of health care had a positive effect on improving the level of mental alertness and the level of self-efficacy among the students who had failed to study. There is a positive correlation between the level of mental alertness and self-efficacy of struggling students as a way of health care.