Guide to Therapy in Malta
Everything worth knowing about getting therapy in Malta — who can provide it, what it costs, what the different approaches are, and how to actually find the right person.
Malta has a small but growing private therapy sector. If you are looking for a therapist or psychotherapist in Malta, this guide covers the most important things to understand before you start — from qualifications and costs to the difference between a psychologist and a psychotherapist, and how to actually find the right person.
Several different types of practitioners offer some form of talking therapy in Malta. The distinctions between them matter.
Warranted psychotherapists are regulated by the PPBM (the Maltese board for professions complementary to medicine). A PPBM warrant requires a minimum of a postgraduate-level training in psychotherapy, personal therapy, and supervised clinical hours. This is the most robust professional qualification available in Malta for psychotherapy. I hold warrant number 494.
Psychologists hold a degree in psychology and understand how the mind works academically. Not all psychologists provide therapy — many work in research, education, or organisational settings. Those who do therapy are typically trained in specific models such as CBT.
Counsellors are usually trained at diploma level and may focus on specific areas such as bereavement, addiction, or stress. Their training is typically shorter than a psychotherapist's, but counsellors can do effective work for focused, shorter-term issues.
Coaches are not mental health professionals. Coaching is unregulated in Malta. If you are dealing with something clinical — depression, anxiety, trauma, identity — therapy is the appropriate route, not coaching.
Private psychotherapy in Malta typically costs between €50 and €100 per 50-minute session. Some clinics charge an additional clinic fee on top of the therapist's fee, so it is worth asking upfront. Some providers are covered by private medical insurance, and it is worth checking with your insurer before starting.
For clients outside Malta seeking online therapy, international rates are typically higher — reflecting different cost structures and the therapist's licensing obligations.
Gestalt therapy is present-focused and relational. The work happens in the conversation, in the relationship between therapist and client, and in the body and emotions as they arise in the session. It is well-suited to people who want to understand themselves more deeply, work through fixed patterns, or address questions of identity and meaning. This is the approach I practise.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is structured, skills-based, and often time-limited. It works by identifying and shifting unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours. It is particularly effective for anxiety disorders, depression, phobias, and OCD.
Psychodynamic therapy explores how unconscious processes and early experiences shape current life and relationships. It tends to be longer-term and more exploratory.
Integrative therapy draws on multiple approaches, adapting the work to the person rather than applying a fixed framework.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a specialist approach for trauma and PTSD, available from some practitioners in Malta.
Therapy is useful for a wide range of presentations, not only diagnosable conditions. Common reasons people start therapy in Malta include:
You do not need a diagnosis to start therapy. Most people come not because something is clinically wrong, but because something is persistently difficult, and they have run out of ways to address it on their own.
Private therapy in Malta is available in person at various clinics and private practices, primarily in the northern and central parts of the island. Online therapy is also widely available and, for many people, more practical.
I see clients in person at Demajo Medical in Mellieħa and at the Richmond Foundation in Sta Venera. I also see clients online via Google Meet, which works well for people who are elsewhere in Malta or across Europe.
The most reliable starting point is the PPBM register, which lists warranted psychotherapists in Malta. Beyond that, individual therapist websites give you a sense of their approach and whether their language resonates with you.
Most therapists in Malta offer a brief introductory call before the first session. Use it. It gives you a sense of whether the person communicates in a way that feels right for you, and whether the practical details — cost, availability, format — work.
If you are looking for a psychotherapist in Malta, I would be happy to have that initial conversation. Sessions in Mellieħa and online across Europe.
For most presentations, yes. Research on outcome equivalence between online and in-person therapy is now well-established. The main practical requirement is a quiet, private space at your end and a stable internet connection. Most people adapt to the format quickly and find it works well for the kind of sustained, honest conversation that therapy requires.
Some private health insurance policies in Malta cover psychotherapy, either directly or through reimbursement. It is worth checking with your insurer before starting. Asking your therapist for receipts that you can submit to your insurer is a common arrangement in private practice here.
Sessions in person in Malta and online across Europe. First session usually within the week.
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