The School Counselling Service is a free, confidential service provided by the Wellbeing Services Directorate under the National School Support Services (NSSS) — Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation. It exists to promote and improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of learners of compulsory school age attending State, Church, and Independent schools in Malta and Gozo. The service provides a non-judgmental, empathic environment to help relieve suffering and distress, and to help students overcome difficulties by changing maladaptive emotional, behavioural, or cognitive patterns. Counsellors work in close collaboration with the student's family, the school, and other professionals and services supporting the student.
A referral can be made by a parent or guardian, the student themselves, an educator, or any other professional within or outside the education system. No GP referral is needed — parents can refer their child directly.
Warning signs a parent may notice:
Confidential one-to-one counselling sessions for the student with a qualified school counsellor, aimed at helping the student achieve healthier patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour. Counselling is an enabling process that provides alternative ways to think, feel, and behave. Sessions are adapted to the individual needs and age of the student.
Where additional or specialist support is needed, students are referred to the appropriate services:
Free and available to all students of compulsory school age (5–16 years) attending State, Church, or Independent schools in Malta and Gozo. The service is school-based — it is delivered through the student's school by counsellors working within the NSSS Wellbeing Services Directorate.
Directorate for Educational Services (DES)
Fra Gaetano Pace Forno Street Hamrun, Malta.
HMR 1101
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 25983497/25983421
Not Applicable
