Blossom
The provision of Counselling and
Psychotherapy services in schools.
Since 2016 the Blossom
Project has been offering counselling/psychotherapy services in schools, endeavoring to offer timely and effective support to children, young people and their families as well as the school staff. The lack of psycho-social support in early years has a direct impact on mental wellbeing and mental health in later years. This project was the first of its kind in Malta and is being implemented in state run Colleges across the island.
This project is currently delivering psycho-social support to children and young people, their families and school staff, through the services of six Counsellors/ Psychotherapists employed by The Malta Trust Foundation, each working twenty hours a week.
“Dedicated counsellors and psychotherapists offer Blossom Counselling/Psychotherapy Services and are regularly based at the St. Paul’s Bay Primary School, hosting 534 students from 52 different nationalities, at the Qawra Primary with a school population of 823 children from 57 nationalities and at the Naxxar Middle School which hosts 723 students with 47 different nationalities. Birzebbugia Primary is currently hosting 630 students from 40 different countries. Zurrieq Primary hosts a school population of 738 from 20 different countries, while Qormi San Gorg Primary has a school population of 440 students from 16 countries.”
The Blossom Team
of professionals working within the Maria Regina College, St. Benedict’s College, and St. Ignatius College form part of the solid network of professionals working within the respective schools to ensure that the children and young people’s wellbeing is a priority. The Blossom Therapists work hand in hand with the colleges’ psychosocial teams in order to reach out to as many students as possible, provide total support and continuity especially when these young clients transition from one school to the next.
This project is currently delivering psycho-social support to children and young people, their families and school staff, through the services of six Counsellors/ Psychotherapists employed by The Malta Trust Foundation, each working twenty hours a week.
The Blossom therapists attend team building activities, hold meetings and discuss several cases with the rest of the professionals within the psychosocial teams in order to strengthen their work relationships and their means of support towards the students who make use of our services.
During The Summer Months
the Blossom team continue with providing services at their respective schools. The Service also opens for all those students who attend Summer School between July and September. Services are also extended to parents and caregivers and also playworkers and co-ordinators. In the Middle School there are usually transition meetings held on a one to one basis especially to those students who are finding this experience daunting and challenging. During these transition meetings the counsellor listens to the students’ concerns, offer reassurance and also gives them a brief tour around the school in order for them to become familiar with the new school setting.
Testimonials
See What Our Customer’s Say About Us.
A Successful Story
Sally is 11 years old. She has been referred to counselling during her transition from the primary to the secondary school. Her presenting issue was excessive fear of loss of breath and death. Sally was extremely claustrophobic and was scared from small enclosed places. Sally used to come to sessions extremely anxious and afraid that either she or someone she loves is going to die. She reported not being able to sleep well and constantly ruminating about death. On top of these things, she was very scared about her transition from primary to secondary school. Sally and I worked on her fears and her worst nightmares. During our sessions, we came up with a set of skills that she can use when she realized that a panic attack was kicking in. Family sessions were also held where we discussed tips of how to handle her fears and anxieties and how the family can help with her panic attacks. Today Sally barely thinks about death and is having very few sporadic attacks. When she does, she knows how to handle them. She has settled well at school and is now ready to move on to Senior school. As therapists, we do not always see immediate results in our profession but when we do it is the best feeling in the world.