Willingness

Willingness is a mental health and wellbeing clinic in Ħaż-Żebbuġ that brings psychologists, psychotherapists, sex therapists, coaches and doctors under one roof. Founded in 2011, it describes itself as a multidisciplinary clinic, which means that someone who first comes for counselling can also reach a physiotherapist, dietitian or psychiatrist without being sent across the island. For UK residents and visitors who find the Maltese health system hard to read, that single point of entry is a real convenience.

The clinic is a member of our directories of psychologists in Malta and health centres in Malta. Żebbuġ is an old town in the west of the island, close to Rabat and the walled city described in our Mdina guide, so it is easy to reach for anyone staying on that side of Malta.

Who Willingness is and what it stands for

Willingness describes its aim as a resilient, self-aware society, and its work is guided by professionalism, approachability, evidence-based care and teamwork. The team works to reduce stigma around mental health and to provide support to individuals, couples, families and organisations. It follows recognised ethical standards, including the APA Ethical Principles and the BPS Ethical Framework alongside local rules, and it places weight on ongoing training and supervision for its staff.

The clinic has won recognition for this approach. It holds a 2023 Gold Award as a Leader in Mental Health Wellness at the Malta Business Awards, followed by a Bronze Award for Social Impact in 2024. Team photographs on its own pages show a large, close-knit group of staff, including one celebrating the clinic's fifteenth year.

Therapy and psychology

Core therapy services are individual, couples, family and online therapy, delivered in several languages so that clients can be matched by language, background and concern. Methods named by the clinic include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy. It supports people dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship difficulties, and it also provides psychological assessments, counselling, psychotherapy, parent coaching and co-therapy.

Three specialist clinics sit within the wider service. The Family Clinic deals with family conflict and parenting support, the Trauma Clinic with recovery from traumatic experiences, and the Sex Clinic with psychosexual health, relationship and sex counselling and sex education. The clinic stresses confidentiality and discretion in all of them. Further services listed include counselling for families facing cancer, supervised access visits, support for people with problematic porn use, sex and disability support, and pet psychology and behaviour training.

This is a description of what the clinic offers, not advice. Which service is right for you is something the clinic itself decides with you during the first meeting.

Starting with an intake meeting

Because so many specialisms are available, Willingness offers every new client an intake meeting. It lasts up to an hour and is led by a psychology graduate, under the oversight of the lead clinicians. The meeting is confidential, can take place at the clinic or online, and gives you the chance to explain your goals, ask about the different therapies and professionals, and be matched with someone suited to what you want to work on. What you learn there is passed to your chosen professional in advance.

Intake meetings cost less than a full session, and an appointment is guaranteed within five working days. It is worth arriving with an idea of what you would like to work on and any questions about the process. Expats who need support in English or another language should say so in their enquiry so the matching can take account of it. Our Malta relocation guide explains other practical steps for moving to the islands.

Medical and physical wellbeing services

Alongside therapy, Willingness runs a Health Clinic and a set of private medical services. They cover general health assessments such as physical examinations and blood tests, a sexual health service including an HIV clinic, an STI clinic, PrEP, a 48-hour STI and HIV test and smear tests, a hormone and men's health service with a testosterone clinic, and specialist consultations in urology, psychiatry and chronic pain.

Rehabilitation and wellbeing services include physiotherapy, voice therapy, speech therapy, podiatry, dietitian consultations, holistic and sports massage, and a programme called Level Up. The listed medical professionals include a genito-urinary specialist, a consultant psychiatrist, a physiotherapist, two speech and language pathologists, a dietitian, a podiatrist and a personal trainer. The Health Clinic works with chronic pain, fibromyalgia and health-related behaviours.

The clinic also sells an anonymous at-home HIV self-test kit at €30.00, which uses a finger-prick sample and gives a result within minutes. Anyone with health concerns should speak to a qualified professional about them, as this page cannot advise.

Visitors who need ongoing physiotherapy or a sexual health check while on a long stay can plan around the clinic's opening hours. Our guides to where to stay in Malta and flights from the UK to Malta help with the travel side.

Support sessions and other services

Not everyone who contacts Willingness is looking for long-term psychotherapy. Its Support Sessions offer emotional support for everyday challenges, helping people build resilience and regain confidence in a welcoming and confidential setting. This can suit someone who has hit a rough patch after a move, a change of job or a family event and wants a few conversations rather than a long course.

The wider list of services shows how far the clinic reaches into family and community life. It includes co-therapy, in which two professionals work together with a client, a Chat Bar, supervised random drug and alcohol testing, support for people who need to manage inappropriate sexual behaviour, and a psychology service for assessment and treatment. The team draws on psychology, medicine, education, sexology and social work, so a case that crosses those boundaries can be handled in one place.

For professionals, the clinic's online courses include a practical course on female genital anatomy, common conditions and reproductive health, and a part-time Masters in Health Psychology that combines theory, research and placements.

Children, families and Camp Willingness

Camp Willingness is a programme for children aged 4 to 12, developed by psychologists and teachers together with artists. It aims to combine fun with emotional and social growth in a safe, home-like setting, and its photographs show children gardening and playing outdoors. Parents can buy camp T-shirts at €13.50 and caps at €8.00 from the clinic's shop.

The shop also sells the Sig's Emotional Journey children's books, written to help young readers recognise, express and manage feelings, with titles such as Sig is Sad and Sig is Angry at €15.99 each, a plush Baby Sig at €19.50 and gift sets at €30.00. Parent coaching, childminding and a parenting resource called Parentopedia complete the family offer. If you are travelling with children, our things to do in Malta page and best beaches in Malta guide suggest outings for the rest of the week.

Training, events and careers

Willingness also trains professionals. It runs continuing professional development workshops with local and international experts, online courses and a part-time Masters in Health Psychology, and offers business coaching and training for organisations. Recent events have included a full-day masterclass on power, control and trauma priced at €90 and a half-day workshop on recognising trauma in the workplace at €47.50. A two-day workshop on working with clients who are difficult to engage lists €95 for day one, €80 for day two and €160 for both days.

The clinic recruits for core team posts, freelance work and internships through its Academy. These pages interest clinicians considering a career in Malta, and our guide to Malta's capital city and overview of Malta holidays give some background on island life.

Getting to the clinic and making an enquiry

The clinic keeps long hours, from 08:30 to 20:30 on weekdays and 08:30 to 16:00 on Saturdays, which suits working professionals. For a general introduction to the islands, see our about Malta page.

To take the first step, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page, tell us what kind of support you want, and we will pass your message to Willingness.