The Cove is made up of a team of experienced warranted psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, family therapists and coaches who share the common goal of supporting individuals in their unique journey towards a more fulfilling life. Every professional operates from a compassionate, thoughtful and collaborative approach with each individual client, to develop a treatment plan to cater to his or her needs in a trusting and safe therapeutic environment. Our services cater for adolescent and adult psychotherapy or coaching, couple and family therapy, as well as for children.

We look forward to accompanying you on your journey!

 Starting the journey of therapy might be quite challenging. At The Cove we are dedicated to ensure this journey is as comfortable and safe for you as possible.  Psychotherapy can help bring a new perspective to your current situation, changing feelings about you and your life and helping you make positive changes. We provide a non-judgmental and safe space to explore anything troubling you in confidentiality. As you can see from the video, our therapy rooms have been furnished to be welcoming, soothing spaces as we are confident that a good ambiance aids effective therapy. Our warranted professionals are passionate and committed to improving mental health by offering psychological assessments and/ or therapy and coaching, long or short term, to all clients irrespective of race, culture, age, disability, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.  

Life’s ordeals can sometimes block, overwhelm and deplete us. Difficult moments whereby we go through crises, trauma, transitions, pandemics that can lead us to experience anxiety, loss and isolation can be hard to share, and some of us feel resistance to talk about it even with those closest to us. 

Psychotherapy and counselling provide a safe space whereby trained professionals help us to deal with these situations whilst helping us identify our personal strengths in order to grow into the persons we choose to become. Throughout this journey we can develop more self-knowledge and awareness of our thoughts, emotions, body and behaviors. We also become aware of some creative adjustments we adopted as children that might not be useful for us any longer as adults. Thus we then have choices and tools to change how we think, behave and feel resulting in a more purposeful, freer life. 

We can help when you are:

- wanting to understand yourself better and live a more purposeful life

- going through major life changes, personal or career wise

- feeling anxiety or depression

- feeling overwhelmed, stressed or burnt out

- experiencing bullying

- dealing with procrastinating and not reaching realistic goals

- having difficulty setting healthy boundaries and being assertive

- dealing with emotional, physical or sexual abuse

- experiencing low confidence and self-esteem

- having difficulty making decisions, maintaining focus and motivation

- dealing with bereavement

- having some form of dependency

- dealing with anger issues

- dealing with health issues

- feeling blocked by shame and guilt

- having obsessive thoughts or compulsive behavior

- having relationship difficulties

- struggling with some areas of your sexual life

- coming to terms or questioning your sexual or gender identity

We offer both short-term and open ended therapy as well as coaching.

We love this quote by Yung Pueblo

They asked her, “How do you know the healing is working?”

She answered,

“When your mind is no longer governed by the past and when you feel peace in situations where you used to feel tension. You more easily connect with joy and happily use boundaries to protect your well-being. The healing is real when your mind feels lighter and loving yourself becomes more natural.”

  When you decide to contact us for your first appointment via email, website, phone or Facebook page we will require some information on what you would like to tackle in therapy or coaching together with your availability. This way an experienced therapist in this particular field will contact you and offer you an appointment at a time which is convenient to both. If you have to cancel a session please inform with your availability. This way an experienced therapist in this particular field will contact you and offer you an appointment at a time which is convenient to both. If you have to cancel a session please inform the said therapist by phone, sms or email at least 24 hrs in advance, otherwise you will have to pay for the agreed session. 

With the onset of COVID-19, online therapy  slowly gained popularity. We offer both face-to-face psychotherapy as well as online for those who find it easier and safer. For some, the thought of communicating through video conference might at first give rise to some anxiety, however it is important to appreciate that this therapy is just as effective as the face-to-face sessions for both individuals and couples.  Thus you can continue your sessions uninterrupted from the comfort of your own home at a time which is convenient for you.
Online therapy could be a good option for you:
You can have the service from the comfort of your own home without having to sit in Maltese traffic to arrive for the appointment.
If you have social anxiety, it might be a stepping stone to transition from online to face-to-face psychotherapy.
For some it is less daunting to meet someone online rather than face to face to discuss challenging issues.

  Jacqueline is a Gestalt psychotherapist offering both online and in-person psychotherapy and coaching sessions with adults. Her interests and experience range from short-term solution-focused therapy and coaching for personal development and career change to open-ended therapy for clients suffering from low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, relationship issues, burnout, bullying, bereavement, identity and sexuality issues, abuse and trauma. She adopts an integrative approach, drawing upon different approaches depending on the clients’ unique needs.

She is a registered psychotherapist with the Psychotherapy Profession Board in Malta. She is also the director of The Cove (https://thecovetherapy.com/) which offers therapy and coaching by a team of experienced and warranted professionals who share the common goal of supporting individuals in their journey towards a more fulfilling life. Jacqueline loves being outdoors immersed in nature, trekking, swimming, kayaking and sailing. She is presently exploring nature photography and loves travelling. 

Marthese Vassallo is a Warranted Counsellor and Registered Counselling Supervisor. She developed a love for counselling after she herself experienced the benefits of therapy when going through difficult life events in the past. 

She pursued her studies as a mature student and received a MSc in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy (Derby) and a MA in Education - Pastoral Care (Loughborough) both with Distinction. She also obtained a Post Graduate Dip. in Humanistic & Integrative Counselling (London) and a Post Graduate Dip. in Relational Supervision (Severn). 

Marthese has been counselling adults, adolescents and couples for over 25 years, when she started on a voluntary basis. She has dealt with issues such as self-esteem, understanding oneself better, relationships, anxiety and depression amongst others. She has also worked extensively with adult survivors of child sexual abuse, an area she thoroughly researched throughout her studies. 

For 13 years she was employed as a Senior Counsellor at MCAST (Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology) where she managed the counselling services and mentored and supervised a team of counsellors and psychotherapists. Her duties included the coordination and supervision of trainee counsellors and psychotherapists on placement at MCAST. She also carried out counselling sessions with both students and staff. 

Marthese offers counselling and supervision in Malta, Gozo, as well as online. She holds each individual at heart and allows an open and non-judgemental dialogue to develop both in counselling and supervision.

Moyra has a Masters Degree in Gestalt Psychotherapy and is a warranted Gestalt Therapist. She has a passion for supporting people to regain their inner peace, after experiencing difficult life events. She believes that through the therapeutic relationship, clients can discover aspects of themselves that they never really knew existed. She loves to help people overcome blocks and move ahead to healthier and more fulfilling paths.

She works in a number of areas which include:

· Depression

· Anxiety

· Self esteem issues

· Relational issues

· Work related stress

Over the past five years she has worked in a number of multidisciplinary teams, to support young adults in post-secondary/tertiary education and people with eating disorders. She has supported adolescents for the past 11 years and lectures in Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Skills.

She offers both online and face-to-face sessions.

Moyra is an animal lover, enjoys nature, yoga and sports.

She believes that everyone stands to benefit from therapy and nothing surpasses the beauty of self-empowerment and life fulfilment.

Anita Leeanna Portelli was born in London and moved to Malta in 1976. Anita works as a Gestalt Psychotherapist.  She also holds an ITEC diploma in Massage Therapy and runs the Malta Endometriosis support group and is Vice President of the Malta Infertility Network. She has been involved in a number of organizations including Crisis Resolution Malta and ALS Malta.  She currently works with The Malta Trust Foundation.  Anita supports  clients on a variety of themes such as anxiety,  loss of self and life transitions.  She has a special interest in Health Psychology and working with individuals and their families suffering with chronic pain or illness.  She believes that one of the first ways to support clients is to help them in finding ways to lift their emotional conditioning so they are freed up to meet their needs effectively.

Kylie holds a Masters degree in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, a post-graduate in Personal, Social and Emotional Development, and an undergraduate in Youth and Community studies. She is currently based in different primary schools, middle and secondary school in a local college where she works therapeutically with children, young people and their families.  In the schools, the voluntary organisation she is part of, and in her private practice, Kylie works with families and couples to help their relationships become less troubled and more nurturing. She believes relationships are the living links that join family members. Family therapy and couple therapy can offer the space to explore the many parts of these relationships helping you to come to an understanding of the system you are living in. Kylie’s belief is that each individual has the inner strength to flourish and sometimes all is needed is support, awareness and understanding bringing family members together creating a new vitality in their relationships. Informed by a variety of systemic modalities, with a little fun and creativity thrown in, Kylie will work collaboratively with you and strive to create an atmosphere of safety, collegiality and growth. 

“I want to appreciate you without judging. Join you without invading. Invite you without demanding. Leave you without guilt (Virginia Satir – Family Therapist)”

With an academic foundation in Economics and Management, followed by an Honors degree in Management, I immersed myself in the family business. My daily interactions with both customers and employees highlighted the profound need for people to feel seen and heard. Over time, my personal experiences as a wife and mother,  have deepened my understanding of the power of unconditional love and support systems. 

My journey into Gestalt psychotherapy began when I realized a deeper calling to offer others practical tools for navigating life’s challenges, managing difficult emotions, and fostering personal growth. Under the mentorship of esteemed international psychotherapists, I honed my ability to create a warm, compassionate, and supportive environment where clients feel safe to explore their struggles and fears. Through this work, I’ve come to appreciate the transformative power of self-awareness, and I’ve learned strategies to help individuals boost confidence, reduce anxiety and stress, and find balance in their lives.

Throughout my career, I have guided clients through challenges such as work stress, relationship dynamics, parenting, grief, and life transitions. I have a particular passion for supporting young adults as they transition from students to professionals and from individuals to partners.

My approach is rooted in listening with empathy and without judgment, empowering clients to gain insights and develop the tools they need to overcome their difficulties, achieve personal growth, and lead more fulfilling lives.

I am a warranted counsellor who graduated from Masters in Counselling in

2014. During these years I created a Community Service Centre and worked in this setting, helping clients with various different issues. Some issues include cancer-related support for caregivers, couples’ issues, family therapy, group

therapy, sexual identity, domestic violence and trauma, depression, anxiety, among others. I also worked in a more medical setting, helping clients with eating disorders and obesity.

I believe that everyone has the ability to find balance in their life, and that the

space given in counselling helps in finding that balance. I work with individual

clients, couples and groups.  I love music, reading, travelling and photography. I also love finding quiet moments by the sea and amongst nature.

Abigail holds a Bachelors degree in Communications and Psychology, Robbins Madanes Life Coaching Certification, along with over 10 years of  working in C Level corporate sales. As an ambitious woman who always strived to climb the career ladder, she realised that to achieve continued career success, she also needs to work on self-development, self-acceptance and self-love.

Overcoming challenges at work led Abigail to become inquisitive about other areas of her life like relationships, family dynamics, body image, spirituality and childhood traumas. Over the years of managing large sales teams on an international level, she used her personal coaching to also coach her sales people. Developing skilled sales members who also practiced self awareness and observations, helped her to join start-up companies and build their sales strategy and teams for years until she realised that what fulfilled her was seeing people become successful rather than money and sales targets.

Abigail's passion towards self-development and growth led her to start coaching individuals to follow the journey that she started years ago for herself. Her objective is to coach clients short term to help them achieve their immediate goals in life. She thoroughly examines patterns that clients develop, guides towards awareness of such patterns and together with the client, finds alternative healthier approaches that align with the client's objectives. Abigail strongly believes that everyone has the potential for growth if they believe in doing the work. For her, success is when a client feels empowered to make a change and becomes ready to align with their higher self.