ABSTRACT
Malta has a long history of dualism, which can be traced to traditional village culture, where feasts often pit rival band clubs against each other. In 1996, the Social Work Development Programme (SWDP), the leading social work agency in Malta, wished to establish the first family therapy service, and its professionals were tasked by the chief executive to train themselves, establish a service, and set the profession in motion in the Maltese islands. Making space in therapy, supervision, and consultation for the juggling of different positions, and generating conversations that broaden the context and introduce different levels of meanings have been crucially significant in the Maltese context. Systemic practitioners have developed supervision groups, which make use of reflecting teams where supervisees are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning as they work through their dilemmas.
