An upcoming workshop aims to help Malta’s self-employed professionals find balance amid the psychological and financial weight of going solo.
Behind the independence and flexibility that self-employment promises lies another reality – long hours, blurred boundaries, emotional fatigue and the quiet strain of functioning as a one-person team.
Olivia Bilocca – psychotherapist, HR strategist and founder of Ethical Living – will spotlight this unseen reality in her workshop When You Work for Yourself, taking place on Friday 21 November in Sliema.
Designed as an intimate, reflective session for up to 15 participants, the event blends psychological insights with practical self-leadership tools to help Malta’s growing community of freelancers, consultants and small business owners manage the mental and emotional load that typically comes with self-employment.
“You are the founder, the sales team, the CEO, and everyone in between,” says Bilocca, whose own experience of self-employment inspired the session. “That has a psychological and a financial cost. If you’re constantly pouring out without refilling, at some point there’ll be nothing left to pour from. Being your own boss can sometimes mean working for the hardest boss you’ll ever have. If your first instinct is to tell yourself you’re too busy to attend a workshop of this kind, that might actually be an indication you should.”
Olivia Bilocca brings over two decades of experience bridging the worlds of psychotherapy and HR. Known for her warm and grounded approach, she has worked across various sectors including financial services, pharmaceuticals, iGaming and professional consultancy, helping individuals and teams build healthier, more human-centred ways of working.
Open to professionals at any stage of their self-employment journey, When You Work for Yourself offers an honest space to pause and regroup among like-minded people who may be weathering similar storms. Through a mix of guided reflection and group discussion, the workshop will explore topics such as stress patterns, burnout cycles, emotional decision-making, visibility anxiety and self-doubt. In collaboration with FPEI (Foundation for the Promotion of Entrepreneurial Initiatives), the workshop will also tackle the often-overlooked importance of community for local entrepreneurs.
The When You Work for Yourself workshop will take place on Friday 21 November from 9am to 2.30pm at Land’s End Boutique Hotel, Sliema. Tickets are priced at €200, with an early bird rate of €185 applicable until Friday 31 October. Parking, a light networking lunch and refreshments are included. Registration in advance is essential to reserve one of the very few places available. Register online at https://ethicalliving.eu/elementor-3237/.
Photography by Diana Iskander
