Un new listening space, protected and free, enters directly into the daily lives of Italian students to lend a hand to children and their families in one of the most delicate stages of growth. It’s called “Listen to me” and it is a new psychological support service promoted by the Ministry of Education and Merit, in close synergy with the National Council of the Order of Psychologists. The initiative, which starts on Thursday 28 May, was born with a clear objective: intercept the emotional fragilities of the youngest before they turn into sufferingisolation or, in the most complex cases, abandoning studies.
Listen to ME, the psychologist enters the classroom
The project aims to offer, more than therapy in the classic sense of the term, real listening consultancy, a reception area to prevent discomfort. It is aimed at a crucial age group, namely girls and boys attending the last year of middle school and the first two years of high school. A moment of transition in which the most intense challenges related to growth are often concentratedself-acceptance and inclusion in the peer group.
How to request the voucher and activate the interviews
The gateway to this opportunity is entirely digital and requires the active participation of parents or legal guardians, who must promote the request. Everything takes place through the Single platformthe online portal of the Ministry of Education designed to facilitate school services for families. The path is divided into a few well-defined steps:
- parents access the Single Platform to submit your voucher requestwhich entitles you to a complete package of five free sessions.
- once the benefit has been obtained, the family has 30 days to select the psychologist to whom you can entrust your child’s path.
- chosen specialistthe interviews do not take place in person at school, but online and in total confidentiality
- the sessions are held via videoconference directly through the dedicated “AscoltaMI” application, integrated within the same ministerial portal.
Five free sessions to accompany children in difficult moments of growth, a bridge between school and their inner world. (Getty Images)
Meeting time: how interviews work
The package includes up to five sessions for each school year and to guarantee a gradual and careful approach, the meetings have precise characteristics. The first interview lasts 70 minutes, but only the firstto give space to mutual knowledge and allowing the student and the professional to calmly agree on the times, methods and topics to be covered.
The four remaining sessions have a standard duration of 60 minutes each. At the end of the course, the psychologist will evaluate whether the sessions were enough; otherwise, he will advise the family and the student towards therapeutic paths or structures that are more targeted and specific to their needs.
Listen to ME, who are the therapists
The selection of professionals follows very rigorous criteriadefined by the Order of Psychologists to ensure maximum protection of minors. Not all therapists can join the project, but only those who are part of a special authorized list and who have consolidated experience in the world of school and in projects dedicated to developmental age. A choice that offers mothers and fathers the certainty of entrusting their children to expert hands, capable of listening to the silences and words of the children with the right sensitivity.
