Hi everyone! I am Amy, a psychologist offering psychological therapy with Compass Psychology. You can read about my professional background, my typical clientele, and the therapies I provide on my Compass profile here. In this post I will be writing about myself from a more personal perspective.
I started working with Compass Psychology in the early spring of this year and so far, I have been absolutely thrilled with my work here. I really value being able to work with the international community in Finland, we are such a diverse and interesting group! I am originally from Toronto, Canada and moved to Finland 13 years ago. Though I was born and raised in Toronto, my own parents immigrated from Portugal. This means that my entire life has been colored by issues related to multiculturalism and integration. Wanting to support the mental health of international people has by this point likely made it into my DNA.
I delight in providing psychological therapy and I believe that it is incredibly important work. It has always been my dream to work in mental health. As a child I played therapist with my dolls. By middle school I presented my aspiration of Psychologist to my careers class, making my childhood dream into a tangible goal. I never let go of that dream, and today I am incredibly grateful that I get to do this work.
I live in the in the Finnish archipelago and come to Helsinki once every other week to meet clients at the Compass Centre, our office in Töölö. The rest of the time I work remotely and meets clients through video-calls. I am fond of living on the countryside and I believe it is good medicine for my stress-levels. I grew up in the city and still have the city-pulse and intensity running through my veins. Spending time in nature is an effective way for me to bring a sense of calm into my life.
Taking care of nature is incredibly close to my heart. I show my enthusiasm and gratitude for this planet in every way that I can. In the spring and summer, I adore spending evenings in my garden, watering my strawberry plants and getting my hands into the dirt. During free time with my family, we spend every moment we can being active outdoors. In the summer we go biking, hiking, swimming, and play endless football games in the yard. In the winter we go cross-country skiing and skating.
I try my best to take care of the environment. My countryside home and office are powered by electricity generated from solar panels when the sun is shining. In the winter we rely on our wood-burning furnace to provide heat and take special care to conserve energy. I take the train as much as I can. There is still so much more I want to do to take better care of our planet’s limited resources. I have a dream about biking more and being able to get rid of my car one day.
I take the same dedication I have for taking care of nature into my mental health work. I strive to provide the best possible care. It is important that the treatment I provide is evidence based and specifically targeted to client’s needs. I like to provide my clients with knowledge and resources so that they are equipped to take care of their mental health even outside of our sessions.
Thank you to the entire Compass Psychology community for your support and warm welcome this spring. I look forward to continuing my important work here!
Warm regards,
Amy Lindroos