Saija-Liisa Kankaanpää

Licensed Psychologist (Valvira-registered), (she/her)

Doctoral degree in Clinical and Cultural Psychology, Master's degrees in Psychology and in Spanish philology, ongoing psychotherapy training specializing in children and adolescents

Finnish, English, Spanish, French, and some Portuguese

Helsinki and Online

I am a native Finnish-speaking psychologist (licensed with VALVIRA) and a Doctor of Psychology. I offer psychological therapy, support, and consultation for individuals of all ages. I am specialized in themes related to mental health, parenting, and cultural diversity.

I hold also a Master’s Degree in Romance Languages (Spanish, French, and Portuguese) from the University of Helsinki. I have always been interested in linguistic and cultural variation and in my 20s, I lived a few years in Spain and in France. Besides Finnish, I offer clinical psychology services in English, Spanish, and French (see below). In addition, I am happy to work with interpreters whenever needed.

I have more than 10 years of experience in training other psychologists, and social and health care professionals and psychology students in linguistic and cultural diversity, mental health, and parenting. I lecture regularly on Cultural Psychology and on themes related to migration and health at several Finnish universities.

Take the first step to help. Book a 15-min phone call to see if we’re the right fit at saija@compasspsychology.fi

My Approach to Therapy

It is important for me to offer holistic and individual, personalized care for clients. I am flexible, active, and empathetic as a psychologist. I use mainly methods based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy is a structured approach in which we work in an active way to better identify the problem or concern in question.

After this initial analysis or case formulation, we work together to find often concrete ways in which maladaptive symptoms and behaviors can be alleviated. Acceptance and Commitment therapy methods typically involve working with personal values, mindfulness, and increasing psychological flexibility.

In addition to these more structured ways of working, for some people just few sessions of psychoeducation or psychological support can be sufficient to bring help. As a researcher-clinician it is also important for me to offer evidence-based treatment, and I often integrate elements that have been proven to be effective in psychotherapy research, such as asking regularly clients’ feedback and assessing mental health symptoms and treatment effectiveness in the beginning of, during, and at the end of treatment or intervention.

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I am available for a free phone consultation to discuss your situation and evaluate my ability to help you before booking a session. I offer both online sessions as well as face-to-face sessions in Helsinki.

Why Work With Me?

Clinical & Research Background

With experience in psychiatric services, schools, and research institutes, I bring over a decade of expertise to support individuals and families through complex challenges.

Expert in Cultural Psychology

I specialize in culturally sensitive care and have worked with migrant families, asylum seekers, and multicultural communities in both clinical and research settings.

Parenting & Early Childhood Specialist

From postpartum wellbeing to multilingual development, I offer guidance for parents navigating early childhood, identity, and cross-cultural parenting.

Multilingual & Inclusive

I offer therapy in Finnish, English, Spanish, and French—and work comfortably with interpreters to ensure everyone is supported.

Evidence-Based & Compassionate Care

Using CBT and ACT, I provide personalized, research-informed therapy focused on real-world change and long-term wellbeing.

My Skills and Qualifications

In the past, I have worked in specialized psychiatric services for adults (HUS), and I have also experience in working with children and youth, for example, as a School Psychologist. I have worked also as a regional Leading psychologist at Terveystalo. Besides my clinical experience, I have worked also as a university teacher, freelance lecturer, children and adolescents’ trauma specialist, and as Senior researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

I am an expert in Cultural Psychology and in themes related to migration, integration, and mental wellbeing. Having worked also with asylum-seekers and unaccompanied minors, I am accustomed to accompanying clients in sometimes very difficult life situations, and helping them cope with their past, potentially traumatizing experiences.

My doctoral studies in psychology focused on investigating depression from a cultural psychology framework. In the past, I was also a member of a Finnish-Palestinian research group that conducted longitudinal research on transition to parenthood and early parenthood and child development in Gaza, Palestine. More recently, I have researched, for example, migrant-origin mothers’ thoughts about and wishes for Finnish social and health care professionals as well as Finnish maternity clinic nurses’ ideas on working with foreign-born parents. I have also developed, together with my colleagues, the Culturally Sensitive Interview on Parenting (THL).

Full list of my published academic work can be found at ORCiD

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Human rights, equity, and respect for diversity are important values for me that also guide me in my work as a psychologist.

I have knowledge and experience working with the following issues:

minority stress, discrimination, and racism and their effects on wellbeing

parenting issues and parental support, also for families with several cultural backgrounds

transition to parenthood, post-partum wellbeing, and early parenthood

integration and dealing with cultural differences

child development and wellbeing

bi- and multilingualism

identity formation and identity concerns

mood disorders

anxiety, panic attacks, and panic disorder

stress and burnout

trauma-related symptoms and PTSD

If you’re looking for a supportive, professional, and results-driven psychologist, I’d love to hear from you.

Contact me today to book a 15-min phone call to see if we're the right fit