Articles

Hello everyone,  My name is Saija-Liisa, or simply Saija to family and friends. I’m a Finnish-born psychologist and philologist with a deep passion for languages and cultural diversity. I grew up in some of Helsinki’s most multicultural neighborhoods—Vuosaari and...

Moving to a new country can evoke a wide range of emotions. While there may be excitement and optimism about the  future, it is equally common for individuals to experience negative feelings, such as frustration, sadness, and distress. For the spouse who has moved to...

Did you know that 64 countries are meant to hold national elections this year? Elections, along with other current events, are well-known sources of stress and anxiety. For expats, the impact can be especially high, wanting to stay informed about events happening in...

We are excited to offer four groups starting towards the end of October/beginning of November! Here are some details about them: Second-Time Mothers’ Group: We’ve had quite a few requests for a group like this over the past years. Our New Mothers’ Group is for first...

In 2017, when I was a mother of an 18 month old toddler, my colleague and fellow mother Jane Tuomola and I decided to set up an English-language mothers group in Helsinki. We ran our first session before we even had an office, using facilities in the Kalliola...

Compass Psychology aims to provide clinical psychology services to our clients. Many of our clients often wonder what Clinical Psychology is and what they can expect from a session with one of our clinical psychologists. What is clinical psychology? In the...

In my work I often get asked whether I am a psychologist, a psychotherapist, or a psychiatrist. And aren’t they basically all the same? ☺ It is perfectly understandable to not know what the exact differences between these mental health professionals are in terms of...

Our August Adult ADHD Group and New Mothers' Groups are all booked up - but worry not, there will be many more therapy and parenting courses running this autumn at Compass Psychology. Keep your eyes peeled for out announcements on start dates on our social media,...

Blog post by Jennifer De Paola, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki and a Compass Psychology associate. Her research centers on happiness and positive psychology. The end of summer vacation can trigger mixed feelings. If you had time to unwind at...

Most of us know a colleague or someone in our circle who has suffered from occupational burnout. It’s a serious problem in industrial societies, with huge personal, social, relational and financial costs. We regularly see clients with symptoms of burnout at Compass...

By using both assertive communication and boundary setting in our interpersonal relationships, we have a powerful method of relating to others in a way that is respectful to others as well as our selves, and that gets our needs met.  Skills for better...

Shinrin-yoku is a wellness and mindfulness technique that was developed in Japan in the 1980s. It means “forest bathing” or “taking in the forest atmosphere”.  It originally emerged as an antidote to tech-boom burnout and to help people reconnect with and protect...

In today's fast-paced world, where stress and anxiety seem to be constant companions, finding effective ways to unwind and take care of our mental health is essential. While traditional forms of therapy like talk therapy and medication have their merits, a simple and...

School break is just around the corner which means that kids in Finland will soon be on holiday for 10 weeks. There can be a lot of mixed feelings around summer break. On the one hand, having time off from school is important since it allows kids the chance to...

Compass Psychology is collaborating with Purna Yoga to offer a wellness day in Helsinki! When: Sunday 26.5.2024  from 10-18:00, with lunch break Where:  Purna Yoga Helsinki, Fredrikinkatu 67 E 42 Cost: 135€ Are you ready for a transformative journey of...

Hatty Francis-Ehnholm is one of the co-owners of Compass Psychology alongside Annabel Battersby. To find out more about Hatty's professional background and the services she provides, you can read her Compass Psychology profile here. In this post, she will be...

For many people springtime feels like the end of a long winter, with more daylight and above zero temperatures in southern Finland indicating that summer is on the way. But statistics show that this transition period, from a long, cold, dark winter to the bright light...

Did you know that studies in medical science are heavily biassed towards outcomes seen in biological men (Criado-Perez, 2020)? Many animal studies that explore diseases and their treatments have been found to use only male animals. As well as this, randomised control...

This month we are introducing our newest practitioner who has recently joined Compass Psychology in Turku, Clara! To find out more about Clara's’s professional background and the services she provides, you can read her Compass Psychology profile here. In this post,...

This month we are introducing a new practitioner who has recently joined Compass Psychology, Viivi! To find out more about Viivi's professional background and the services she provides, you can read her Compass Psychology profile here. In this post, she will be...

The effect of negative news on our mental health is not a new feature of modern life, but it can sometimes feel that there is an increasingly worse situation in the world. It is important to understand how we can build resilience and coping for ourselves in this...

In this blog post, I am writing about online therapy and why it might be a good choice for you. 1.   It fits your schedule. With online therapy, you don’t have to travel to and from our office, which makes it convenient and easy to fit into busy days. When therapy is...

Are you an adult suffering or suspect you may be suffering with symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)? You are not alone. According to Forbes Health (2024) an estimated 6.8% of people live with this...

Tuning Up Your Vagal Tone: Practical Tips for a Happy Nerve  Welcome back, mindful explorers! Now that we've uncovered the secrets of the Polyvagal Theory and peeked behind the curtain of our emotional circus in the previous blogpost, it's time to roll up our...

The Compass Psychology team wishes you very Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas if you celebrate, and a Happy New Year of 2024! This past year has been a time of great change and growth for us, as several new practitioners have joined our wonderful team, we have moved...

Annabel Battersby is the founder of Compass Psychology and leads it together with Hatty Francis-Ehnholm. To find out more about Annabel's professional background and the services she provides, you can read her Compass Psychology profile here. In this post, she will be...

For those who are not speakers of the two largest language groups in Finland (Finnish and Swedish), deciding which school to send your child to is a fraught issue. Many expat or migrant parents are tempted, and even encouraged, to send their children to the...

Are you an expat in the Helsinki region feeling confused and under pressure about choosing which school you should send your child to? Are you confused about the education system in Finland for foreign language speakers? Do you know the difference between the...

Hello everyone, My name is Kim, and I’ve been working in the psychology field since 2020. Here’s a little bit about me and where I come from: I was born to a German mother and a Finnish father and grew up in a multi-cultural environment. Due to my father’s job, I...

Have you ever wondered why you react the way you do in certain situations? The Polyvagal Theory by Dr. Stephen Porges provides a fascinating lens through which to understand our complex biological responses. So, what exactly is the Polyvagal Theory? In simple terms,...

Hello everyone! I am Jenine and I just started working at Compass Psychology a few weeks ago. You can read about my work experience in psychiatry and general medicine as a medical doctor, and the therapeutic approaches I am using with clients at Compass Psychology...

Recently I went to an anger room with a client to help them with processing feelings of anger in a safe, contained but physically active way. In Raivoomo you can book a 45 minute session in a specially designed room for anger expression. You are given one or two...

12-week course on Thursdays 17:00-18:30 starting 19.10.2023. 35€/session paid in 4-week blocks. Preceded by free 20-minute consultation for those interested. Lead by Jenine Simons and Adja Nixon. DBT encourages us to accept and change, but not suppress, difficult...

Lizeth Ortiz is a Clinical Psychologist who joined Compass Psychology this August. To find out more about her professional background and the types of therapy she provides, you can read her Compass Psychology profile here. In this blog post, she will be telling you...

Many foreign language speakers in Finland would want to access therapy in their own language or with a foreign therapist, but are unable to afford the cost of private psychological therapy and psychotherapy. Here we explain why this problem exists and what our...

Recently Annabel and Hatty presented for the City of Helsinki on Well-Being in summer in Finland (on 15.6.23 at Oodi library) and spoke about how to stay rested, connected and functional during the summer months. Since Midsummer (Juhannus) is just around the corner,...

In the pursuit of optimal well-being, it's important to pay attention to not only our physical health but also our mental well-being. While there are various factors that influence mental health, emerging research suggests that essential fatty acids, particularly...

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...

The concept of values is fundamental in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a line of third wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that some of our psychologists here at Compass Psychology have training in. “Values are words that describe how we want to behave...

Annelies Van Tieghem is a licensed clinical psychologist from Belgium who joined Compass Psychology in February 2023. She offers psychological services for adolescents (+16y) and adults in English or Dutch - you can read more about her professional qualifications and...

Do you know that inner voice that uninvitedly comments and criticizes everything you do? That’s ‘the inner critic’, and most of us are intimately familiar with it. There is another voice that we can listen to instead: a softer and kinder voice that encourages you and...

Are you looking for some mental health help, but cannot afford therapy at this time? Want to learn from psychological experts? Come to our drop-in therapy session on Wednesday evenings, starting 10th May 2023. We only run if at least 4 people attend. The cost is 19€...

Are you feeling a bit of anxiety or trepidation about the summer holidays and the long break from school or daycare? Compass Psychology is here to help. Join Dr Hatty Francis-Ehnholm at 18:00 on Tuesday 23rd May for a free webinar aimed at equipping you with advice...

The last few months have been a really busy time at Compass Psychology as we have been expanding so that we can better support the ever growing international community in Finland. We now have 5 Clinical Psychologists, one parenting coach, one intern and our lovely new...

By Dr Lisa Smith The Power of Validation in Positive Parenting Validation is one of the core foundations of the Compass Psychology 6 week Positive Parenting Course.  When we ran this course in Autumn last year our parents expressed how helpful it had been to...

Stress reduction webinar: Free! Tuesday April 25 18.30 pm with psychologist Amy Lindroos This free webinar is for people who want to learn how to reduce their stress levels. What you can expect from the webinar First, we will talk about the neurophysiology of...

For the first time in Finland, The Incredible Years parenting program is available in English with Compass Psychology. The course is 10 sessions long, and it is highly encouraged that both parents attend the sessions. For that reason, childcare will be provided for...

Many parents of young children might feel stressed and overwhelmed during these days of the corona virus pandemic. It is hard to keep up normal family life when children are not able to participate in their usual social activities. In addition, it is important for...

One of the hardest things about being an expat at any time, is being away from friends and family. Now with the corona virus pandemic, this is even harder as we need to keep our physical distance and as no one knows when they will be able to visit loved ones in person...

Eat Well, Sleep Well – Tips on having a good night sleep this Winter Finding it difficult to fall asleep? Waking up at the middle of the night several times? Or do you always wake up feeling un-refreshed and find it hard to concentrate the whole day? These are all...

On May 14th, Supercell hosted an event called "Finding Your Place in Finland". It was organised by Melanie Dower, who is the person in Supercell who helps new expatriate employees settle into life in Finland. She brought together a number of useful, English language...

Culture shock is a process we all go through when adjusting to life in a new country. Initially everything seems new and exciting. Then things can seem frustrating as everything is foreign and different. Finally you become more accepting of the new culture. Everyone...

We are often asked by new mothers coming to our New Mothers' Group how to go about dressing their newborn baby in freezing cold winter temperatures. Last year it was about -18 degrees during the time we hosted our February New Mothers' Group, and the mothers were...

Jane was recently interviewed by Laura Potter, writing for the UK's Healthy Magazine (https://www.healthy-magazine.co.uk/). In the article entitled 'How to Live Happy by the happiest people in the world (that's the Finns FYI)', Jane was asked to share some tips from...

Among one of the many challenges for non-natives living in Helsinki, is the fact that Helsinki is the second-northernmost capital city in the world after Reykjavik in Iceland, meaning that Helsinki receives just less than 6 hours of sunlight per day in the middle of...

Many of the couples I see for therapy come to the first session with a huge list of complaints about their partner and think that if only their partner changed, then everything would be ok. Of course, things are never just one sided and both partners need to make...

Next month Compass Psychology and Timothy Hudd of English Therapy Helsinki will offer a new program called "Fitting Into Finland: A group for English-speaking men". This program is a six-week self-development course aimed at male, English-speaking spouses of Finnish...

A guide to Third culture life here for English speakers You arrive at the airport and find your beloved Finn waiting for you, then you are whisked off to the countryside to enjoy light filled nights, sauna, swimming in a lake in the forest – the whole package. This...

This is the second of our series of articles on intercultural relationships and this month we focus on one specific area of difference: language and communication. In last month’s blog post about intercultural relationships, we talked about some of the possible...

A couple of weeks ago I presented to the American Women's Club in Finland as a speaker for one of their monthly morning meetings. The topic was "Finnish and American Cross-Cultural Differences", and I used my back ground as a psychologist and English-speaking resident...

Across the world, intercultural relationships are on the increase as global travel becomes easier. Sadly though there is a higher prevalence of divorce in intercultural relationships which is linked to the idea of heterogamy i.e. difference values and cultures between...

In early April I was visiting Melbourne, Australia, and I had the opportunity to present for the Australian Psychological Society Study Network Group. Since 2014 I have been running workshops for psychologists about Working with Older Adults. This time around I ran...

This is the third in the series of blogs on new year’s resolutions. If you haven’t yet read parts 1 and 2, please do so and complete the exercises there before reading on. You can find them at: https://compasspsychology.fi/2018/01/12/new-years-resolutions-part-1/...

Here are a few tips on positive parenting, that will make your efforts to teach, guide and educate your child feel more empowering and less frustrating. One of my favourite positive parenting strategies is described by Noël Janis-Norton, the author of Calmer, Easier,...

The first part of this series on New Year's Resolutions in January should have helped you develop a picture of how you would like your life to be this year. If you haven’t already done this exercise please see the following link and complete the questions there before...

Many people in long-term relationships find it difficult to keep alive the passion and romance that was so abundant in the early stages of the relationship. It is common that life stresses, work and parenting cause people to become less interested in sex. Often it...

The phrase “tipaton tammikuu” literally means “drop-less January”, though is often translated in English to Dry January. But what is it, and why does it happen in Finland? Tipaton Tammikuu is the tradtion of complete abstinence from alcohol for the month of January....

Its now the middle of January and so I’m sure many of you will have made New Year’s Resolutions. The start of a new year is a great time to take stock of your life, what you have achieved over the last year and where you want to be at the end of this year. However,...

With Christmas coming up, most of us will be joining up with our family and extended family for Christmas celebrations.  Spending quality time with your children is important all year round – but Christmas can be a particularly special time to spend together and...

Christmas and the holiday season can be a stressful time for many people who are juggling multiple responsibilities, and find the extra pressures of hosting or preparing for a Christmas event stressful. Reasons for stress can include financial pressures in buying...

We started up our first New Mothers’ Group last week and it was a huge success. There were six mothers with six babies from six different countries! But all united in the common challenges of early motherhood. In the first session we introduced ourselves...

Here is some interesting trivia – did you know that of all the people in the world who live above 60 degrees north, more than a quarter of them are in Finland? That’s right, just under 20 million people live above 60 degrees latitude and 27% of them are here with us...

It is entirely normal to experience a range of feelings after having a baby. At least half of all new mums experience the ‘baby blues’, usually within a few days of giving birth. This is often linked to changes in hormones and can leave people feeling very emotional,...

Lisalotte Baeijaert, a Solution Focused change practitioner from Il Faro, based in Belgium (http://www.ilfaro.be/en) recently ran a workshop here in Helsinki focusing on Resilience in Teams. Here we talk about what resilience is, what the training involved and how you...

One of the world’s leading cognitive therapy authorities, Professor David Clark, was in Helsinki recently to give a two day workshop on using Cognitive Therapy to treat Social Anxiety and Panic Disorder. I went along to get an update on current treatment methods to...

I recently attended an interesting and lovely event in the Kallio Setlementti building in Sturenkatu about support for families in Helsinki, organised by Silvija Budaviciute of the Helsinki Meditation Group. The purpose of the event was to give information to English...