Good Psychologist in Helsinki in English?

[Enkka]

Hello,

Does anybody know, and can recommend a good psychologist in Helsinki who can speak good English?
Unfortunately some psychologists are brilliant, but their English skills limit the help they can provide.

thanks

[DaveS]

My (English) wife is a qualified psychotherapist, we live an hour or so from Helsinki, if that's any help.

[Enkka]

Thanks Dave,

I don't really know much the difference between psychologist and psychotherapist. Could you please enlighten me a little?
Unfortunately I don't have a car, as to go too far.

[AldenG]

It sounds like you're looking for a psychotherapist. Not all psychologists are qualified to be psychotherapists. Some psychologists work in advertising, product usability design, law enforcement, etc. It takes additional training beyond the psychology degree to be a competent psychotherapist. Plus a psychology degree in Finland may include some subjects not very useful to psychotherapy. At the moment, Finland has no degree programs specifically aimed at producing psychotherapists, though there is a somewhat formalized program of post-degree study to prepare them. Some other countries have university curricula aimed directly at the education of psychotherapists, and you may find some graduates of those programs living in Finland. (Those countries generally require several years' supervised clinical practice in addition to the psychotherapy-oriented degree to achieve full accreditation.)

If you want KELA to pay for therapy, you will normally receive a diagnosis from a psychiatrist -- a medical doctor specialized in treating the mind, and the only kind of mental-health professional allowed in Finland to prescribe drugs or make a formal mental-health diagnosis. After that diagnosis, you will normally have treatment sessions with a psychologist who has additional credentials as a psychotherapist.

If you are willing to pay from your own funds, without seeking payment or reimbursement from KELA, or if you're not eligible for benefits from KELA, you have some other options available. For instance, not all foreign-born professional psychotherapists living in Finland necessarily seek KELA recognition. You can go self-pay to a KELA-recognized psychotherapist or any other variety of therapist, without having to first visit the psychiatrist for a formal diagnosis. A good psychotherapist can recognize when it may be advisable to consider medication and can refer you to a psychiatrist for evaluation and possible prescription. That would normally be in addition to the therapy provided by the psychotherapist, for best results. It is rare and not advisable to put someone on a psych med and then leave them to sink or swim on their own, though there are some primary care medical doctors who do that.

[AldenG]

P.S.
Credentials do matter, particularly in the Hippocratic spirit of "first, do no harm." But I have heard many an experienced psychotherapist state that the most important ingredient in a therapeutic relationship is the connection. If you find a helper with whom you connect well, based on a combination of language and interpersonal chemistry, you have already won half or more of the battle. And if something interferes with making a good personal connection, all the training and insight in the world will be of limited use -- which is pretty much what you said in your original post about the importance of a shared language.

[joanmanuel]

Now that you are talking about psychologists, I am starting to be afraid of socialize, I mean to go out to clubs like I used to do it. Actually I want to go out to meet new people, but then the weekend comes and I stay at home alone, is that normal? I do not want this to scale it too much, but I only feel good when I am in company of somebody else out in the streets; any advice?

[luulio]

the weekend comes and I stay at home alone, is that normal?

Sounds like you are going native, connecting with your inner Finn?

[Enkka]

Thanks for the explanation Alden.

I have visited a Therapist (in US) and also a Psychologist (in Finland), and I saw little difference in their ways. The psychologist gives maybe a little bit more feedback, but not much. That is why I don't know what would be the exact difference in visiting either one.
Something I saw is that they just listen, and don't ask questions or anything, so I don't feel encouraged to tell anything more at some point. It is not like discussing, it is a monologue, which doesn't feel nice.

Unfortunately the psychologist didn't even remember who I was when I went to see her the second time, and her English was not so good, so I didn't feel like visiting her any more. But there are some issues I would like to discuss, get feedback and advice, and maybe understand the psychological reasons.

There are lists of Psychologists in Helsinki area, but choosing a random one seems risky, since your point about connecting with the right person is very true.
I don't mind paying myself for the specialist, even though I have KELA, as long as she/he is good.

About Joan Manuel's point. It is sadly true, that the darkness and coldness of Finland causes isolation and apathy... My advice, get into a relationship and involve yourself in activities where you can meet people: School, sports, and so on...

[AldenG]

Something I saw is that they just listen, and don't ask questions or anything, so I don't feel encouraged to tell anything more at some point. It is not like discussing, it is a monologue, which doesn't feel nice.

I think the most charitable description one could offer for the approach you describe is "old-fashioned." A number of less charitable descriptions are also possible.

In the US, I interact with therapists professionally and socially (being married to one and doing work for others) of various types including psychologists, psychiatrists, and others. I can't think of many who would work the way you describe or consider it good practice. It is their job to interact with you on a number of levels including verbal, to be neither too passive nor too active. Step 1 in that process is to make you feel comfortable talking to them.

I hope you find someone who will work out for you. I only know two psychologists in the Helsinki area and I know nothing about their styles of practice. I'm pretty sure one or both has lived abroad, but I don't recall that I've ever spoken English with either of them. I have no sense of their English.

In the US it has become common (to the irritation of many older therapists) that you do not make an appointment before an unpaid pre-consultation by telephone in order to gauge mutual compatibility (of focus-areas and personality). I don't know if that is possible in Finland, but it is certainly desirable. A 10- to 20-minute discussion of what you're looking for and of the therapist's general approach gives you a good sense of the person's therapeutic personality and how well you will be able to connect. I would say that it takes a greedy and short-sighted therapist to be unwilling to invest that negligible amount of time in a likely client/patient. It's a matter of both fairness and good business sense, considering the amount of money that will change hands over the course of the relationship. It is quite rare that someone to whom my wife has extended this courtesy declines to make an appointment. And often the ones who go elsewhere based on insurance or other considerations end up calling her back for an appointment after all, a couple of months later. I think the preconsultation is a really positive thing for both client and therapist.

Plus depending on what you want to talk about, a therapist might suggest you speak to someone else with more specialized experience in what you want to deal with. Or to someone who speaks better English...

[AldenG]

Replied by email with some leads.

This link has appeared here before, I believe, but bears repeating.

Psychotherapist directory 2009

All who practice in languages other than Finnish have abbreviations in parentheses immediately following the name. Thus Seija Suomalainen (su, ru, engl, esp)would be someone practicing in Finnish, Swedish, English, and Spanish.

The word Viitekehys is a technical term that would be "orientation" in American technical English. (Literally "frame of reference.") It is followed by words like cognitive, psychodynamic, etc., that are usually of interest only to professionals or exceptionally informed consumers. So for many it is not necessary to translate anything from Viitekehys onward, as it will be this technical information and information on specific educational level. Since the difference in individual competence and individual connection with a specific client is far greater than differences resulting from educational level, many will choose not to bother translating the full entry. Words appearing after the address and before Viitekehys are likely to be words like aikuiset (adults), lapset (children), perheet (families), parit couples, nuoret youth, etc.

[Upphew]

Thus Seija Suomalainen (su, ru, engl, esp) [a dubious combination, IMO] would be someone practicing in Finnish, Russian, English, and Spanish.

ru as in ruotsi, not as in russian, the list is in Finnish so Russian should be ve or ven imho.

[AldenG]

ru as in ruotsi, not as in russian, the list is in Finnish so Russian should be ve or ven imho.

Oops, yeah. Duh. Thanks, I've corrected the original now.

[chickensexer]

AldenG, thank you very much for all the information. I need an (English speaking) psychotherapist, too. Or at least I believe so. But affordability might be a question. Can you maybe give me a rough estimate of what specialists of that sort charge in metro area? 'Depending on the cost I might have to drop the idea altogether..

[AldenG]

I think it tends to be around 80-100E per hour session. You aren't necessarily with the therapist the full hour, more like 50 minutes, because he or she also needs to make case notes after the session.

[chickensexer]

Thank you AldenG. That's too expensive for me. But I was expecting something like that anyways..

Maybe i myself should study to become one - will solve my issues and give good income.