Saija-Liisa is a licensed psychologist and Doctor of Psychology with over 15 years of professional experience in mental health and cultural diversity. She also holds a Master’s degree in Romance Languages (Spanish, French, Portuguese) from the University of Helsinki. In addition to clinical practice, she has held positions as a university lecturer, trauma specialist for children and adolescents, and Senior Researcher at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
She has over a decade of experience in training healthcare professionals on linguistic and cultural diversity, and regularly lectures at several Finnish universities. Her main expertise lies in Cultural Psychology, with a particular focus on the mental health of individuals with refugee backgrounds. She has worked extensively with asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors.
Saija-Liisa’s doctoral research examined depression through a cultural psychological lens, focusing on the well-being of Somali-origin migrants in Finland. She has also contributed to a Finnish-Palestinian longitudinal study on the transition to parenthood and early child development in Gaza. More recently, her research has explored migrant-origin mothers’ experiences with Finnish health and social services, as well as healthcare professionals’ perspectives on working with culturally diverse families. She currently practices as an independent clinical psychologist, providing services to culturally and linguistically diverse clients, including asylum seekers, at Compass Psychology Finland and Terveystalo.
