Psykologi Mirjam Raudasoja

Welcome to my consultation at Preggo!

I am a licensed psychologist and doctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä. I have years of clinical experience in different areas of psychology with adults, children and families. With my experience as a counseling psychologist and through my soon-to-be-completed PhD research, I have specialized in issues of pregnancy, childbirth and the baby period.

I have met a lot of different people in my clinical work, and I want to respect everyone’s individuality, values and life situations. Pregnancy, childbirth and parenting a baby bring out the more sensitive aspects of humanity in us in a very special way. I want to support families in finding their own way to parenthood and coping as parents. It is especially important to me that every future or new parent gets the support they need in this transitional phase of life.

I offer services to everyone who is thinking about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting topics, as an individual or couple reception. Pregnancy planning, conflicting feelings about pregnancy or parenting, anxiety and depression, fear of childbirth, difficult birth experiences, and questions about becoming a parent and coping as a parent are all things I can support you with. Also, various losses and sorrows, such as childlessness or miscarriages, are things I am happy to support you with. I also do couples counseling to support the transitional phase of a relationship or to solve challenges in a relationship.

Read more about my expertise below, or book an appointment by clicking the button below!

My services at Preggo

Psychologist’s consultation

I offer psychologist’s consultations for all questions related to pregnancy, parenting and family well-being. Pregnancy and becoming a parent is a huge phase of change that requires resources and self-reflection. Reflections can be related to one’s own childhood experiences, current life situation, relationship and coping as a parent, and pregnancy and childbirth can be related to worries or fear. You may wonder what kind of parent you will be and how you will cope with the baby. After the birth of a baby, you can experience many, even conflicting emotions, and you need support in dealing with the change in life and in your own coping. I offer you support to safely deal with these and other topics you wish during the consultation. I want to help you find a way to be a parent that fits your personality and values.

You can come to the reception alone, with a baby or a spouse. An individual reception can be 60 or 90 minutes, depending on your needs. If you want to book a couple’s reception together with your spouse, please reserve a 90-minute appointment. Pregnancy and parenting a baby challenge both the family’s resources and the relationship in many ways, and in many cases it makes sense to come to the clinic together.

Couple’s consultation (90 min)

The birth of a baby is a big upheaval for the family, which parents may handle in very different ways and at different paces. For a pregnant spouse, questions related to pregnancy and the baby constantly remind of themselves through changes and sensations in the body, while the processing of the matter takes place a little more distantly for the partner. According to studies, baby images develop at different rates in pregnant women and their partners. This may cause friction in the relationship. Parents often also have work to do in the development of co-parenting both during pregnancy and after the baby is born, which is quite natural in a new phase of life. In the everyday life of a baby, there may be limited time to recover and take care of the relationship. We can deal with all these themes together at the reception according to your wishes and taking into account the individuality of all parties.

I am happy to support you in matters of co-parenting, changes in your relationship, and other issues that you feel you would like professional support for. Sometimes it is also good to go through the events of pregnancy and childbirth together afterwards.

Fear of childbirth

The fear of childbirth can be a little excitement or a fear that hinders your whole life, lingering constantly in your mind – or something in between. If you want to deal with your fear safely, I am here for you. There are often several influencing factors behind the fear, and we can explore these together. We can discuss in advance about the birth and the means of survival, with which the experience could be as safe as possible. A maternity letter prepared together for the nursing staff is one good way to prepare. In addition to that, we can do various communication and breathing exercises, strengthening the feeling of security, and physical exercises to control fear and prepare for childbirth. I want to help you find suitable ways to prepare for childbirth and cope with the fear of childbirth. During the appointment there is sufficient time and space to process your experiences in a safe environment.

Processing the birth experience

After giving birth, the mind often replays the events over and over for a long time. What just happened? How did I survive that? Whether the experience was positive, negative or something in between, many people who have given birth have an almost endless need to talk about it. For others, talking feels awkward, but it can still be very beneficial. My consultation has room for all kinds of experiences. I respect your need to talk exactly as much as you want, in the way you want. Especially when dealing with difficult and traumatic experiences, discussional help can be very useful. Spouses can also experience childbirth in very different ways, and it is often useful to have a discussion together with both parents. Processing of the birth experience can be done soon after the birth or after a longer time. The treatment is useful at the latest when planning the next pregnancy or during it.

Mental health and well-being during pregnancy and infancy

Mental health problems during and after pregnancy are very common. Mood swings, anxiety, depression, insomnia or exhaustion are burdensome, but it is possible to get help. I support you in various healthcare issues. Together we can map the factors that cause stress and worries and think about their management. The balance of resources and load factors is very important for coping, and we strive to promote this together. If necessary, I will also refer you to other healthcare services.

Early interaction and parenting support

Sometimes being a parent feels challenging and you may feel like you don’t have a contact with the child. Understanding the baby’s messages can seem challenging and your own reactions to them may seem difficult. For one reason or another, parenting a baby does not bring joy, but feels burdensome. Jealousy and neediness of older siblings can be annoying and burdensome, or difficult to understand. During the appointment, we can survey the situation together and stop to wonder what it is all about. We can get to know the baby and you while keeping in mind the needs of both of you. The ability to notice both your own and the baby’s needs at the same time is the key to balanced parenting. Taking care of parenting-related stress and possible exhaustion is also essential so that you feel well and can be a good enough parent. I want to meet you sensitively and acceptingly, so that you can understand yourself and your child and take care of both.

Losses

I am so sorry if you have had to experience a loss on the journey to parenthood. Sometimes everything doesn’t go as planned, and we have to face pregnancy termination, stillbirth or the death of the newborn. Sometimes the pregnancy has to be terminated. I want to be there for you in a way that suits you when you have experienced a loss. Talking about the loss, grieving the loss and facing different emotions is grief work that you do at your own pace and in your own way. When I meet families who have had to experience the loss of a baby, I primarily want to be present. You can come to the reception alone, with your spouse or with the whole family.

Infertility

Infertility is a crisis facing the individual and the family, which I support in dealing with. I will help you face the feelings of disappointment, sadness and shame that may be associated with the situation. By confronting your emotions, you take care of your own resources. I want to provide an empathetic presence and support in handling the matter in a way that suits you. Infertility can also painfully become a factor that defines self-image, in which case there may be a need to deal with the matter.

Pregnancy planning

I can also support you when planning a pregnancy. I can help you think about the different aspects of the decision and the related uncertainties. It is natural that there are many different aspects associated with the idea of pregnancy and we can think about these together.

Remote consultation

You can make an appointment for a remote cosultation if you want to make the appointment flexibly remotely. Then you yourself are responsible for securing a disturbance-free and data-secure space where you can focus on a confidential conversation in peace.

Education

Master of Psychology (PsM), University of Eastern Finland, 2013, licensed psychologist.

Doctoral researcher, University of Jyväskylä, Department of Psychology, 2019–2023. I will graduate as a doctor in 2023. My dissertation deals with pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood from the perspective of self-esteem and identity development. See my published scientific articles below:

– Mirjam Raudasoja, psychologist

Palvelu edellä. Aina.

Kokemuksia asiakkailtani

Mitä asiakkaani ovat mieltä minusta? Ohessa muutamia asiakkaiden kirjoittamia arvosteluja…

"Saara on aidosti hyväsydäminen ja välittävä, aina läsnä, tukee ja kuuntelee. Pohtii aina käytännön keinoja auttaa. Rehellinen ja luotettava ammattilainen!"

"Saaralle on todella helppo puhua. Hän saa taitavasti ajatusteni ytimestä kiinni ja esittäen oikeita kysymyksiä, hän auttaa minua tekemään hyviä oivalluksia. Saara on empaattinen ja rohkaiseva; hän tukee minua päätöksissäni ja olen saanut paljon kaivattua vahvistusta omaan vanhemmuuteeni. Yhteistyö on kokoajan ollut kaikin puolin helppoa ja sujuvaa."