Psychotherapy in English

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Otto Laitinen

Psychotherapist

I have extensive experience in mental health and substance abuse work, as well as in the rehabilitation of neurological illnesses. I am also currently training as a sexual therapist. I work in both Finnish and English. English is not my native language, and I am happy to talk about what that might mean for our work together.

My work is grounded in the psychoanalytic framework, in which the mind is understood to be formed in interaction with other people. Psychological difficulties can therefore also be treated within a safe and confidential relationship between therapist and patient — a relationship I consider the foundation of psychotherapy.

My approach to psychotherapy is that our earlier life experiences shape how we experience ourselves and others. Sometimes experiences have been too much to process, or we have been left to carry them alone, and they go on affecting our present lives and relationships even when we are not aware of them. It is then common for all of one's energy to go into coping with recurring symptoms — depression, anxiety, fears, difficulties in relationships or various physical complaints.

In psychotherapy we can come to understand your experiences of every kind, which makes it possible to work them into a new form and to bring them into your sense of self and your own life history. This opens up the possibility of finding new ways of relating to yourself and to your own feelings, and of being with others. My task is to help you through this process.

As a psychotherapist, it is important to me to build a safe and confidential working relationship. In treatment I offer the space and the time to work at a pace that suits you. The session is time meant for you alone. Attending to bodily sensations is also an essential part of the work, as body and mind are deeply connected.

Therapeutic work is a process that takes its own time. Over time, deeper insight and a growing understanding of oneself can lead to lasting change. This process makes it possible to find new perspectives and new ways of meeting life's challenges with greater balance.

Training and qualifications

• Psychotherapist licensed (University of Helsinki and the Therapeia Foundation)
• Bachelor of Social Services
• Additional training in crisis and trauma work (1 year)
• Registered Kela service provider (rehabilitative psychotherapy)
• Currently training as a sexual therapist (2026–2027)

What I offer:

Long-term psychotherapy

Long-term psychotherapy is an open-ended process in which we meet regularly — once, twice or three times a week. 

This kind of therapy tends to suit you if your difficulties are long-standing rather than tied to one recent event; if similar patterns keep repeating in your relationships, your work or your sense of yourself; if you have had symptoms — depression, anxiety, emptiness, difficulties with closeness — that return despite earlier treatment; or if you want to understand yourself more deeply rather than manage a specific symptom.

Kela-supported psychotherapy (Kuntoutuspsykoterapia) — how it works:

If you are covered by Finnish social security, Kela may reimburse a substantial part of your psychotherapy costs. This applies to residents regardless of nationality. Kela reimburses 57,60 € per session. Kela does not reimburse the initial consultations. 

What you need:

1. A diagnosed mental health condition and at least three months of appropriate treatment beforehand2.
2. A statement (B-lausunto) from a psychiatrist
3. A decision from Kela

Short-term psychotherapy

Short-term psychotherapy is a focused process of roughly 10–30 sessions, usually weekly. We agree at the outset on what we are working on, and the work stays close to that focus. The approach is the same psychodynamic one — we look at emotions and everyday interactions and how they relate to your current difficulties — but within a defined timeframe, which tends to concentrate the work rather than limit it.

People come to short-term therapy for many reasons. Something in life has changed — a separation, a loss, a move to a new country, a new situation at work. You are exhausted or burnt out. Something in your sexuality or your close relationships feels difficult. Or there is one specific thing you want to understand better.

Short-term therapy can be arranged privately, through occupational health services or through insurance. Please note that occupational health and insurance clients are seen only at my Mehiläinen Töölö practice; privately funded therapy is available at both of my practices. Change can also be possible in a short time. Understanding what is behind a difficulty, and what keeps it going, can bring relief on its own.

Returning to psychotherapy

If you have been in psychotherapy before, you are welcome for a short return period of usually 3–10 sessions. This can be useful when your life situation changes, when familiar themes resurface, or when you simply want to take stock with someone after a longer interval. It is not a matter of starting over — earlier therapeutic work is not lost, and a short period is often enough to re-engage with it.

Contact

Email: info@ottolaitinen.fi

Text message: 050 526 6778 (send a message and I will get back to you)

Practice: Mehiläinen Töölö — Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 17 C, 00260 Helsinki

Fees