Short intro
I work as Student Life’s student well-being expert and as a university teacher at the University of Jyväskylä. I am responsible for the Student Compass program and its different forms of support, which aim to enhance student mental well-being and study ability. I provide enhanced guidance counseling for students and supervise psychology students who work as well-being coaches. My research focuses on psychosocial Internet-based interventions, their impact, and new opportunities such as the integration of AI.
About me
I work as Student Life’s student well-being expert and as a university teacher at the University of Jyväskylä. I am responsible for all Student Compass (OK in Finnish) operations, covering daily activities, resource management, coach training, research, and development. In this hybrid role, I also provide enhanced guidance counseling for students and teach at the Department of Psychology. I am a psychologist (PsM, doctoral researcher in psychology) with expertise in brief psychological interventions, especially FACT (Focused Acceptance and Commitment Training/Therapy), as well as technology-based methods for delivering interventions.
Counseling for students
I provide enhanced guidance counseling to degree students, focusing on both psychosocial and study-related well-being. I support students with challenges such as motivation, procrastination, time management difficulties, study fatigue, stress, anxiety, depression, concentration and attention problems, as well as social and communication issues.
Research & development
I am a member of the Contextual Behavioral Science Research Group (Kontekstuaalisen käyttäytymistieteen tutkimusryhmä), which develops and studies process-based intervention methods of cognitive behavioral therapy from the perspective of contextual behavioral science.
Since 2011, I have been developing and researching the Student Compass and especially its various forms of support. The program is a web-based mental well-being and life skills program, grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and available to all JYU students as a wellbeing service. It can be used independently as self-help, with the support of a well-being coach, or through enhanced guidance counseling.
My research has focused on the different ways Student Compass can support students and on its positive effects on well-being, stress, depression, and anxiety. I have also examined the components and mechanisms of change in interventions, and more recently, the role of AI integration in internet-based interventions.
Teaching & collaboration
I teach at the Department of Psychology, where I train and supervise Master’s level psychology students who work as well-being coaches in the Student Compass and provide individual and group counseling to other JYU students. I also partly coordinate services for international students, provide training for university staff, and collaborate closely with other well-being partners at JYU.
Further information:
Student Compass research: https://ok.jyu.fi/en/research-collaboration-development
Research group: https://www.jyu.fi/fi/tutkimusryhmat/kontekstuaalisen-kayttaytymistieteen-tutkimusryhma
Student Life support services: https://www.jyu.fi/en/for-students/instructions-for-bachelors-and-masters-students/student-wellbeing
