Client situations often have one common need behind them: the need to be met and heard in a confidential atmosphere. Psychologist and psychotherapist Maria Mäkelä's company, Mielankkur, is located in Piirilla, Seinäjoki. There, Maria works with individuals, groups and work communities.
– For me, social responsibility means above all strengthening and maintaining trust. The obligation of confidentiality is lifelong, says Maria.
Maria, who has been a full-time entrepreneur since 2016, sees that most of the stress and inefficiency in work communities is due to interpersonal friction and dysfunctional work structures and ways of doing things. Maria helps companies, expert teams, and educational and social care organizations to eliminate everyday friction and clarify working methods. This frees up professionals' energy for the meaningful and productive work assigned to them.
– There are quite a few places for meetings in the everyday life of work communities. A work community does better when it has permission to stop and deal with things that weigh on it or inspire it. When space is given for meetings and discussions, the things that are talked about in everyday life and what is beneath the surface emerge from there. This helps to clarify which things are important for the team's work and productivity.
The work is always tailored to the team's real needs: it can be a single stimulating lecture or theme workshop, a targeted situation assessment or a longer coaching process. The goal is to make everyday work functional, clear and meaningful.
In addition to work communities, the company's services include group psychotherapy, which Maria has recently focused on making visible and increasing its awareness. Group psychotherapy is a psychotherapy based on free-flowing discussion, in which one explores one's own mind and relationships together with others. In a safe and confidential group, one can share experiences, be heard, and learn to understand oneself and others in a new way that makes life easier. The members of the group do not already know each other, and there is no contact outside the group. The duration of the sessions varies: one group may meet 20 times, and some continue for several years.
Maria has utilized EU rural development funding from Liiver to develop her business. With the support, she has acquired work guidance, implemented marketing activities, and developed work with work communities.
– I'm good at envisioning, but putting it into practice is sometimes difficult. External expert help was useful, otherwise things would not have been implemented.
Maria has also participated in GENGREEN project events and networked with other entrepreneurs. The opportunity to meet colleagues has been valuable, as the everyday life of an entrepreneur can sometimes be a lonely grind. A concrete lesson from the events was the tool for designing short videos.