Andrea Kay Joensuu

Simply said, I treat what I know best, what I can relate to, and feel most compassionate about. Treating anxiety and depression are undoubtedly, my professional strengths. In addition, I especially love to work with mothers! I love supporting them in their parenting, coping, relationships and personal goals while simultaneously encouraging and providing concrete tools and effective solutions to their everyday, and oftentimes, complicated lives. I adhere to a holistic approach of value based living. I believe that if we fail to live according to our personal principles, we can never achieve happiness and well-being. In everything I do, I strive for balance and, when necessary, compromise.  My profession has taught me, that not one person can have it all. 

"If we fail to live according to our personal principles, we can never achieve happiness and well-being."

As a parent of a large family, I confidently approach and am well acquainted with all types of difficulties and challenges. I understand multitasking better than most, having completed my Masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor while simultaneously raising my large family. 

After graduation, I worked extensively with families and children and achieved independent licensure as a psychotherapist. In 2006, our family moved to Finland, Europe, where we lived for over 16 years. There, approved as a governmental health care provider, I opened my own private therapy practice. I specialized in maternal mental health, the treatment of depression and anxiety, parenting, adolescence, trauma, and grief counseling. In addition, I did an abundance of mental health and wellness-related public presentations.

My love for health and holistic wellness awakened my desire to further specialize. In 2018, together with my husband of 35 years, we opened "Lifesimply", an exquisite wellness center in the heart of the Finnish forest. There, surrounded by the aroma of birch and pine, many persons and small businesses benefited from workshops where they learned valuable coping and self-awareness tools. I absolutely loved this coaching and lecturer role.

Despite years of textbook learning and a lengthy internship, I learned to understand grief best in losing both of my parents in 2019 within 4 months of one another. I was devastated. The words "grief is the price we pay for love", became of huge personal significance. The pain of their absence continues to resonate in me every day. However, as opposed to moving forward from their deaths and feeling as if I was leaving them behind, I've learned to live with my sorrow and rediscover happiness. In addition to my growing focus on trauma work, grief & loss issues took on a new level of importance. Through this work and specialization, I also identified the growing need for home sessions for those limited in their mobility.  

“Grief is the price we pay for love."

Years now in Arizona, I’ve continued my efforts to help support people of all ages in building healthy, happy, and functional lives. I continue to marvel at the resiliency of the human spirit in creating positive change for themselves and families. It is an honor and delight to be the invited guest in their journey. 

All of us derive joy and inspiration from differing sources. For me, this comes in the form of art and design, exercise and being in the outdoors. People describe me as active, ambitious, visual, organized, grateful, and sensitive by nature. Most valuable to me, however, is my faith and my family.  

Both, gently, while still firm from behind, I will help you unravel and understand your thoughts and experiences, identify your needs, create a plan, discover simple solutions, and both achieve and maintain a reliable and positive outcome. It is incredibly joyous to create better life stories.