Testimonials

What Are You Going Through Right Now?

🌐 Culture shock or homesickness

💼 Loss of career, identity, or purpose

🤝 Relationship strain or imbalance

😞 Anxiety, low mood, or overwhelm

👩‍👧 Parenting challenges abroad

🧭 Feeling stuck and needing direction

Below, you'll find stories from some of my clients.

I hope their journeys inspire you and give you the confidence to take that first step—your own session could be the beginning of meaningful change.

Testimonial from a client _______ (stress&anxiety)

"I used to wake up with a pit in my stomach. Before the day even began, my mind was racing — a thousand thoughts about what could go wrong: my daughter's tantrums, my husband's short temper, forgetting something at work, failing again as a mother and wife. I was tired all the time but wired with stress.

Anxiety had become my baseline.

I remember sitting on the bathroom floor one night after everyone was asleep, scrolling aimlessly on my phone, wondering if something was wrong with me. Was I just not cut out for this life? That's when I found Janka and sent her a message. It was one of the most important decisions I've ever made.

From the very first session, she created a space where I didn't have to pretend. She saw straight through my polished sentences and asked me the questions that no one else dared to ask:
– "When do you give yourself permission to rest?"
– "What part of you is trying to control everything… and why?"

I cried in that session—and then I breathed, really breathed, for the first time in weeks.

She helped me understand that I wasn't "broken" or failing—I was simply stuck in survival mode, hijacked by old patterns, by anxiety, and by what she gently called my "Saboteurs." That's when she introduced me to Positive Intelligence, and it changed my life.

She guided me through the program by Shirzad Chamine and helped me start using the PQ app every day. At first, I was skeptical. I didn't think a few minutes a day could make any real difference. But then something shifted.

I started using the daily PQ reps—just 2 minutes here and there—to reconnect with my body. I learned how to pause before reacting to my kids or snapping at my husband. I recognized the inner voices that were fueling my anxiety—the Judge, the Controller, the Hyper-Achiever—and started replacing them with calm, wise responses from my inner Sage.

We didn't just talk. She trained me to live differently, every single day.

My mornings now look totally different: instead of spiraling into stress, I do a few reps, check in with the app, and begin my day with intention. I've started speaking to my husband from a place of clarity instead of defensiveness. I've stopped trying to fix every problem my children have—and started being present with them instead.

One evening, after a long but peaceful bedtime, my 6-year-old looked at me and said, "You're not mad today, Mama. You're soft." I knew then: something had shifted.

Working with Janka gave me more than just parenting support. She helped me rebuild the relationship with myself. She gave me tools I still use daily. And she reminded me that I don't need to be perfect—just present.

If anxiety is running your life and you've forgotten how to breathe, please reach out to her. She is wise, warm, and absolutely life-changing."

Testimonial from a client _______ (cultural shock)

"When I first contacted Janka, I was in tears in the middle of a dark Finnish winter. I had just spent an hour trying to coax my 8-year-old daughter out of bed for school—she was crying that she hated Finnish class, that no one at recess played with her, and that she just wanted to "go back home," though she wasn't even sure where home was anymore. My 5-year-old son had started refusing to speak our native language, while my teenager barely spoke to me at all.

I remember thinking: How did I get here?

We had moved to Finland from South Africa three years earlier for my husband's job. I gave up my own career and life as I knew it, believing it was the best move for our family. But over time, I began to unravel. The kids were caught between cultures—too foreign to fully belong here, but changing too much to fully belong there. I felt like I was constantly firefighting: tantrums, silent dinners, cultural misunderstandings, and a growing distance between me and my husband.

That's when I found Janka.

From the first session, I felt a shift. She didn't make me feel like I was failing—instead, she helped me see that I was navigating an incredibly complex parenting landscape. She asked the questions no one had ever asked me before: "How are you coping?" "What do you need to feel at home?" "What stories are you telling yourself about being a 'good' expat parent?"

Together, we began unpacking layer by layer. I shared how I had been baking South African bread every weekend just to feel a sense of home. How I felt invisible during Finnish school events because I didn't know the social norms. How I feared I was losing the connection with my eldest child, who was becoming more Finnish than I could understand.

Janka helped me develop simple, powerful rituals to anchor my kids' sense of identity: we created a "culture table" in our living room with items from both Finland and South Africa. We started "family story nights" where we each shared memories and traditions from both sides of our world. I learned how to advocate more effectively at school and began teaching my children how to navigate feeling "in-between" with confidence and pride.

And it wasn't just about the kids. My marriage had become a quiet battleground. My husband and I barely talked about anything real—we were co-existing, worn thin, each blaming the other for our growing disconnection. Janka gently invited us into sessions where we learned to communicate again—not just logistics, but feelings, fears, hopes. She introduced tools that helped us stop the blame cycle and start seeing each other again.

One moment that sticks out: she asked us both to describe what we missed most from "home" and what we had silently grieved since moving. That session cracked something open. We cried. We laughed. And for the first time in a long while, we held hands and felt like a team again.

Now, a year later, I feel like a new version of myself—stronger, clearer, more connected. My daughter has joined a local art group and just invited her Finnish friend for a sleepover. My son proudly switches between languages and tells people he's "from two places." And my teenager? We go on weekly walks, just the two of us, where she opens up in a way I never thought possible again.

If you are raising third-culture kids and feel like you've lost your footing, I cannot recommend Janka enough. Her coaching isn't just professional—it's deeply personal, intuitive, and transformative. She didn't just help me parent better. She helped me remember who I am.

Testimonial from a client _________ (support for mother)

" I don't know how to fully put into words what Janka has meant to me. I just know I wouldn't be where I am today without her.

I'm originally from Germany, and after having my first child abroad, I slipped into a depression I didn't see coming. I had always been a capable, organized, independent woman. But after giving birth to my daughter, I felt like I was drowning. The nights were endless, the days were lonely, and I couldn't recognize myself in the mirror. While others around me seemed to adjust and glow, I was battling guilt, exhaustion, and a deep, gnawing fear that I wasn't enough.

What made it worse was that my daughter wasn't developing the same way other babies were. She wasn't crawling when the books said she should, and she seemed withdrawn at playgroups. Every doctor told me not to worry, but I did. Constantly. I watched her next to other babies and silently panicked. And yet, I felt like I had no one I could really talk to—not without feeling judged, or told to "just relax."

That's when I found Janka.

From our very first conversation, something softened in me. She didn't ask me to explain or justify my fears—she just listened. And in that listening, I felt held. I remember crying through most of that first session, not from sadness but from the sheer relief of being seen.

Over the following weeks, we worked gently but powerfully. She helped me untangle the grief I didn't know I was carrying—from the birth experience that hadn't gone as planned, from the loss of my identity, from the pressure of being a "perfect" expat mom in a world where I felt like I was constantly falling short.

She gave me tools to manage the anxious spiral I found myself in daily. She helped me see my daughter not through a lens of worry and comparison, but with presence, trust, and love. Slowly, I began to celebrate her unique rhythm, her quiet strength, her way of taking in the world at her own pace.

One session that stayed with me was when Janka asked me to write a letter—not to my daughter, but to myself, as a mother. I cried for an hour. That letter sits folded in my wallet today. It reminds me that I am doing enough. I am enough.

She also helped me rebuild small rituals of joy and care—walking with my daughter every morning without a destination, lighting a candle during my coffee break just to pause, talking openly with my partner about how I really felt.

Now, nearly a year later, I can breathe again. My daughter is thriving—still developing at her own pace, but full of laughter and curiosity. And I'm no longer afraid. I've found my voice again. I've come home to myself.

If you are a new mother, especially far from home, feeling like no one understands what you're going through—please don't do it alone. Janka is more than a coach. She is a lighthouse in the storm."

Testimonial from a client _________ (bullying)

"When we moved to Finland from Japan, I was full of hope for a better future for my family. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't expect how hard it would be for my 9-year-old son.

Within months, he started coming home quiet and withdrawn. He stopped speaking Japanese, started avoiding eye contact, and one day he begged me not to make him go to school. I later learned he was being bullied—mocked for how he looked, for his lunch, for the way he spoke. My heart broke into a thousand pieces.

I felt helpless. I blamed myself for bringing him here. I didn't know how to support him or how to advocate for him in a system that didn't understand us. I also didn't want to complain too much or draw attention to our "difference." That's something I had learned to survive. But now, it was hurting my child.

That's when I found Janka.

From the first moment we spoke, she created a space where I could stop pretending I was okay. I cried. A lot. She didn't rush me or try to "fix" it. She just listened. And that was the beginning of healing.

She helped me name what I was feeling—grief, fear, guilt, even shame. And she helped me turn those emotions into quiet strength. Together, we created a plan to gently support my son, both emotionally and practically.

We started small—writing affirmations together in Japanese and Finnish, practicing simple conversations he could use at school, and creating a "bravery journal" where he wrote down one thing each day that he did, even if it scared him. She also guided me through the steps to speak with the school in a way that was calm but firm. She helped me feel strong enough to say, "This is not okay," and also offer ideas for how to support my son, instead of just complaining.

Most importantly, she reminded me that our culture, our language, our way of being—was not something to hide.

We made small rituals to reclaim pride in our identity: cooking Japanese meals together, listening to stories from my childhood, and even starting a small origami project that my son eventually brought to school to share. That one moment—when a classmate asked him to teach them how to fold a crane—was a turning point.

Now, things aren't perfect, but they are so much better. My son smiles again. He has made one good friend. He has started speaking Japanese again at home. And I… I feel like I can breathe. I no longer carry the silent weight of shame. I carry love and confidence—for myself, for my child, for our future here.

Janka didn't just help me be a better parent. She helped me be a braver one."

Testimonial from a client ___________ (leaving a toxic relationship) 

"I was the woman who had everything "on paper"—two beautiful children, a stable home in a safe country, and a husband who provided. From the outside, it looked fine. But inside, I was slowly disappearing.

We had moved from Austria to Finland for my husband's job, and everything shifted after that. I became the one who managed everything—school, meals, emotional labor, the unspoken glue holding our expat life together. He became more distant, more irritable, more controlling. He criticized everything I did—the way I parented, the way I spoke Finnish, even how I looked. I started doubting myself constantly.

What made it so hard was that there were no bruises. No shouting. Just cold silences, emotional manipulation, subtle threats, and a never-ending feeling that everything was my fault. I was terrified of breaking up the family, terrified of failing my kids. I told myself I was overreacting. That I should just try harder.

But the truth is, I was breaking.

I found Janka when I was at my lowest—exhausted, ashamed, and utterly lost. From our very first session, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time: safety. She didn't rush me or push me to make any decisions. She just listened. She heard the things I didn't even know how to say.

Week by week, she helped me untangle the fog. She showed me that what I was experiencing was real—that emotional abuse is real, even if no one else sees it. She taught me to listen to my body again—to notice the anxiety in my chest, the way I flinched when my phone buzzed, the fear I carried in my bones.

She gave me language. She gave me tools. She helped me create a safety plan—not just for the day I would leave, but for how to survive until I was ready. She reminded me that I wasn't just protecting myself—I was modeling something powerful for my children, too.

The day I told my husband I was done, I had her voice in my head: "You don't have to earn your right to leave. You just have to choose yourself."

It wasn't easy. The weeks that followed were some of the hardest of my life. But I was no longer alone.

Janka continued to walk beside me. She supported me through the guilt, the grief, the confusion, the fear. She helped me explain things to my children with honesty and compassion. She helped me rebuild my inner world—piece by piece.

Now, I'm in my own apartment with my children. It's small, and it's not perfect—but it's ours. We laugh again. We have peace. I look in the mirror and see someone I recognize: a woman who is strong, clear, and deeply worthy of love—on her own terms.

If you are in a relationship that makes you feel smaller every day, please know: you are not imagining it. And you don't have to do this alone. Janka helped me find my voice again—and that voice saved my life."

Testimonial from a client ___________ (3rd culture parenting)

"Raising third-culture kids sounded beautiful in theory—multilingual, multicultural, open-minded children with a global identity. But the reality was messier, lonelier, and far more emotional than I ever imagined.

I'm originally from Spain, my husband is Dutch, and we're raising our two children in Finland. That makes three cultures under one roof—and often, three sets of expectations, values, and languages all tangled together.

At home, our conversations were constant negotiations—what language to speak at the dinner table, which holidays to celebrate, how strict we should be about routines, screen time, and school performance. Meanwhile, my children were struggling in school, saying they didn't feel like they truly belonged anywhere. My oldest asked me, "Where am I really from?" and I didn't know how to answer.

The tension spilled into everything—our family rhythms, my marriage, even my own identity. I felt stretched in every direction, but never fully seen. That's when I reached out to Janka.

From our very first session, I felt like I could finally exhale. She got it. Not just the logistics of being an expat or raising multicultural kids—but the emotional heart of it. She helped me understand the grief that often comes with raising children between worlds. The grief of "home" being nowhere and everywhere.

She helped me put words to what I was feeling, and then gave me concrete tools to support my children through their own emotional journeys.

We created family rituals that made space for all our cultures—Friday night tapas and storytelling in Spanish, Sunday bike rides to the Dutch bakery, Finnish nature walks that grounded us all. We started having regular "family culture check-ins" where everyone could share how they felt—left out, proud, frustrated, confused. We even built a "family identity map" together with my kids, which is now proudly on our fridge.

Janka helped me stop seeing our differences as problems to solve—and start seeing them as our greatest strength.

She also supported me in shifting the way I parent—moving from pressure and perfectionism to connection and curiosity. I became more present. I stopped trying to overcompensate. I started trusting that I was enough—just as I am—and that our kids didn't need "one right answer" about who they are. They needed to feel safe, seen, and loved in their wholeness.

One evening, my son told me, "I think our family is like a tree with lots of roots… and it's strong because it has so many." I cried.

If you are parenting across cultures and constantly questioning whether you're doing it right—please know that you are not alone. Janka was a lifeline for me, and I am endlessly grateful for the wisdom, care, and real-world tools she gave our family."

Testimonial from a client ___________ (parenting high intelligent kids)

"Before I found Janka, I felt like I was drowning in a sea of questions no one else seemed to understand.

I'm a mother of two incredibly bright children—both of them intense, curious, emotionally sensitive, and always asking why. From the outside, we were the "lucky" family: gifted kids, early readers, creative thinkers. But inside our home, I was constantly overwhelmed.

Every conversation turned into a negotiation or a philosophical debate. Every transition—meals, bedtime, leaving the house—was a challenge. My oldest would melt down if something wasn't logical or "fair," and my youngest questioned the rules of the universe before breakfast.

The hardest part? I felt completely alone. Other parents talked about screen time limits and lunchbox ideas. I was trying to figure out how to explain existential anxiety to a seven-year-old.

I was exhausted. I had read every book. I had tried gentle parenting, firm parenting, reward charts, mindfulness exercises—and still felt like I was failing.

When I met Janka, I was skeptical. Could someone really get what it's like to parent intense, asynchronous, deeply feeling kids?

Yes. She could. And she did.

From the very first session, I felt seen in a way I never had before. She understood the complexity of parenting gifted and highly sensitive children—not just their brilliance, but their intensity, their rigidity, their deep emotional worlds. She helped me see that my kids weren't "too much." They were simply wired differently—and they needed a parent who could meet them where they were.

She helped me understand how my own nervous system was affecting the dynamic. That was huge. I realized that my anxiety and perfectionism were feeding theirs. She didn't judge me—she held space with compassion and gave me tools to reconnect with myself first.

Together, we worked on practical strategies tailored to our family—not generic advice. We created routines that worked for deep thinkers. We implemented calming rituals before transitions. She taught me how to set boundaries without power struggles and how to listen underneath the words my kids were using.

One moment I'll never forget: my daughter looked at me during one of her meltdowns and said, "Thank you for not getting angry this time. I feel safer." That was when I knew the work was changing us—deeply.

Now, our home feels calmer. Not perfect, but real. There's space for emotion, space for questions, and most importantly, space for connection.

If you are parenting bright, emotionally intense children and feel like nothing is working, please work with Janka. She will not only guide you—she will walk with you as you rediscover the joy, strength, and wisdom already within you."