The Story of Lina

There’s a great place to grow under Ombrelo’s shade

Lina Käld, who graduated as a speech therapist in December 2018, completed the final internship of her speech therapy studies at Vaasa’s Ombrelo at the end of the year. As a bilingual native of Ostrobothnia, Vaasa was an appealing option for Lina when she was looking for a placement.

At the beginning of her internship she observed others at work, until she received her own clients. Working with her own clients has taught her a lot. Alongside her work, Lina receives regular guidance both from Nina, who is responsible for supervision, and from her other colleagues.

“Things are really flexible here. We’re encouraged to take part in training and we’re allowed to use new methods. But the best thing is the atmosphere, where everyone wants to develop. Even on Mondays it feels good to wake up and go to work,” Lina says.

What a speech therapist’s work is like in practice

In practical work Lina has come across things she hadn’t considered while still studying. One surprising thing was how much time goes into tasks surrounding the actual therapy sessions. Processing client information, planning sessions, and writing notes all take their share of time.

“I don’t think many people who are considering starting speech and language pathology studies really know everything this work involves. Every student certainly has their own areas of interest they want to learn more about. But once you start working, you may become enthusiastic about something you never even thought of. During my studies I was most interested in adult neurology, but once I started working, I realized I really enjoy working with children.”

During her four-month internship, Lina has received feedback from her own clients as well.

“One parent told me they had already noticed progress in their child after just a few weeks. Above all, they felt that they no longer had to cope alone, but that someone was helping and things were moving forward. Of course, good feedback is a sign that I’ve been doing the right things in therapy.”

The desire to help is genuine

Lina praises Ombrelo’s work community and atmosphere, which have welcomed the newcomer exceptionally well. The name Ombrelo comes from Esperanto and means umbrella. True to its name, it brings together experts in its field under one “umbrella.” A considerate work community acts as a positive motivator both for enjoying work and for learning. 

“When I travel to different locations to see clients, the work can sometimes feel lonely. When I come into the office, I get to meet other therapists and have all kinds of conversations. My colleagues are genuinely interested in how I’m doing. Information is shared, and help is offered without having to ask. This support network is a real asset for my own development,” Lina reflects.

The freedom to choose your own workload

Every employee has the opportunity to decide how much they want to work.  In different life situations, balancing work and free time can be challenging. This has been important for Lina as well, who is the mother of a 1.5-year-old child.

Nina von Schantz, the entrepreneur behind Ombrelo, wants to make it possible for employees to maintain a sense of control over their own lives. When people have a free hand with their schedules, their motivation for work remains high and their satisfaction within the work community improves.

“I often see our employees staying at the office to chat with each other. If people want to spend time here even after working hours, that’s definitely a good and positive sign,” Nina says.

Interested in working at Ombrelo?

See our open positions           

Contact Nina and ask for more information:

https://ombrelo.fi/ammattilaisille/