Mental Health Between Languages and Identities
A World Mental Health Day conversation about being Albanian in the UK, language, belonging and feeling understood.
Purpose: When we move between Albanian and English, we do not only translate words. We translate humour, silence, family expectations, confidence, pain and the parts of ourselves that may not fit neatly into another language. This session gives Albanian students, immigrants and diaspora communities a rare space to ask: who am I when I speak English, and what part of me remains unspoken?
The concept: The Albanian In Between. A live, facilitated group experience that begins with one simple question: “Do you feel like a different person in English?” Participants can anonymously contribute an Albanian word, expression or silence that loses something when translated. The group then explores what these moments reveal about home, family, loneliness, pride, guilt and the wish to be understood. It is not a wellbeing lecture; it is a shared conversation about the hidden work of translating ourselves in order to belong.
Agenda:
11:00 - 11:30: Welcome
11:30 - 13:00: Workshop
13:00 - 14:00: Networking
Speakers
Arilda Dushaj – Psychotherapist & Clinical Lead at Bliss, with extensive experience working with immigrant clients
Co-Hosts: Bliss & UCL Albanian Society, with the support of Merx Marketing.
About Bliss. Bliss is a culturally attuned mental-health platform that connects people with culturally and linguistically intelligent therapy & coaching. This workshop reflects Bliss’s commitment to accessible, culturally meaningful mental-health conversations.
Important note. This is a facilitated mental health discussion, not group therapy or a substitute for individual clinical care. Participation is voluntary and personal sharing is never required.
Language: Albanian