Conversations Our Community Never Had, Until Now

This free community workshop brought together clinicians, professionals, and families to explore how trauma shows up in everyday settings and how to respond with care, knowledge, and intention, featuring lived experience from within the Albanian community and grounded in current research. Albanian subtitles are available through closed captions (CC).

So much of what gets passed down in Albanian families doesn't come with a name. This episode is about naming it. We sit down with Norgenta Lata to explore intergenerational trauma in the Albanian community, how it gets transmitted across generations through our stories, biology, beliefs, and cultural practices, how it shows up in the body, and what it actually takes to break the cycle.

Join us as we speak with Dr. Elger Baraku about the powerful connection between emotional and physical health, exploring how stress, anxiety, and suppressed emotions can manifest as real physical symptoms. This episode dives into psychosomatic health, common misdiagnoses, cultural stigma around mental health, and the importance of psychotherapy in healing both the mind and body, offering valuable insights for anyone struggling with unexplained symptoms or looking to better understand the mind-body connection.

We explore adolescent substance use in the Albanian community with Ermal Dautaj, a psychotherapist with a focus on multisystemic family therapy. We discuss early signs, family dynamics, and the effects of substances like marijuana and synthetics on youth. The conversation offers practical guidance for parents on building trust, communicating openly, supporting recovery, and understanding the role of therapy and community in reducing stigma.

Dr. Sonila Sejdaras, clinical psychologist and founder of Care for Albania, shares her personal journey and insights on mental health in the Albanian community. She reflects on growing up under Albania's communist regime and how those experiences shaped her understanding of trauma, collective grief, and emotional expression across generations. Dr. Sejdaras also explores the role of spirituality, identity, and coping in fostering well-being, offering a thoughtful discussion on how history, culture, and emotional health intersect.

We explore the long-term psychological impact of war in Kosovo. Dr. Arela Agako and Dr. Adile Nexha are joined by psychologist Mimoza Gashi to discuss trauma, PTSD, and depression in post-war societies, the role of psychology in community healing, and the importance of reducing stigma around mental health. A powerful conversation about resilience, education, and collective responsibility in the healing process.

Join Dr. Arela Agako and Dr. Adile Nexha as they launch the Albanian Community Mental Health Podcast. In this introductory episode, they share their personal journeys and the inspiration behind creating a platform dedicated to breaking the stigma around mental health in the Albanian community. Discover how cultural nuances shape mental health experiences and learn about their mission to foster open dialogue and provide culturally sensitive resources.