Mental Health Meetup: Living Abroad While Parents Grow Older

In 2025, IHL conducted a survey to understand how internationals in Leuven and the surrounding areas were doing. One thing internationals mentioned they needed more of was mental health support.

So we are launching Mental Health Meetups at IHL. Each month, different topics will be featured relating to mental health. The events will be hosted by mental health professionals, bringing their expertise to the international community.

These events will be in a variety of formats. Some will be informational, conversational, interactive, etc. It's a safe space to participate how you would like (active or passive).

Theme for this event:
Holding Two Worlds: Living Abroad While Parents Grow Older

Living abroad often means building a meaningful life in one country while remaining emotionally connected to another. As parents grow older, many internationals carry a complex mix of love, guilt, worry, sadness, pressure and helplessness - often quietly and alone.

This reflective mental health salon offers a supportive space to explore the emotional impact of having aging parents, specifically in another country. Through guided reflection and shared conversation, we will gently name the challenges of caring from afar, navigating responsibility and limits, and holding two worlds at the same time.

Our salons are facilitated conversations for internationals who want to feel less alone in their experience.

You do not need to have prior group therapy experience to attend, but a willingness to share, try something new, and empathize with others are all helpful. :)