Mental Health Meetup: : Navigating Life as a Couple Abroad

Theme for this event
Being in a Couple: Navigating Life Together Abroad

Living abroad as a couple can be a deeply meaningful experience, but it often comes with unique challenges. Relocation, cultural differences, distance from family and familiar support systems, and the ongoing task of adapting to a new environment can affect the relationship.
This workshop offers a reflective and supportive space for couples to explore how their international experiences have shaped their relationship.

Participants will be invited to better understand their communication patterns, reconnect with a sense of teamwork, and learn practical tools that can help conversations feel clearer, more supportive, and less stuck.

Together, we will explore what helps partners feel connected, as well as what can sometimes make connection more difficult. While it is common in relationships to keep trying the same strategies, hoping they will eventually work, this workshop encourages a pause and a re-evaluation. When one key no longer opens the door, the aim is not to push harder, but to find new keys together.

Although this workshop is not a substitute for therapy, it provides a structured opportunity to reflect, learn, and practice new ways of relating. Participants are welcome to attend as a couple or individually if their partner is unable to attend or if they prefer to participate on their own. Participation is flexible and at each person’s own pace. Couples and individuals can engage in ways that feel right for them, whether through reflection, listening, or discussion.

Why we organize the Mental Health Meetups
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. This workshop, in particular, is an initiative of an intern in the field with guidance from her mentor.

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).