Bliss, Intelligent Online Therapy. Mental Health Between Languages and Identities: Why Merx Marketing Backed This Conversation

On Saturday 10 October, World Mental Health Day, a lecture theatre at UCL's Institute of Archaeology hosted a conversation we're proud to have supported: Mental Health Between Languages and Identities.

The workshop was co-hosted by Bliss and the UCL Albanian Society, with the support of Merx Marketing. It opened with a question many people who live between two languages will recognise: “Do you feel like a different person in English?”

Why this event mattered

When we move between Albanian and English, we don't only translate words. We translate humour, silence, family expectations, confidence and pain, along with the parts of ourselves that don't fit neatly into another language.

The session gave Albanian young professions, immigrants and diaspora communities a space to ask: who am I when I speak English, and what part of me remains unspoken?

The format, The Albanian In Between, let participants anonymously contribute an Albanian word, expression or silence that loses something in translation. The group then explored what those moments say about home, family, loneliness, pride, guilt and the wish to be understood. It was a shared conversation about the hidden work of translating ourselves in order to belong, and not a wellbeing lecture.

It was also clear about what it wasn't: a facilitated discussion, not group therapy and not a substitute for individual clinical care. Participation was voluntary and nobody was required to share anything personal.

The session was led by Arilda Dushaj, Psychotherapist and Clinical Lead at Bliss, who has extensive experience working with immigrant clients. It was delivered in Albanian, which was the point: for many people in the room, talking about feelings in the language they grew up with is rarely on offer.

Representatives from ALSA UK, the charity that empowers young people through networking, training and skill-building opportunities, were also in attendance, alongside students and members of the Albanian community in London.

The details

• Date: Saturday 10 October, 11:00–14:00

• Venue: UCL Institute of Archaeology, 31–34 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PY

• Language: Albanian

• Programme: Welcome, Workshop, then an hour of Networking

Meet the founder: Jona Doda, Bliss

Behind the event is Bliss, a culturally attuned mental-health platform that connects people with therapy and coaching that understands their language and background. Its banner at the event summed it up: “Finally, therapy that feels like home.”

Bliss was founded by Jona Doda, a London School of Economics alumna and former growth leader across fintech and proptech startups in Europe. Her own story is part of why the company exists: she has spoken publicly about how her mental health journey began after she left Albania to pursue opportunities in the UK.

Bliss is now an Albanian-Finnish company working with more than 70 licensed therapists in 30+ languages, and more than 5,000 people have accessed support through the platform. In March 2026 it raised $270,000 in angel funding and grants from Keiretsu Forum, Finest Love VC and Plug and Play. As we wrote in our Marketing Minute feature, Jona named the one thing generic wellness apps get wrong, which is cultural fit, and built the brand around it.

Read the full story: Bliss: the borderless therapy platform that 'feels like home'

The workshop also came together thanks to the UCL Albanian Society. We'd like to thank its President, Diart Bala, and the society's team for bringing the event to UCL and making it open to Albanian students and the wider diaspora.

Why we were glad to support

At Merx Marketing, we believe mental health deserves open, honest conversation, and World Mental Health Day is a good reminder of that. It was also great to see young people at the heart of this event, with students from the UCL Albanian Society helping to create a space to talk about identity, language and belonging.

We've followed Bliss since its early days, so supporting this workshop was an easy decision. As part of that support, Merx Marketing printed the roller banner and the flyers for the event, so it was a pleasure to see them in the room on the day.

We were glad to put our support behind a founder, a student society and a clinical lead who are making space for conversations that don't always get one. Many of the businesses we work with are built by people who've made their lives between languages, cultures and countries, and we recognise that story.

Get in touch

If you're building something with a community at its heart, whether a business, a society or a cause, we'd like to hear about it. Email us at danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk or visit merxmarketing.co.uk.