Chai & Chat in July
Join the South Asian Conversation
Join the July conversation about mental wellness for those in the South Asian community. The NAMI Chai & Chat initiative is part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sharing Hope Series, a cross-cultural initiative that centers on destigmatizing the conversation around mental health and wellness. Chai & Chat aims to bring communities together to collectively support each other while leaning on cultural wisdom and understanding, education, awareness and care navigation.
Developed specifically for individuals of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives ancestry, Chai & Chat’s three-part conversation series is designed to empower communities to share openly about the stresses of acculturation/integration, family and community pressures, generational trauma, racism and inequalities in accessing care. It is an opportunity to hold listening circles for, by and about South Asians and provide the opportunity to validate and explore participants’ mental wellness journeys and discover avenues of support.
Register for the July Program
Join the conversation on three Thursday evenings in July. We’ll gather from 7:00-8:30 pm on July 10th, 17th, 24th via Zoom. All Massachusetts adult residents who identify as South Asian are welcome. Click the button below to register for the program and receive the Zoom link that will work for all three meetings.
In recognition of safe spaces, this program will not be recorded. Please share news of the program within your community. Find us on Facebook @NAMICentralMiddlesexMA and Instagram @namimass_cmsx.
Structure of Chai & Chat
The program consists of three 1.5 hour meetings. A NAMI trained Facilitator of South Asian descent oversees the discussion.
First Conversation: We begin with an informal discussion on what mental health means to participants, how they feel their community can support them, and the barriers they face. This conversation is guided by two videos created by NAMI that we watch together as a group, focusing on intergenerational trauma and the cycle of mental health challenges within families.
Second Conversation: We invite a South Asian expert from the mental health field, who has experience working with South Asian clients, to join us. Topics include how to find a good therapist, what to expect in therapy, and self-care strategies.
Third Conversation: This session is dedicated to recognizing signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, identifying when someone may be experiencing a crisis, and understanding when to seek help. We also provide South Asian-specific resources curated by NAMI National. Additionally, a panel of South Asians with lived experiences shares their journeys, discussing how they overcame mental health challenges and are now thriving.
Questions & Volunteer Opportunities
If you have questions about Chai & Chat or would like to be part of the volunteer team growing this program in Massachusetts, please send an email to NAMI Central Middlesex at nami.cmsx@gmail.com or the program’s NAMI National Coordinator, Charu Aggarwal, at chaichat@nami.org.
Attending a Future Session of Chai & Chat
If you aren’t available for the July 2025 session, and would like to be contacted about the opportunity to attend a future Chai & Chat session, please click on the button below and fill out the Waitlist form.