Group therapy sessions continue at Hanganak, and once again we gathered for one of our beneficiaries’ most beloved activities — mandala therapy.
The session was led by our psychologist, Dr. Anahit Lalayan, who created a deeply warm and interactive space for everyone. Soft, pleasant music filled the room, and intertwined with the melodies were gentle sounds of birds and forest nature. These calming sounds helped participants relax, reflect, and reconnect with their inner world.
Mandala therapy is more than coloring shapes. It is a quiet dialogue with oneself — a safe space where emotions can find form and color. During this meaningful session, our beneficiaries chose their colors thoughtfully, each shade carrying a story. They spoke about the pain of losing their homeland, about longing and memory. Yet alongside sorrow, their mandalas were also filled with hope and faith. Every participant expressed a deep belief and unwavering faith in returning home one day.
The atmosphere throughout the session was sincere, warm, and supportive. Participants listened to one another with empathy, shared their reflections, and encouraged each other through their words and creativity.
We were especially honored to welcome Susanna Tioyan, an Armenian linguist and Senior Researcher at the Hrachya Acharian Institute of Language of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia. Her scholarly work, centered on the richness of Western Armenian vocabulary and its semantic nuances, reflects a deep dedication to preserving and developing Armenian linguistic heritage. As a linguist, she warmly encourages Artsakh Armenians to speak and cherish their native dialect — the Artsakh dialect — and not to let it fade from everyday life. She took great pleasure in coloring her mandala, shaping it into a beautiful tava-sini (traditional tray-like form), whose rich colors and design added a special warmth to the collective artwork.
All mandalas created during the session remain at Hanganak, carefully preserved alongside the previous artworks of our beneficiaries. Together, they form a growing collection — a visual memory of resilience, identity, and hope.
Our volunteers were also present, contributing to the warm and friendly atmosphere. At the end of the session, Hanganak’s staff treated participants to delicious tea and coffee. The gathering continued around the table long after the creative work had finished. Beneficiaries stayed, talked, shared the latest news, laughed gently, and simply enjoyed being together.
These moments — filled with color, conversation, music, and warmth — remind us that healing happens not only through words, but through connection, creativity, and shared faith.
At Hanganak, every mandala carries a story. And every story carries hope.
