Webinar - To be (t)here? Reimagining Mental Healthcare Across Borders

When faced with barriers to local mental healthcare, how are migrants turning to online therapy with practitioners located in their countries of origin? What drives migrants to seek therapists across borders even when local options might be available? What does a "transnational digital consulting room" look like, and how does it function? How might these cross-border therapeutic relationships uniquely address the complexities of migrants' lived experiences?

The objective of the webinar is not to promote the practice of transitional telepsychology in and by itself, as there are currently several legal, as well as ethical challenges related to it that will deserve a deeper and more technical analysis, taking into consideration the regulatory situation in each country.

It primarily aims to discuss how these practices reflect both institutional failures and innovative bottom-up solutions at the nexus of migration, technology, and mental health, ultimately informing more inclusive approaches to migrant well-being and integration in Europe's increasingly diverse and connected societies.

This presentation explores transnational telepsychology - an emerging practice where migrants in Europe access mental healthcare through video sessions with psychologists abroad. How can digital technologies transform mental healthcare access for migrant populations and how do they challenge mainstream policymaking frameworks?

Despite formal public health coverage for regular migrants in most European systems, significant barriers persist: language limitations, complex service navigation, financial constraints, extended wait times, and cultural stigma. Simultaneously, migrants face disproportionate vulnerability to mental health challenges stemming from family separation, workplace discrimination, and social exclusion, particularly pronounced among migrant women who often manage transnational care responsibilities while working in gendered sectors.

While both scientific research and public policy initiatives frequently focus on the emergency needs of migrants with severe conditions, they often overlook the importance of mental health services that address the social determinants of well-being among long-term migrant residents. This presentation sits at the intersection of three research fields: transnational social protection, migrants' digital connectivity, and e-health services. By examining this previously overlooked phenomenon, we contribute to understanding how digitalisation drives the transnationalisation of healthcare services while revealing systemic gaps in current mental healthcare systems.

About the speaker: 

Thales Speroni is a sociologist and postdoctoral researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), based at the Centre Norbert Elias (CNE) in Marseille (France). He holds a dual Ph.D. in Sociology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona – UAB (Spain) and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS (Brazil).

His research specializes in qualitative methods, particularly ethnographic and biographical approaches, analyzing the contemporary intersections between migration, citizenship, and social protection. Currently, he is a member of the ACE (Ancestral Citizenship in Europe) project, which explores how co-ethnicity and bloodline shape pathways to European citizenship, contributing to current debates on migration and belonging.

Recordings:

View recording of the webinar on EFPA YouTube channel: