About MHECON 2026
MHECON 2026 brings together Clinicians, educators, students, media and communication professionals, public health practitioners, digital creators, community members, caregivers, advocates, and anyone interested in mental health communication, to exchange evidence, best practices, and innovations in mental health education and promotion.
Theme: Bridging Knowledge, Practice, and Innovation in Mental Health Education
Pre-Conference: 19 June 2026Conference: 20 June 2026
Venue: Platinum Jubilee Hall, NIMHANS, Bengaluru
Our Pre-Conference Workshop @ MHECON 2026:
The Language Lab: Mental Health Communication Under The Microscope
An experiential skills lab for real-world mental health communication across
clinical, community, media, and digital settings.
Date: 19 June 2026 Venue: Dr. M. V. Govindaswamy Centre, NIMHANS
Time: 9:00 AM โ 1:00 PM
Fee for the preconference workshop:
Students: โน500
Professionals: โน1000
(Participants from all educational and professional backgrounds are welcome to register under the category most applicable to them)
โ ๏ธ Note: Conference registration is NOT mandatory to attend any pre-conference workshop.
Clinicians, educators, students, media and communication professionals, public health practitioners, digital creators, community members, caregivers, advocates, and anyone interested in mental health, communication, and the role of language in everyday life.
(1) Dr Sharmitha Krishnamurthy
Lab Design & Media Communication Lead
Designation @ Augmenta: Chief of Public Mental Health & Co-Founder
(2) Dr Mohan Sunil Kumar
Lab Strategy & Clinical-Digital Communication Lead
Designation @ Augmenta: Chief Psychiatrist & Co-Founderย
(3) Ms. Nitya Dhruve
Lab Anchor & Client Communication Lead
Designation @ Augmenta: Principal Psychologist
(4) Ms. Bindhu Subash
Lab Process & Family Communication Lead
Designation @ Augmenta: Senior Consultant, Counselling & Psychotherapy
(5) Ms. Dhriti S Bhardwaj
Lab Engagement & Social Media Communication Lead
Designation @ Augmenta: Associate Psychologist
(6) Ms. Tanuja V
Lab Outreach & Crisis Communication Lead
Designation @ Augmenta: Associate Psychologistย
Top 10 Highlights of the Workshop
Put language on the operating table Examine real phrases from clinics, classrooms, conversations, comments, and campaigns to see how they help or harm.
Watch ordinary words turn into highโstakes moments Explore how everyday language becomes stigma, safety, dismissal, dignity, risk, or relief.
Feel the intensity of realโworld communication breakdowns Step into realistic scenariosโdistressed students, minimising families, alienating clinicians, sensational media, and AIโgenerated misfires.
Learn the art of saying the right thing when it matters most Move from awkward or generic responses to grounded, attuned, humanly helpful communication.
Experience a lab built on Kolbโs experiential learning cycle A Test โ Examine โ Reframe โ Apply sequence that makes communication skills usable immediately.
Decode communication across four key spaces Clinical, community/family, media/public messaging, and digital/AIโmediated communication.
Enter the AI Prompt Lab Use AI to audit language, test safer phrasing, and generate messagingโwhile also learning where AI fails emotionally or ethically.
Use the Augmenta 7S Framework A practical tool to evaluate whether language promotes safety, reduces stigma, supports helpโseeking, and respects context.
Leave with language, not just learning Participants walk away with readyโtoโuse communication antidotes for clients, families, classrooms, campaigns, and digital spaces.
Be part of a visible shift Contribute to The Language WallโโWords We Leave Behindโ and โWords We Carry Forwardโโa collective installation marking change.
๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ฐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ
๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐: ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐-๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ญ.