Aurela brings together mental health stakeholders to discuss how to design services around people’s real needs

Aurela brings together mental health stakeholders to discuss how to design  services around people’s real needs 

On 7 October, Aurela will host “Real voices, real change: How to design mental  health services around people’s real needs” at Barcelona Health Hub, bringing  together people with lived experience, mental health professionals, organisations and  public administration. 

Held on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the session will explore a central  question: how can mental health services better respond to the real needs and  circumstances of the people who use them? 

The programme will open with a keynote by Alex Romaní, psychologist and professor  of Organisational and Work Psychology, who will share his perspective on mental  health, wellbeing and organisations. 

This will be followed by a panel discussion bringing together different perspectives from  across the mental health ecosystem: 

• Laia Arnal, director of the Pacte Nacional de Salut Mental of the Generalitat de  Catalunya. 
• Dr María Robles, psychiatrist, PhD in Psychiatry and university lecturer. • Gabriela Hernández, General Health Psychologist, psychotherapy coordinator  at ITA and director of ITERIAS Barcelona. 
• Enric Badia, entrepreneur, sharing his lived experience of seeking and accessing  mental health support. 
• Marta Luz Blanco, head of psychological wellbeing and psychosocial  development at Mutua Universal, clinical psychologist and MBA, representing  the perspective of organisations. 

The conversation will address some of the challenges people encounter throughout  their mental health journey, including access to care, how services adapt to individual  circumstances and the importance of continuity throughout the process. 

The panel will also explore how the different actors involved in mental health care can  work together to provide more personalised and accessible support, and why  incorporating people’s lived experience into the design of services is essential to  making them more relevant and effective. 

The morning will conclude with an hour of networking over coffee, giving attendees the  opportunity to continue the conversation and connect with professionals and  organisations working across the mental health ecosystem.

Event 

Real voices, real change: How to design mental health services around people’s  real needs 

Date: 7 October 2026 

Time: 9:00am–12:00pm 

Location: Barcelona Health Hub, Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, Carrer de Sant  Antoni Maria Claret, 167, 08025 Barcelona 

Places are limited. Registration

About Aurela 

Aurela is a mental health space where organisations, people and therapists find the  support they need. Operating in Spain, its digital platform connects companies,  insurers and care-ecosystem partners with a network of clinical professionals and the  people they support, helping make mental health care more accessible, personalised  and continuous. 

Backed by GCO Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle of GCO (Grupo Catalana  Occidente), Aurela is part of a portfolio of new businesses created to respond to  emerging societal needs. The company is also a member of Barcelona & Madrid Health  Hub.