In this episode, Third Culture Therapy’s Layla speaks with Nyree Abrahamian, a writer, producer, and educator whose work centres storytelling as a tool for identity, belonging, and collective healing. As a Canadian-born Armenian living in Armenia, Nyree reflects on the paradoxes of diaspora, repatriation, and feeling both deeply connected and perpetually in-between. The conversation explores the impact of the Nagorno-Karabakh war, the stories behind Nyree’s acclaimed podcast Country of Dust, and how Armenian cultural practices hold space for grief, resilience, and communal care.
💬 Topics Covered:
✔️ Diaspora, repatriation, and navigating belonging
✔️ Armenian identity and cultural inheritance
✔️ Storytelling as a tool for collective healing
✔️ The impact of the Nagorno-Karabakh war
✔️ Creating the Country of Dust podcast
✔️ Processing grief, trauma, and resilience in Armenia
✔️ Community-building and Armenia’s first Storytelling FestivalTimeline
00:00 Introduction to Third Culture Therapy
00:09 Meet Nari Abramian: A Journey of Identity and Storytelling
01:03 Diaspora Dynamics and the Concept of 'Repatriation'
04:48 The Impact of the Nagorno-Karabakh War
05:10 Creating the Country of Dust Podcast
08:05 From Education to Storytelling
10:51 Armenia's Post-Independence Development
14:06 Armenia as a Haven for Diasporic Communities
16:16 Processing Trauma and Grief in Armenia
19:20 The Role of Storytelling in Healing
23:27 Behind the Scenes of Country of Dust
39:31 The Power of Community and Storytelling Festivals
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