I became a psychiatrist, attracted to psychotherapy.
This was a long time ago, back in 1979, at the end of my medical training, when group psychotherapy in Bulgaria was done by several young psychologists and psychiatrists - enthusiasts, in the basement of the first psychiatric clinic, overtime and unpaid.
In the late 70's and early 80's we were able to get acquainted with the works of several leading authors in these fields (illegally imported) and worked on the principle of mutual learning and mutual supervision (intervision) with all the necessary responsibility and dedication. And the classic psychiatrists made fun of us in public. But in themselves some of them rejoiced in us, others envied us.
In all the years since then, I have managed to retain and develop both roles - a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist, without serious inter-role conflict. I appreciate both of them.
When we later, along with other young enthusiasts - underground psychotherapists - discovered the art therapy and system approach already presented by visiting therapists, although these methods attracted me, I was not one of their most enthusiastic followers. But when I met psychodrama at the IAGP congress in Zagreb in 1986, I realized that this is my method. I devoted the next 3 years to the fact that psychodrama broke through the Iron Curtain and came to us.
Later I had the incredible chance to learn from leading psychodramatists such as
Zerka Moreno, Prof. David Kipper (Chicago), Dr. Monica Zuretti (Argentina), Dr. Goran Hogberg (Sweden), Bernhard Achtenberg (Germany), Dr. Roberto de Inocencio (Spain), Dr. Pierre Fontaine (Belgium), Chantal Neve (Belgium), Sue Daniel (Australia), Grete Leutz (Germany), Ella May Shearon (Germany), Marsha Karp (England), Elaine Sachnoff (Chicago), Eva Falstrom (Sweden), Dina Baumgartner ( Arizona), Manuela Maciel (Portugal), Gabriela Moita (Portugal), Gabriele Weismann Brun and others.
As soon as I graduated as a psychodrama therapist, in 1993, I founded the first psychodrama center in our country - Psychodrama Center Orpheus with the support of Prof. David Kipper from Chicago. From then until now I have been happy to train psychodramatists. As a co-founder of FEPTO (Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organizations), I had the chance to use the experience of all leading trainers in Europe.
Until 2003, in parallel with psychiatry, I practiced individual and group psychotherapy in the office "Neuroses and Psychotherapy" of the Sofia Mental Health Center (MHC), as well as in my private psychotherapeutic practice Orpheus. In 2003, I took over the management of the Emergency Counseling Department of the MHC, but I kept the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic practice in Orpheus.
In my work with patients, I am guided by the belief that pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy and psychosocial rehabilitation in mental disorders are different, complementary paths leading to one goal - the restoration of mental health!
My interest in crisis interventions took me to emergency psychiatric care. As difficult as it is, in a situation of psychiatric emergency, it is also important to maintain a psychotherapeutic approach and attitude. They are necessary for both the patient and their relatives - who, due to what is happening, are also in crisis.
As the National coordinator of the Program Mobile Psychiatry at Ministry of Health (2005 – 2007 г.) I conducted realization of the idea for emergency psychiatric care at the patient's home in 4 districts in the country. I initiated the construction of the Department with a high degree of security in 2005, and led it until 2011, which gave a chance to people in a mental state, leading to risky behavior, to receive emergency care and / or crisis intervention, close to home and their loved ones.
From 2011 to April 2016, as the manager of the Center for Mental Health Prof. N. Shipkovenski, I invested efforts to double the number of beds and thus the chances of more patients to be treated near home; we built a children's ward with a day hospital; I managed 4 European projects and the renovation of the material base.
In Psychodrama Center Orpheus in addition to training professionals involved in a full program for psychodrama assistants and psychodrama directors, I conduct training in a psychotherapeutic approach at the request of various clients in the social sphere - the Employment Agency, non-governmental organizations, mental health centers and so on.
I apply psychodrama as a method for training in various skills, for team counseling, for supervision of professionals from helping professions.
In 2012 in Psychodrama Center Orpheus was open the door for training in Psychodrama with children with the first in our country introductory seminar, conducted by Dr. Fabian Blobel and Helena Brem from Switzerland. In 2013 began the first in Bulgaria training Program in Psychodrama with children– individual and in a group, with Dr. Fabian Blobel, child psychiatrist and psychotherapist in German. The purpose of this training is to prepare participants to use psychodrama in the field of pedagogy or in therapy. This form of psychodrama with children can be used in individual, family or group format. This method is created and developed by Alfons Aichinger and Walter Holl in the last 30 years in Germany. The training is designed for people who work as therapists, educators, social workers in all types of clinical or social areas. 17 participants in the first training group for Psychodrama with children successfully graduated.
From 2019, 2 more groups started their training in this method - one in Bulgarian and one in English. Leading the training are Dr. Fabian Blobel and Dr. Petra Marinova
In the summer of 2016 was held the first in our country introductory seminar on Psychodrama and action methods of working with groups of adolescents, followed by the first in our country training program for the application of these methods, led by Dr. Fabian Blobel and Galabina Tarashoeva. In 2019, 6 participants graduated, participating in all four modules.
It was a big pleasure for me to work with the first in Bulgaria Play back Theater Orpheus, established in 2001 with the introductory seminar conducted by Eva Falstrom from Swedan. Despite of the dynamic in its troupe, untill 2009 managed sincerely to excite and delight the audience with its performances.
It was an honor for me to be awarded twice by the Bulgarian Association of Psychotherapy:
On 23.11.2015 - for strategic contribution - for the introduction and approval of professional standards in psychotherapy in Bulgaria
On 23.11.19 - for overall contribution to the development of psychotherapy in Bulgaria